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welcome to Pierian Spring

Our Mission: Pierian Spring Academy is dedicated to offering academic quality courses taught by highly qualified former academicians and/or recognized experts to adults in Sarasota, Florida. It is through this pool of talented instructors that we are able to offer a wide range of learning opportunities in the topical areas of art, earth and beyond, ideas, human body/mind, people, history, local history, government, theatre, writing, language, music, architecture/sculpture/landscape, film, and literature.

Sessions will offer nearly unlimited learning opportunities:

* Three venues: Argosy University, Senior Friendship Center, and Plymouth Harbor
* Fall lectures free and open to the public are scheduled for Plymouth Harbor
* Fall lectures will be offered on consecutive Tuesdays at 2:00 p.m. begining October 19th
* Over seventy-seven courses varying in length (4, 6, 8, 10, and 12 weeks)
* Over 50 per cent of the courses are brand new courses
* Time span between classes has been increased permitting more travel time between east and west campuses
* Tuition rates will remain at the same level as last year
* Scholarship aid available for qualified individuals
* No membership or parking fees

* Website registration procedures have been updated to ease multiple course registrations using a shopping cart icon and paypal/credit card payments

All these new efforts support our mission to connect people with knowledgeable background and experience together with people who seek challenging and stimulating learning opportunities. Please review carefully the information provided in our brochure and throughout this website as you contemplate our virtually unlimited new learning opportunities.

Pierian Spring Academy news flash !!

June/July/August 2010

As with any major production, much goes on that is out of the sight of those who benefit from the hard work of others.  At present we are very busy preparing our program brochure and updating our website.  This involves many people and multiple tasks that need to be coordinated in a timely fashion.  We are reflecting on the marvelous success of the past PSA season of 2009-2010 and folding these experiences into our upcoming season of 2010-2011.  We are pleased to see many of our successful faculty return as well the new faculty that will be joining us.  We are quite confident that you’ll will be excited by the 77 courses scheduled for the coming fall, winter and spring sessions.  Our goal is to have all the administrative tasks successfully executed by late August which means if you are on our mailing list you will receive a new program brochure in the mail around Labor Day and you will be able to visit our website for up-to-date information on our courses and faculty.  Standby!

May 2010

May begins our planning for the next season of courses.  But before we leave the 2009-2010 season entirely, a few highpoints of April are worth noting.  First, the feedback on our spring courses (25) were as positive as witnessed in our winter courses.  That is, the overall average rating was 18.4 out of a possible 20, the range of scores for the courses was 15 to 20 and we had a response rate of 69.6%.  Our faculty deserve a loud round of applause for a job well done.  Second, we held our annual reception to honor our faculty, board members and donors, hosted by Stan Nikkel and Ruthann Bromly at their lovely home in Sarasota.  It was a lovely evening and we had many good reasons to celebrate.  Third, at the April board meeting the following officers for 2010-2011 were elected: Barry Levin, MD, President; Mary Jane DeGenaro, Vice President; Leon Ellin, Treasurer; and Carol Gallota, Secretary.  At this meeting the board reaffirmed its commitment to keeping PSA’s fine courses at an affordable level by continuing  the same tuition rate as last year.  We are hopeful our donors will continue their generosity  which will enabled us to meet our financial needs.  Again many thanks to all for making the past year the  most successful year in PSA’s history.

April 2010

It’s official we topped the 1,000 level in enrollments (actually 1,084) for the 2009-2010 season.  Argosy was the most popular site generating 846 enrollments and our six-week courses were the most popular choice of our enrollees.  We drew the vast majority of our students came from six zip codes in the area with downtown Sarasota and The Meadows leading the pack.  We are, however, very much appreciative to you all no matter how far you may have traveled (some as far south as Boca Grande and as far north as Parrish).  The enthusiasm shown by our faculty and class members has resulted in a stellar year for PSA.  Too many to thank but y’all have laid down the gauntlet and we will be challenged to uphold this performance in 2010-2011.  We will be working hard at it and we are currently putting the final touches on next year’s program.  We look to August, 2010 to announced the coming season of courses and lectures.  If you are not on our mailing list, please past along your email address and/or postal mailing address.  We would love to include you in another record producing season.

March, 2010

With the Winter and Spring Sessions enrollments we broke an all time record in enrollments.  We cracked the 1,000 barrier as compared to the 498 enrollments of the 2008-2009 program season.  We also increased the number of students from 348 to 641.  Further, we’ve seen a reduction in the number of requested refunds suggesting not only an increase in popularity of our course offerings but also a level of satisfaction with the courses.  Also, of some note regarding the feedback on our winter courses, the average score of 17.9 out of a potential score of 20 is quite impressive.  We had a student return rate of 69% on our survey for the winter session courses.  All of these data suggest a high water mark of significant progress for the Academy and are a recognition of the hard work put forth by members of our administration and faculty.  Stay tuned for what’s to come in the 2010-2011 season.

If you would like to hear from the director of Pierian Spring Academy (Bob Carlson) provide an overview of PSA, please click here.

Enquiries please call: 941-716-2471 or e-mail: info@pierianspringacademy.org

©2009 Pierian Spring Academy

• If you have any questions or need assistance, please call or write to: Director: Bob Carlson: info@pierianspringacademy.org
• Phone:941-716-2471 Pierian Spring Academy P. O. Box 110141, Sarasota, FL 34211