Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Eunice M. Bellinger reported this to the Board of Trustees on Monday evening.

The courses are designed to help senior adults explore personal interests and build new skills, Bellinger said. They do not carry academic credit, and will be offered during the evenings and weekends, and the summer months.

Over the next four months, Leisure Learning courses will cover such topics as "Quick and Easy Italian," "Geocaching 101," "Quilting," "Watercolor," and a variety of courses in scrapbooking, Civil War history, and family law. A tentative schedule of upcoming Leisure Learning courses is available at http://www.genesee.edu/best/development/leisure-learning/.

The cost for each course varies, and ranges from $10 to $99.

The college is planning educational tours for interested residents. Housing at College Village will be available for out-of-area seniors who want to participate in Leisure Learning courses during the summer.

Faculty and staff are eager to share their skills and knowledge with the community in informal settings.

"We believe our new Leisure Learning program will bring the college's expertise to many residents over the age of 50 who are eager to learn, and eager to explore new interests," Bellinger said.

Area residents are also invited to complete a survey of their educational interests. It is available at http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22EGQ7R6K59/.