256. Sign up for Informal Class through UT

Random Fun, Things To Do In Austin | 13 Sep 2010

At the beginning of the year, it was announced that the original “UT Informal Classes” would be shut down as a casualty of recent budget cuts. This program had been around since 1971, and presented the opportunity for both university and non-university members to take classes through the university covering a variety of topics.

I admit, I do long for the days of my “Hip Hop cardio” classes and “Investment Strategies for Beginners,” as the former class selection seemed endless. However, the Division of Continuing and Innovative Education at UT has put together a program to continue to offer informal classes. Though the current course selection is far less than before, they’re off to a good start with classes ranging from horseback riding to “How to become and private investigator.”

There’s something about learning and trying something new that’s always so self-rewarding. I loved the classes because they always allowed me to learn something from field experts at a pretty fair cost. While this is not the old program, I fully support those that want to try to continue it. In 2009, over 10,000 non-university students enrolled in various classes, so it’s something that definitely excites the city of Austin.

Registration opened last week. Here’s a link to the current course schedule and registration page: http://www.utexas.edu/cie/InformalClasses/