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Traveling University Announces Fall 2026 Schedule
Traveling University Announces Fall 2026 Schedule
Fall 2026 events
How Secure are the Election Results?
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
6:30 PM-8:00 PM
Brown County Public Library
Dr. Marjorie Hershey, nationally recognized for her research on US political parties, elections, and the media’s role in politics, will examine potential threats to the integrity of the 2026 election results and the processes used to detect and address them. This event is offered in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Brown County, the Brown County Public Library, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus Indiana.
Truth Be Told: Separating Fact from Fiction about American Labor Unions
Sunday, August 30, 2026
2:00 PM -3:30 PM
Monroe County Public Library
With Labor Day just around the corner, it is appropriate to reflect on the state of American labor unions. While U.S. labor unions have made tremendous gains for their members as well as non-union workers, labor union membership in the U.S. has experienced a steady decline for over seven decades. Compared to other Western advanced democratic countries, the U.S. has historically ranked among the lowest in the percent of its labor force belonging to unions. In this talk, Mike Wallace, Professor Emeritus of Sociology at the University of Connecticut, will provide a historical overview of the U.S. labor movement to contextualize the unique position of labor unions in American society today. It will also examine the beneficial aspects of unions for society, the challenges that unions face in contemporary American society, and the prospects for a revitalization of the U.S. union movement.
Common Wealth: Living in a Shared World
Sunday, September 20, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM
First Presbyterian Church
Our wellbeing depends far more on the wealth we share than on our private finances and possessions. This talk by Scott Russell Sanders, Professor Emeritus of English at Indiana University and Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, will celebrate the gifts of nature and culture that support and enrich our lives. It will also show how these shared riches—atmosphere, oceans, biodiversity, parks and public schools, arts and science, laws and language, and many more—are under assault by those who wish to exploit them for personal or corporate gain. By recognizing the common wealth that sustains us, we may be moved to defend it. Questions, reactions, and insights will be welcomed.
The Ordinary Extraordinary Junco: What One Bird Can Teach
Sunday, September 27, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
This talk, presented by Distinguished Professor Emerita Ellen Ketterson, will cover insights from 40 years of research on the junco carried out at a biological station in the Appalachian mountains and in aviaries here in Indiana, including why male birds, unlike most mammals, care for their offspring, the implications of hormones for how wildlife may respond to environmental change, and how the timing of migration and reproduction has been affected by climate change.
How Secure are the Election Results?
Sunday, October 18, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Monroe County Public Library Southwest Branch
Dr. Marjorie Hershey, nationally recognized for her research on US political parties, elections, and the media’s role in politics, will examine potential threats to the integrity of the 2026 election results and the processes used to detect and address them. This event is offered in partnership with the League of Women Voters of Brown County, the Brown County Public Library, and the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Columbus Indiana.
Saving the Kids: The Persistent Appeal of Censorship as Child Protection
Sunday, November 1, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Unitarian Universalist Church of Bloomington
Book bans. Social media restrictions. Anti-DEI campaigns. Censorship is on the rise in America. In the present, as in the past, protecting the minds and morals of the young is its primary justification. As a result, we cannot understand the spread of censorship today without bringing in the history of children and childhood because child protection was used to legitimate state and private censorship of young and old alike. Michael Grossberg, Professor Emeritus and Sally M. Reahard Professor of History and Professor of Law, will review this history and illuminate the current state of censorship in the US.
Why Should a Grownup Play with Flies?
Sunday, December 6, 2026
2:00 PM-3:30 PM
Location not set
Nine biologists have been awarded the Nobel Prize for basic investigations using the tiny fruit fly called Drosophila melanogaster. Their results have enhanced our understanding of biological fundamentals and -- as a bonus -- they have changed medicine. This serendipity says a lot about evolution and it reminds us of the benefits of an enlightened research strategy. This talk, by Peter Cherbas, Professor Emeritus of Biology, will help us all appreciate the value of these basic scientific investigations.
Old Notices
Old Notices
The Traveling University
The Traveling University
A group of retired university faculty dedicated to providing higher education opportunities to the general public has developed a new Traveling University, modeled in part on the Flying University pioneered by politicsal dissidents in Poland. They offer single lectures and short-form courses on topics of civic interest, free of charge, at community venues such as churches and public libraries. See their website at travelinguniv.org for the latest information, including topics, locations, and dates.
IURA Board Endorses Faculty Council Resolution on Emeriti Faculty
IURA Board Endorses Faculty Council Resolution on Emeriti Faculty
As the elected representatives of the iURA membership, On October 1, the Board endorsed the September 23, 2025, resolution of the Bloomington Faculty Council that calls on the Board of Trustees, at their first opportunity, to rescind or amend policy BOT-19 to restore participation and voting rights to emeriti faculty for the good of the university community.
Freedoms Under Assault in Indiana New Film Screening October 12, 2025: There will be a free, unticketed screening of the new film FREEDOMS UNDER ASSAULT IN INDIANA on Sunday, October 12, 2 pm, at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater on Kirkwood Ave. At least two IURA members have been involved in this film project. See the event listing at the BCT for more information about the film.
Documentary Freedoms Under Assault in Indiana now available for streaming
Documentary Freedoms Under Assault in Indiana now available for streaming
The film is now available as pay per view here : https://comforty.vhx.tv/products/freedoms-under-assault-the-indiana-case-study Cost is $4 for 3-day rental. Payment requires creating a simple account with the producers, retired IU faculty member Bob Arnove & film director Jacky Comfty.
Annual Retiree Attestation Form Due by October 31 Each Year.
Annual Retiree Attestation Form Due by October 31 Each Year.
The Attestation Form for Retired Faculty and Staff is due by October 31 each year in order to keep using university accounts, including IU email. Click the link now!
Update Your IU Email Address By December 31, 2025.
Update Your IU Email Address By December 31, 2025.
December 31, 2025, is the deadliine for updating your name@indiana.edu email address to name@iu.edu with people or automated lists from which you expect email that you want to continue to receive. Here's a page with explicit instructions for accounts at Anthem, and a few others. UITS strongly recommends that accounts not related to IU be changed to use personal email accounts, such as GMail. IF YOIU HAVEN'T ALREADY DONE THIS, WORK ON IT NOW!
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