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Perfect for anyone who has ever wanted to learn more about Ancient Maya hieroglyphs, temple-pyramids, royal courts, and historical rivalries, this course provides an in-depth overview of the Classic Maya civilization from its beginnings in the 2nd millennium BCE through the Spanish Invasion in the early 1500s CE. The Classic Maya have fascinated public and scholarly audiences the world over. As one of the few major ancient civilizations to have emerged in a tropical jungle setting, they are often labeled as “mysterious” or “enigmatic.” The Classic Maya developed intricate calendrical, architectural, political, hieroglyphic, and ideological systems. This course seeks to present the true nature of Maya civilization as it is understood from the archaeological record, Classic Maya texts, and through insights from contemporary Maya communities.

This course takes place on Tuesdays from 1:30-3:30pm (PT) on Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

The Cold War era, an international bi-polar competition between the Soviet Union and the United States made the world we live in today. This power rivalry unfolded in the aftermath of the Second World War and finally concluded with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although the Soviet Union no longer exists, the consequences of its fifty-five-year struggle with the United States still influences modern global politics. Ultimately, the postwar competition pitted advocates of state socialism against the champions of free market capitalism. The superpowers never directly fought each other but clashed in a series of bloody proxy wars across the developing world. This timely and informative course will offer an in-depth discussion covering the roots of the Cold War, its causes, and most importantly, its relevance for understanding the current global crisis. Truly, today’s wars in Iran and the Ukraine, the U.S.- China rivalry and conflicts over hegemony in Cuba and Latin America, to name just a few, can all be traced to the Cold War.

This course takes place on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm (PT) on Zoom and at the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

For three centuries and under several forms of government, Russia has been the largest country in the world, steadily extending its rule over massive portions of Eurasian territory. Its repeated efforts to amass and maintain this sprawling dominion have led many to regard Russia as intrinsically, if not uniquely, expansionist. Is this fact? Stereotype? Or something in between? Explore this timely question in "Building the Imperium," which surveys the ebb and flow of colonial and hegemonic tendencies throughout Russian history, up to and including the Kremlin's illegal war against Ukraine.

This course takes place on Thursdays from 1:30-3:30pm (PT) on Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

As one of the most popular finned fish consumed in the U.S., salmon is nutritious and delicious. In this course, we explore the history of the Pacific salmon and why today’s farmed salmon isn’t the same fish that once swam up rivers from California to Alaska to spawn. We learn how to shop for the healthiest and safest salmon available, and learn what commercial fisheries and environmental groups are doing to ensure the future of salmon as a food source. Join Sharon Boorstin, whose food-writing career was inspired by her father, a leader in the canned-salmon industry in Seattle, Washington.

It seems that every election this decade has been called “The most important election of our lifetime”. While it is not clear that the 2026 Midterm elections matter more than a Presidential year election, the results of this election will determine the direction of the nation for the next two years. This election undoubtedly is incredibly consequential. It is a referendum on the Trump administration and will determine whether there are increased safeguards or a green light to continue the actions and policies of the past two years.

In this lecture, we will do an overview of the 2026 election results (the results of most of the important races will have been finalized). We will assess the election outcomes from races across the country from US Senate to US House to Governor races, and also interesting propositions and notable races.

The Cold War era, an international bi-polar competition between the Soviet Union and the United States made the world we live in today. This power rivalry unfolded in the aftermath of the Second World War and finally concluded with the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Although the Soviet Union no longer exists, the consequences of its fifty-five-year struggle with the United States still influences modern global politics. Ultimately, the postwar competition pitted advocates of state socialism against the champions of free market capitalism. The superpowers never directly fought each other but clashed in a series of bloody proxy wars across the developing world. This timely and informative course will offer an in-depth discussion covering the roots of the Cold War, its causes, and most importantly, its relevance for understanding the current global crisis. Truly, today’s wars in Iran and the Ukraine, the U.S.- China rivalry and conflicts over hegemony in Cuba and Latin America, to name just a few, can all be traced to the Cold War.

This course takes place on Wednesdays from 10am-12pm (PT) on Zoom and at the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

For three centuries and under several forms of government, Russia has been the largest country in the world, steadily extending its rule over massive portions of Eurasian territory. Its repeated efforts to amass and maintain this sprawling dominion have led many to regard Russia as intrinsically, if not uniquely, expansionist. Is this fact? Stereotype? Or something in between? Explore this timely question in "Building the Imperium," which surveys the ebb and flow of colonial and hegemonic tendencies throughout Russian history, up to and including the Kremlin's illegal war against Ukraine.

This course takes place on Thursdays from 1:30-3:30pm (PT) on Zoom.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.

As we careen into the Anthropocene, a new geologic era we have entered where the impacts of human civilizations have grown to dominate the controls on the Earths' climate, the consequences of our inaction are becoming daily observations. The warmest year on record in the modern era was 2024 while experiencing a strong El Niño, which is known to influence global temperatures positively (by about 0.1 - 0.2 °C on average.) This year, 2026, is on record to become the warmest yet again with the aid of a rising 'Godzilla' El Niño. We will explore the physical details of how we are rapidly warming our planet, how this year's record El Niño is developing, and how its abnormal strength is itself likely human-driven.

Alternatively legendary and tragic, the intriguing life and career of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is very much tied to and associated with the area of Montmartre in Paris. Well-known and recognized within the area from the mid-1880s on, he was a documenter and advertiser for the hill-top region of windmills and nightclubs. Montmartre itself has its own long history and this lecture will not only explore Toulouse-Lautrec's representation of the area, but also look at why and how artists were drawn to the region in the first place.

Spanish Colonial Revival style, popular mainly in the 1910s through the early 1930s, incorporates many cultural roots within its adobe-colored walls, red terra cotta roofs, turquoise shutters and mullions, and ceramic tile details. Popularized by a romanticized version of California’s history, the style traces its roots from the mission era, where Spanish padres brought knowledge of their Baroque cathedrals and Andalusian farmhouses to be interpreted by the local Native American and Mexican craftsmen. The style was also influenced by Islamic design, prevalent in Spanish design under Moorish rule, as well as Bertram Goodhue’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition held in San Diego, and Helen Hunt Jackson’s novel Ramona, a sentimental portrayal of Mexican life in Southern California. The course will include discussion of contemporary practitioners of the style, including the work of Santa Barbara architect Jeff Shelton.