Return to Home Page
The Center for Continuing Adult Learning is dependent on people from all walks of life, including our own members, who are willing (make that anxious) to share what they know, what they can do, and what they love, with other intelligent, curious, and open-minded adults. Because our "courses" cover an enormous range of activities -- mental, physical, and creative -- we call those who lead our activities FACILITATORS. Some teach, some demonstrate skills, some organize programs with outside speakers, some arrange and lead field trips. Some Facilitators are active professionals, some are retired, and many are devoted amateurs.
FACILITATORS are paid only in a coin whose worth cannot be measured: SATISFACTION in sharing the things that excite them with others. [One small exception: Facilitators who are NOT members of CCAL may also be participants in ONE course for each course they facilitate without paying our normal $100 annual Membership Fee.]. In accordance with college regulations facilitators may not use a course to sell products or services. If any courses are scheduled off-campus we will adhere to this policy.
FACILITATORS have great freedom in organizing courses THEY want to give, considerable latitude as to WHEN they wish to present them, and may specify minimum and maximum numbers of participants. As one regular Facilitator puts it, "I only give courses I want to take." A course may be as short as a single 2-hour presentation -- or as long as a class meeting for two hours, once or twice a week, for four or more weeks. Most classes (except outdoor activities) are assigned classroom space at either Hartwick College or the State University of New York (SUNY) College at Oneonta. Normally, classes are held during daylight hours, Monday through Friday. Because of winter road conditions, comparatively few courses (except, of course, skiing) are scheduled from December through February, as many of our participants must drive a significant distance to attend.
Course Proposals are approved at the monthly meetings of our Curriculum Committee (many of whom are Facilitators and Participants themselves). Courses must be approved and scheduled quite far in advance, as space must be arranged at our Host Colleges, and courses must be included in Catalogs distributed months before the courses actually take place:
We will get back to you as soon as we can.
Questions? -- Visit or telephone our office (hours listed at our home page), or write or e-mail us.
Return to Top of Page