Fairfield University Launching New Open Visions Academy

FAIRFIELD — To further enhance its prestigious Open Visions Forum (OVF), Fairfield University’s School of Continuing Education will launch the Open Visions Academy beginning Wednesday, September 30. The academy is designed to extend the educational outreach of the OVF to a new in-depth experience by providing informal seminar-style lectures planned around the works of several of the guest speakers.

Because many of the OVF speakers are renowned authors, the academy has engaged distinguished members of the faculty to facilitate a three-step informal “book circle” to share ideas and exchange opinions about the nationally recognized speakers who visit the campus.

Participants enrolled in the academy will attend a pre-and post- lecture discussion based on one text authored by the visiting speaker, be guaranteed a seat for the Open Visions lecture, and meet kindred spirits who are also interested in the specific author or topic to be discussed.

“The academy gives a coherence to Open Visions and maximizes the opportunity for the audience to not only anticipate each lecture but to take a leadership role in the question and answer session that follows and, finally, to continue the conversations the speaker has inspired at a post-lecture meeting,” explained Philip Eliasoph, PhD, the founder and director of Open Visions, a lecture series now entering its fourth season.

The first “mini-course,” based on the works of the writer/feminist/activist Susan Sontag, will begin on Wednesday, September 20, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. It will continue on October 4, when Ms Sontag will lecture, and conclude on Wednesday, October 11. The Sontag facilitator is Gita Rajan, PhD, an associate professor of English at Fairfield University.

Joe Klein, the “anonymous” author of Primary Colors, will be the focus of the second seminar on Thursday, October 12 and 26, and November 2, from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. John Orman, PhD, a professor of politics at Fairfield University, will be the facilitator.

Playwright Tony Kushner, the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author of Angels of America, is the subject of the third seminar on February 7 and 21 and March 7. Martha LoMonaco, PhD, an associate professor of visual and performing arts at Fairfield University, will be the facilitator.

CBS News’ veteran of television’s “golden age,” Daniel Schorr, will be featured in the fourth and final seminar of the season on February 20, and March 4 and 6. The facilitator is Dr James Simon, an assistant professor of English and journalism at Fairfield University.

The tuition for each three-session course is $145, which includes the cost of, and preferred seating to, the lecture. For more information, call Fairfield University’s School of Continuing Education at 203/254-4220 or toll-free at 888/254-1566.