LIFELONG LEARNING AT NATIONAL LOUIS

Every Monday morning 15 people gather in a National Louis University classroom to study the writings of William Faulkner. Every person in the room is of retirement age. The coordinators are both retired businesspeople. Class members include a former teacher, an attorney, a homemaker, physician and they all come well prepared. The two-hour session is lively, full of discussion, controversy, humor, disagreement, insight and wisdom. After class, the talk spills out to the hallways, down to the onsite deli or out to the parking lot. The class is one of 30+ different study groups offered by The Lifelong Learning Institute at NLU every semester.

The Lifelong Learning Institute at National Louis is:

  • A vibrant, active community of men and women 55+
    who enjoy exploring different topics and discovering new friends.
  • A participatory environment of 30+ stimulating and provocative study groups,
    in science, literature, film, history, philosophy, current events, fine arts and more.
  • Lunch & Learn programs, special events, travel opportunities
    and a myriad of social and enrichment activities throughout the year.

No tests, no grades and no teachers. At NLU our program is modeled around peer learning made popular by the Great Books Foundation where discussion is the key. Members select and submit topics for approval to a committee of their peers. They then become coordinators for the study group -- choosing the text and/or other learning materials/media and planning the schedule. At each meeting, members volunteer as discussion leaders. By previously reading or in-class viewing of a film, everyone comes to class with the same frame of reference. Leaders pose the questions and discussion begins.

A program run by the members. If you decide to join our program at NLU, you will become a member of a community of lifelong learners that depends on your participation for its success. We hope that you will volunteer for at least one aspect of the organization. Whether it is joining a committee, serving on the advisory council or coordinating a study group, your contribution will be an important one. 

Four sessions offered each year. LLI study groups are offered during four sessions per year including fifteen-week fall and spring sessions and five-week winter and summer sessions. Study groups meet weekly for two hours during the day.

Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    800.443.5522

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  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    800.443.5522

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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    800.443.5522

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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    800.443.5522

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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    800.443.5522

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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of the city's major business districts, NLU's Tampa campus serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to six classrooms, the campus features a conference room, a computer lab with high-speed Internet access, an extensive research library and comfortable student lounges.

    4950 West Kennedy Blvd. #300
    Tampa, FL 33609
    800.366.6581 | www.nl.edu/florida

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  • WISCONSIN

    NLU's Milwaukee campus has a proud history of serving graduate students in education in southeastern Wisconsin. Nearly one in five certified Wisconsin teachers looks to NLU for graduate education programs – more than any other university in the state. In addition to classrooms with high-tech media equipment, the campus offers a state-of-the-art computer lab with wireless Internet access and an extensive IDS research library.

    12000 West Park Place, Suite 100
    Milwaukee, WI 53224-3007
    414.577.2658

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