If you are looking for details about our Winter 2026 courses, you have come to the right place. Open registration for Winter 2026 begins December 1.
Winter 2026 Course Descriptions
*Zoom recordings will be available for a limited time.
Mondays | January 12 - March 2 (6 weeks) |10 – 11:40 a.m. | In-person, not recorded
A broad view of AI from its history in myth and media, to its implementation and social and ethical issues.
Mondays | January 12 - March 2 (6 weeks) | 5:30 – 7:10 p.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
In this evening course, Dr. Richard Bell continues his wonderful lectures on early U.S. history, this time focusing on the struggle for independence.
Tuesdays | January 13 - February 17 (6 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
This course will offer an in-depth, region-by-region tour of the continent, covering its politics, cultures, and societies.
Tuesdays | January 13 - February 17 (6 weeks) | 2 – 3:40 p.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
Cary Pepper presents his detailed insights on eight of Spencer Tracy’s best movies, along with plenty of great film clips.
Wednesdays | January 14 - February 4 (4 weeks) | 2 – 3:40 p.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
Mozart's incredible youthful concertos preserve the best of the Baroque and explore the state of the art in woodwind design.
Wednesdays | January 14 - February 4 (4 weeks) | 5:30 – 7:10 p.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
This evening course details Simon and Garfunkel’s rise from Everly Brothers-obsessed New York teenagers through the folk revival and on to classics with increasingly sophisticated electric rock arrangements and orchestration.
Thursdays | January 15 - February 5 (4 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
Collectively, the gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune – have over 400 moons in orbit (and counting!) and some of them have conditions suitable for life to exist!
Thursdays | January 15 - February 19 (6 weeks) | 2 – 3:40 p.m. | In-person, Not Recorded
This in-person seminar offers a deep and timely exploration of the Middle East’s volatile landscape and the strategic calculus behind American foreign policy.
Thursdays | February 26 - March 19 (4 weeks) | 2 – 3:40 p.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
Despite being overshadowed by the French, Italian Impressionists – Macchiaioli – pioneered both freer paint application and the importance of the sketch or “impression” of an image on the eye and intellect.
Fridays | January 16 - February 20 (6 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | In-person, Not Recorded
A series of four lectures on current issues, presented by some of OLLI’s most popular lecturers, with Darren Zook kicking off the series on January 16.
Fridays | January 16 - February 20 (6 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | In-person, Not Recorded
Starting with a survey of the major cultural, political, and social forces that shaped Grant’s worldview, popular historian Mick Chantler concludes with an assessment of Grant's presidency.
Fridays | February 27 - March 20 (4 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | Zoom, Recorded*
University of Maryland historian, Dr. Julie Taddeo, examines the culture and history of Britain during the period of the popular TV series Bridgerton.
Fridays | January 16 - March 6 (8 weeks) | 10 – 11:40 a.m. | Zoom, Not Recorded
You will learn techniques to write about your life experiences, your challenges, your gifts, and your inner wisdom – and express them all with power and beauty.
Osher Online is a set of online-only (on Zoom, not recorded) courses provided by the National OLLI network, based at Northwestern University in Chicago. Dominican OLLI members may select any number of these for a fee of $90 per course. Premium and Session members pay $50. All Osher Online Courses are 6 weeks, on Zoom, and not recorded.
To participate:
- Become a Dominican OLLI member.
- Review the course/seminar listing below.
- Login to the Member Website to register.
Questions? Contact us at olli@dominican.edu or call at (415) 458-3763.
Course Listing
- Brain and Behavior in the Era of Digital Technology (Elena Labkovsky, PhD)
8 a.m. | Mondays, January 26 – March 2 - Landscape & Adventure Photography: An Introduction (Jonathan Duncan)
Noon | Mondays, January 26 – March 2 - John James Audubon and the Birds of America (Eric Simon, PhD)
8 a.m. | Thursdays, January 22 – February 26 - Invisible Intelligence: The Unseen Algorithms Reshaping Your Daily Life (Eliot Bethke)
2 p.m. | Thursdays, January 15 – February 19 - How the U.S. Immigration (Usually) Works (Michele Waslin, PhD)
8 a.m. | Fridays, January 16 – February 20 - Einstein without Tears: His Theories Explained without Math and in Everyday Language (Andrew Fraknoi, MS)
2 p.m. | Tuesdays, January 27 – March 3 - Milestones in Medicine (Gordon Josephson, MD, MPH)
8 a.m. | Wednesdays, January 14 – February 18 - Osher Integrative Health: Navigating Chronic Illness in a Complex Healthcare System (The Osher Collaborative for Integrative Health Team)
Noon | Fridays, January 30 – March 6 - Post-Impressionism and the Birth of Abstraction (Lauren Weingarden)
2 p.m. | Mondays, January 26 – March 2 - The Noir Novel: Three American Classics (Peter Kaye, PhD)
8 a.m. | Tuesdays, January 20 – February 24 - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: A Comparative Exploration (Jeremy Fackenthal, PhD)
Noon | Thursdays, January 29 – March 5 - The Virtues (David Smith, PhD)
10 a.m. | Wednesdays, January 14 – February 18