THE OREGON EXTENSION
SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE FIRE UP YOUR MIND
Core reading and discussion make up the first half of each of our four segments.
ENTERING THE FOOTHILLS
THE CORE
IMAGINATIVE JOURNEYS AND HONEST LISTENING
Creative, challenging books are the love of our academic lives at the OE. We read books meditatively and interactively, allowing them to shed new light on and ask new questions of our lives. We love when good books seduce or disturb us. We expect books to draw us into honest listening and speaking with our fellow learners.
Our work during the core rests on a selection of engaging contemporary books, lectures that elaborate on the reading's themes, and small discussion groups that allow students to connect their reading to their personal experiences.
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CORE BOOKS
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Our readings change from year to year, reflecting new emphases. Check out a sample of our recent reading lists to get a sense of the kind of social, philosophical, and political issues that have challenged and excited us.
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Around 100 pages of reading are assigned each night, Monday through Thursday. We do not have exams at the OE. Instead, we either ask students to take notes or to complete short written assignments during the core.
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Since we work hard during the week, we give students the weekends off during the core, with time to explore the campus, the Monument, and the Ashland area.
Our work during the core rests on a selection of engaging contemporary books, lectures that elaborate on the reading's themes, and small discussion groups that allow students to connect their reading to their personal experiences.
​
CORE BOOKS
-
Our readings change from year to year, reflecting new emphases. Check out a sample of our recent reading lists to get a sense of the kind of social, philosophical, and political issues that have challenged and excited us.
-
Around 100 pages of reading are assigned each night, Monday through Thursday. We do not have exams at the OE. Instead, we either ask students to take notes or to complete short written assignments during the core.
-
Since we work hard during the week, we give students the weekends off during the core, with time to explore the campus, the Monument, and the Ashland area.
DISCUSSION
GROUPS
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Each Tuesday through Friday, we gather in small groups-- five or six students, one faculty person-- to talk about the day's reading assignment.
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We explore the issues raised at the point
where the text meets the experience of each student. These genuine encounters empower students to speak their minds and hearts freely. By semester's end, the students report that they are more confident engaging primary texts and conversing about their ideas.
DAILY SCHEDULE
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SEGMENT CORE,
MONDAY - THURSDAY
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9-9:15: prelude
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9:15-10:30: lecture
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10:30-11: break
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11-12:30: small group discussion
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Afternoon: time to complete reading and written assignments
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SEGMENT CORE, FRIDAY
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9-9:15: prelude
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9:15-10:30: discussion
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10:30-11: coffee break
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11-12:30: sharing of memos or one idea papers discussion
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1:30: chores
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5:30: town trip
