Curiosity Unbound: Fe University Offers College-Level Classes in the Northwoods

At Iron County-based Fe University, curiosity never retires because the interests of Northwoods retirees know no bounds. Participants gather in the woods, on lakes, and in classrooms to learn about all sorts of things–from the geology and ecology of our woods and waters to early Christianity, local Anishinaabe culture to investment strategies, birding trips to Russian history and literature, cross-country skiing to Irish history. Begun in 2014 right here in the Northwoods, FeU has offered more than one hundred classes that have been taken by over five hundred retirees (and even the occasional younger person).

One of Fe’s most unusual, yet practical and popular courses was Navigating the Home Stretch. The class explored the meaning of life, end of life planning, health care, financial planning and even burial options. In the words of facilitator Reverend Erv Teichmiller: “It may well be the case that the last thing we want to talk about is death. We live as if there is no dying.” He added that the class “presented participants with a wide range of topics about aging, dying and how to make thoughtful decisions…. Plan your journey and live joyfully to your last breath!”
Though organizers initially feared it would not fill due to its subject matter, Navigating the Home Stretch was so well-received that Fe may offer it again in the future.

Non-affiliated, non-accredited, and non-profit, Fe University is based in Iron County, an area known for its iron mines, and named after the humble element that lends many local wells an extra “Northwoods” flavor.

Fe’s participants regularly come from Iron County as well as Vilas, Oneida, Gogebic and beyond. And so do its 50 teachers–rather than bringing in instructors from far away, Fe usually relies on the extraordinary number of talented, highly educated experts in the local area. While some have second homes here, like Dr. Mary Magray, who has taught a number of popular courses on the history of Christianity, Ireland and the witch trials, others have made the Northwoods their residence, like Sam Filippo, who taught a course on the Bill of Rights and the U.S. Constitution.

Equally impressive are the instructors’ varied backgrounds. Magray is a retired professor in the Division of Continuing Studies at University of Wisconsin-Madison, while Filippo has practiced law for forty years, specializing in criminal law as a prosecutor and defense attorney; current classes feature teachers Greg Blache, a retired defensive coordinator with over twenty years in the National Football League, and Gary Theisen, who spent thirty years working for the US State Department in the international arena.

“Though we originally took some ideas [for Fe] from similar programs, I haven’t seen anything just like it,” said Wendy Thiede, who serves as President of the Board and has been involved with Fe from the beginning. “And I think that’s partly because of those who live here–especially those who teach.”

Indeed, it’s unusual to find a college program for seniors that exists outside an academic institution; Fe was started and has been run by seniors like those who form the bulk of its demographic. Fe’s classes are uniquely tailored to its audience because that audience is deeply involved in running the organization.

The idea for a college-type program for seniors emerged in 2013 at an aging-friendly communities summit sponsored by the UW Extension Iron County and the Iron County Health Department. Extension Iron County did the groundwork, developed pertinent documents, received a grant and organized the first class in 2014, a writing class attended by eight seniors eager to share and discuss their writing. Each year classes were added–geology, investing, lakes and forests ecology and management, and more. In 2017 the Extension relinquished control to a volunteer committee, and Fe University became an independent non-profit, non-accredited organization that now offers 20 classes each year.

Looking to the future, Fe remains committed to its mission to serve the local area with affordable, short, college-level courses. The pandemic has necessitated a shift to a hybrid of in-person and online options, offering the opportunity to reach both those living in the Northwoods year-round and those who may spend part of the year elsewhere.

Upcoming classes include The Role of Development Assistance in US Foreign Policy, a series on civil discourse and Economics for Everyday Living, with new opportunities added regularly at feuniversity.org.