Community Courses
If you have any questions about courses or have ideas for courses you'd like to see us do, please call Michelle Bartlett at 907-474-7021, or email summer@alaska.edu.
UAF Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning offers a variety of non-credit bearing courses accessible to members of the community without the requirements of typical college courses. Many of these courses are practical, hands-on workshop style classes taught by local experts.
To register and pay for courses, follow the link below:
Youth Mental Health First Aid
Instructor: Justine Schmidt
Meets: April 11, 16, and 18, from 6pm - 8pm. (New dates!)
Location: Murie 103
Description: Youth Mental Health First Aid is designed to teach parents, family members,
caregivers, teachers, school staff, peers, neighbors, health and human services workers,
and other caring citizens how to help an adolescent (age 12-18) who is experiencing
a mental health or addictions challenge or is in crisis. Youth Mental Health First
Aid is primarily designed for adults who regularly interact with young people. The
course introduces common mental health challenges for youth, reviews typical adolescent
development, and teaches a 5-step action plan for how to help young people in both
crisis and non-crisis situations. Topics covered include anxiety, depression, substance
use, disorders in which psychosis may occur, disruptive behavior disorders (including
AD/HD), and eating disorders. Instructor Justine Schmidt is certified by the National
Council for Mental Wellbeing to teach this course.
Cost: $50
Adult Bug Camp
Instructor: Derek Sikes
Meets: July 12 - 14, Friday 6 - 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 1 - 6:15pm
Location: Murie 302
Description: Learn collection and processing methods needed to build an insect collection. Skills
necessary to identify most groups to order will be taught. Students will create a
collection that will be broken into three groups: specimens the student can take home,
specimens for the University of Alaska Museum Insect Collection, and specimens for
the Teaching Collection.
Cost: $140
Bicycle Maintenance and Repair
Instructor: Simon Rakower
Meets: May 9 - June 6, Thursdays, 6 - 9pm
Location: U Park 108
Description: Comprehensive and practical, hands-on bicycle maintenance and repair focusing on road
and mountain bikes. Emphasis on drive chain, shifting, brakes, wheels (straightening),
tires, tubes (flats), steering systems, cable replacement and lubrication. Review
the geometry and physics of the bicycle, the world's most efficient means of transportation.
Students should bring a bicycle to class.
Cost: $140
Bookmaking: Soft Cover Coptic Journal
Instructor: Margo Klass
Meets: May 31 - June 2, Friday 6 - 8:30pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm
Location: Murie 306
Description: This structure highlights all the elegance and appeal of Coptic binding without cutting,
covering, and attaching hard board covers. The soft covers are constructed of heavy
paper wrapped around an inner support making them sturdy and much more easily sewn
to the text block. A collaged composition of stones and twigs embellish the cover,
each object sewn on using Japanese-inspired techniques. This journal is casual enough
for daily writing or sketching, and unique enough to serve as guest book for a special
event.
Cost: $225
Botanical Drawing: Early Season at Georgeson Botanical Garden
Instructor: Karen Stomberg
Meets: June 7 - 9, Friday 6 - 8pm Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm
Location: Murie 306
Description: We will tour Georgeson Botanical Garden in its early season diverse loveliness and
choose a bloom to study and draw in colored pencil and watercolor.
Cost: $175
Botanical Drawing: Late Season at Georgeson Botanical Garden
Instructor: Karen Stomberg
Meets: August 2 - 4, Friday 6 - 8pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am - 4pm
Location: Murie 306
Description: We will tour Georgeson Botanical Garden in its late-season diverse loveliness and
choose a plant to study and draw in colored pencil and watercolor.
Cost: $175
Fly Fishing Weekend
Instructor: Shann Jones
Meets: June 29 - 30, Saturday and Sunday, 8:30am - 4:30pm
Location: Chapman 104
Description: Participants will be introduced to the art and science of fly fishing. Learn how to
use a fly rod, cast a fishing fly with pinpoint accuracy, tie fishing knots, select
fishing flies, and, most importantly, learn where fish live and how best to catch
(and release) them. Scientific information on Alaskan freshwater fish, habitat, entomology,
and stream ecology will be covered in the context of practical fishing advice. Participants
must provide their own boots and field clothing and obtain a current State of Alaska
sport fishing license to participate fully in all field sessions.
Cost: $140
Let's Play Golf
Instructor: James Contreras
Meets: June 12 - July 24, Wednesdays, 1 - 2:30pm
Location: Fairbanks Golf Course
Description: Do you want to learn how to play golf? How about improving your swing? PGA professional
J.C. Contreras will work with you to achieve your goals.
Cost: $225
Mushroom Identification
Instructor: Christin Swearingen
Meets: August 16 - 18, Friday 6 - 8pm, Saturday 10am - 4pm, and Sunday, 11am - 3pm
Location: Murie 203
Description: In this weekend intensive course, you will learn how to identify some of the common
species of mushrooms in Interior Alaska. We will spend time in the field collecting
mushrooms, learning how to use dichotomous keys, making spore prints, and learning
which features to hone into when identifying mushrooms. Finding choice edible species
is not guaranteed, but you will leave the class knowing how to identify at least four
edible species.
Cost: $125
Paint Like Sydney Laurence
Instructor: Mary Albanese
Meets: June 24 - 28, Monday-Friday, 3 - 7pm
Location: Art 303
Description: Following a brief lecture on the life and style of Sydney Laurence we will study images
of his works and re-create them. We will also discuss Fred Machetanz. Students will
explore and learn their styles through their own paintings, capturing and recreating
elements of the master's work, focusing on elements of composition, color scheme,
and brush stroke techniques. Students are to come ready to paint with paints (oils
or acrylic work best), brushes, and canvases. 8 x 10 inch canvases are a good size
to start. Recommended paint colors: black, white, yellow ochre, cobalt blue, sap green,
alizarin crimson, and yellow hansa.
Cost: $200
Street Photography
Instructor: JR Ancheta
Meets: June 22, Saturday, 10 - 4pm
Location: Murie 107
Description: Explore downtown Fairbanks while you learn how to use your digital camera. No photo
skills are necessary. Basic editing will be covered back in the classroom. Class time
will be split between downtown and Murie (room to be determined) on the UAF campus.
Cost: $50
Your Bike Project
Instructor: Simon Rakower
Meets: May 10 - June 7, Fridays, 6 - 9pm
Location: U Park 108
Description: Students will have the opportunity to complete a bicycle project of their choosing
using the information and techniques covered in the Bicycle Maintenance and Repair
course. Familiarity with the subjects covered in the intro class is assumed however,
having taken the intro class is recommended but not required. Students are required
to meet with the instructor to map out the project(s) to be completed during this
in-depth course. Students should bring a bicycle to class to work on.
Cost: $140
Registration and Payment
All registrations for Non-credit Short Courses are completed through CampDoc. Please
visit the Campdoc website at app.campdoc.com/register/uaf to create a profile and register for classes. If you have previously registered with
CampDoc, you will not need to create a new profile.
Payment can be made during registration through CampDoc. Please note that Non-credit
Short Courses require a $25.00 non-refundable deposit that must be paid at the time
of registration. If you register for a course and decide not to attend, you MUST
drop the course via CampDoc a week before the start date or you will be charged for
the full class. For additional information contact Summer Sessions at 474-7021 or
summer@alaska.edu.
How do I register with CampDoc?
If you are unfamiliar with Campdoc, this handy guide might help you get started.
How do I find out more information about Parking?
If your Non-credit Short Course takes place on campus between 8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday,
you will be required to have a current parking decal or short term parking permit
displayed in your vehicle. Outside of these times, no permit is required.
For more information about parking on campus call 474-7275 or view parking locations at uaf.edu/campusmap.