Acadia Senior College News
Newsletter
Stimulation - Knowledge - Interaction - Fun
Welcome New Board Members...
We are thrilled to report that Janice Kenyon, Alan Rosenquist and Michael Smith were elected to the ASC Board of Directors at the 2026 Annual General Meeting. We offer heartfelt thanks to outgoing members Rick Cohen, Candy Emlen and Steve Powell.
Fall Courses Announced!
Registration begins on July 22, 2026 at 9:00am. The Fall Term runs from August 31-November 13, 2026. Please be sure to practice logging into your ASC member account before the 22nd and reach out to Molly Goodwin if you have any questions. Full course descriptions are available on our website.
Monday Mornings (9:30am-11:30am)
Adventures in Art History
Floral Design Basics
Understanding the Housing Problem on MDI*
Monday Afternoons (1:00pm-3:00pm)
First Decade of Sound Part II: England
Tuesday Mornings (9:30am-11:30am)
Intelligence - Artificial & Otherwise
The Art of Making a Medical Diagnosis*
Tuesday Afternoons (1:00pm-3:00pm)
Are you Ready for Some Football?!
Food & Foodways: Highlights from Prehistory to the 19th Century
Just for Fun - Give Watercolor a Try
Wednesday Mornings (9:30am-11:30am)
Demystifying AI
Geology of MDI
Wednesday Afternoons (1:00pm-3:00pm)
Construction of Wooden Trail Structures
Thursday Mornings (9:30am-11:30am)
Autumn Bounty in the Natural World: Harvesting, Storing, Preparing
Geology of MDI
Introduction to Ballroom Dance
Roots of the Native Plant Movement
Thursday Afternoons (1:00pm-3:00pm)
The Hidden Legacy of Jackie Robinson
Friday Mornings (9:30am-11:30am)
Entrepreneurial Finance
Picture Books for Life: Exploring the Art, History & Joy of Children’s Books
*Hybrid Course - in-person & via Zoom
Celebration of life for
Daniel Powell Poteet
Former ASC Board President
Monday, July 13, 2026
2-4 pm
Jesup Memorial Library, Bar Harbor
The Poteet Family invites the community to join them in celebrating the life of Daniel Powell Poteet.
Following a career in academic administration, Dan and Nancy first tried to retire to Bar Harbor in 1998. They succeeded at a second attempt in 2010, and spent the following years dedicated to the community. Their impact is evident in the Jesup Memorial Library expansion, for which they were tireless advocates.
In his retirement, Dan served on boards and committees with Maine College of Art, Bar Harbor Warrant Committee, Mt. Desert Island Historical Society, Acadia Senior College, Schoodic Institute, College of the Atlantic, the Abbe Museum, and Jesup Memorial Library.
Dan will be remembered for his kindness, generosity, humility, quiet brilliance and wry wit that was occasionally sardonic but never mean. He was an admired and beloved colleague, a loyal friend, and a devoted husband and father. He relished becoming a
grandfather, and he was an affectionate and proud follower of his family’s life developments, with sage advice, but only when solicited.
Friends are invited to join this celebration and to share their own reflections and memories of Dan in the original reading room, with a reception in the new community room and gallery at the Jesup Memorial Library.
2026 Clunan Lecture
We are excited to announce that this year’s Clunan Lecture on September 17th will feature celebrated author and journalist Colin Woodard. Registration for ASC members will open August 3rd. General registration will open August 17th. More details to follow in our August newsletter.
Birds, Boats & Binoculars
On June 28th, an intrepid group of ASC members boarded M/V ‘Tricia Clark’ in Steuben for a field trip on the water. Led by Seth Benz, Director of Bird Ecology at The Schoodic Institute, members enjoyed a calm boat ride and views of Petit Manan Lighthouse on a gorgeous summer day.
Board member and ASC instructor Lisa Crockett said, “What a day we had out on the water! The weather could not have been better and the birds. In addition to the puffins, we saw murres, Arctic terns, razorbills, eider ducks, guillemots, cormorants, at least three species of gulls (black-backed, herring, laughing), and two oystercatchers. We also saw grey seals swimming and lounging on the rocks. Captain Steve and Tricia were great and it is always a treat to have Seth Benz provide his knowledge.”
Field trips and events are announced in our newsletters and can fill up quickly. Be sure to register early when you see something that interests you.
Save the Dates!
Fall Registration: July 22-August 3, 2026
Fall Term: August 31-November 13, 2026
2026 Clunan Lecture: September 17, 2026
Winter Course Proposals Due: September 18, 2026
Reminders for Course Registration July 22, 2026
To help ensure you can enroll in the courses you most want, it’s important to be ready as soon as registration opens, promptly at 9 a.m. on Wednesday, July 22.
Test your login before registration opens to make sure it works and you remember your user name and password. If you have any trouble, please contact Molly at learn@acadiaseniorcollege.org or 288-9500 BEFORE registration day.
Once registration opens, follow these steps to enroll:
Make sure you are logged into the site as a member.
Click the Enroll button below the course description.
If you don’t see the Enroll link, click the Refresh button on your browser.
Once you have selected your courses, click “Go to your cart” in the orange message box in the upper right corner of the screen (or the Enrollments or Cart link if the message box is no longer visible).
Proceed to the payment screen, enter your credit card information and click Submit Card Payment, or indicate you will pay by check, in which case, we will hold your space in the class for seven days. Mail your check promptly to ASC, PO Box 475, Southwest Harbor, ME 04679.
If your courses are full, join the wait list. You may still have an opportunity to take the course.