Author David Shipler attended the first class to talk about his book The Working Poor: Invisible in America. Participants were encouraged to read the book, one of the 2011-2013 UAA/APU Books of the Year. Various UAA faculty were invited to elaborate on the themes in the book including: measuring inequality, raising families in poverty, the relationship between poverty and the criminal justice system, food insecurity and the trials of aging.
In addition to Dr. Chamard, other participating UAA faculty include Dr. Nelta Edwards, Sociology; Dr. Judith Owens-Manley, Center for Community Engagement and Learning; Dr. Ann Jache, Sociology and Gerontology; and Dr. Tracey Burke, Social Work.
OLE! presents "stimulating courses for the intellectually curious," and is a nonprofit corporation affiliated with UAA. The UAA Division for Institutional Effectiveness is the campus liaison for OLE!. Courses are open to any adult, but are specifically designed for people over the age of 50.
