Upcoming Sessions

Our FAB students’ safety is important to us; therefore, we are taking precautions to make the in-person classes a safe and welcoming environment. In this environment, students will be able to enjoy face-to-face interactions with their faculty and classmates and the option to grab a coffee or a bite to eat before or after class. For those not able to join us in person, we continue to be your virtual home for learning!

Note: Walk-ins are only permitted if there is space and payment (cash or check) is brought to the first class meeting or lecture  You may call 805-493-3290 in advance in inquire. Walk-ins will not be allowed into the learning space if they do not pay in-person.

Regarding in-person attendance:

• FREE, accessible parking (view location and parking details HERE)
• Large lecture room with ample space meeting Cal/OSHA guidelines
• Please do not attend in-person if you are ill (attend virtually instead)
• We are a mask-friendly program

Can’t get to campus for an in-person course? No problem! Attend the course virtually instead.

HyFlex Learning

Using the HyFlex learning model, in-person and virtual students can attend the same class simultaneously. A special “360-camera” will follow the instructor in the classroom, and students attending virtually will be able to see and hear the instructor and view the PowerPoint over Zoom (similar to our traditional virtual courses).

Tuesdays, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: September 2, 9, 16, & 30 (no class on September 23)
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
“There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also isn’t an American at all…This is a nation, not a polyglot boarding house.”  Although these words might sound familiar considering our contemporary political rhetoric, it was Theodore Roosevelt who uttered these words more than 100 years ago.  This course will explore and trace the past, present and future of global authoritarian movements.  From the rise of notorious 20^th Century dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Pol Pot to the present global authoritarian/populist shift, we will examine how and why these forms of government take hold, even in democratic societies.  Along these lines, we will play special attention to the American experience with authoritarianism; both its short and long-term consequences and what it tells us about our current global moment.

View a preview of these Courses on our YouTube page at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EY-yJWU9_K

Bio:
Dr. David Livingstone received BA and MA degrees in History from California State University, Northridge and a PhD in Modern European History from the University of California, San Diego. He has taught at California Lutheran University, Moorpark College, and the United States Naval War College.  He specializes in European political, diplomatic and military history with an emphasis on modern Germany.  He also served as a law enforcement officer for 34 years with the Simi Valley Police Department and retired in 2022 at the rank of Chief of Police.  David's first book, Militarization and Democracy in West Germany's Border Police, 1951-2005 was published by Camden House in 2024.  He also serves as a historian and guide for World War Two battlefield tours.

Wednesdays, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: September 3, 10, 17, & October 1 (no class on September 24)
Online via Zoom

Course Description:
The Arctic world is a land of stark duality. Geographically peripheral, yet central to today’s most pressing strategic, economic, and climatological questions. A primordial wilderness that nonetheless hosts several million human inhabitants and a surprisingly rich—if endangered—ecosystem. Presently, one of the most important places on earth, yet still one of the most poorly understood. Come explore this forbidding but endlessly fascinating region, starting with its indigenous peoples, then moving on to Euro-American exploration (including the race to the North Pole), scientific and anthropological research, and the industrial and military exploitation of the Arctic.

Week 1: Encounters: Indigenous Northerners and Early European Incursions

Week 2: From Bering to Franklin: Exploration in the 1700s and Early 1800s

Week 3: Northern Steeplechase: Exploration and Nation-Building from the 1840s to the 1940s

Week 4: Arcticide? Militarization, Exploitation, and Climate Change from 1945 to the Present

View a preview of these courses on our YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/w_97H7YY7qA

Bio:
Dr. John McCannon is a historian of Russia, the polar regions, and global warfare and exploration. He received his BA from Yale University and his MA and PhD from the University of Chicago. He taught history for thirty years in the United States and Canada—most recently at the University of Saskatchewan and Southern New Hampshire University—and he has consulted for the Discovery Channel, National Geographic TV, and Outside magazine. His publications include Red Arctic: Polar Exploration and the Myth of the North in the Soviet Union (1998); A History of the Arctic: Nature, Exploration, and Exploitation (2012); and Nicholas Roerich: The Artist Who Would Be King (2022). He currently works as an expedition guide and academic lecturer for Viking Cruises.

Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: September 3, 10, 17, & October 1 (no class on September 24)
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
Cults capture our attention because we wonder why they exist and how people can be made to make such out of the ordinary choices and have vastly different views of reality. In the previous course, we considered some of the more well-known cults, looking deeply into Jonestown, the Branch Davidians, and NXIVM. This second course will discuss some lesser-known cults, such as Heaven’s Gate and Synanon. Each week will examine one specific cult to understand its inception and its end. The final week will investigate the members of the various cults discussed in parts 1 and 2, in order to grasp what makes people join cults and why they stay.

View a preview of these courses on our YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/e7Bgyr7jVow

Bio:
Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), Dmin (Biblical Studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations, and the award-winning author of 12 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary. Connect with him at jasonhensley.net. 

Mondays, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: September 15, 22, 29, & October 6
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
Bruce Springsteen stands as one of America’s true rock-and-roll superstars, one who has achieved both commercial and artistic success. Springsteen’s influence extends beyond music, however, as in recent years he has become a prominent and outspoken voice in American politics. This course will explore Springsteen’s development as an artist working within the same tradition as Walt Whitman, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. We will also explore key themes in his work, especially the American Dream, the power of love, and humanity’s deep need for redemption. We will look at how Springsteen has continuously updated his conception of American promise and possibilities, and how this vision has increasingly led him to engage in contemporary political debate, challenging President Trump over perceived erosion of American constitutional limits and liberties. In short, we will listen to some great music and at the same time explore how Bruce Springsteen has engaged in and continued to influence the American cultural and political landscape.

● Week 1: New Jersey Rocker to Folk Poet
● Week 2: Bruce Springsteen and the American Dream
● Week 3: Stay True: Mega-Stardom and the Working Class Hero
● Week 4: Voice of Americans: This Land is Our Land

View a preview of these courses on our YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/glfkl6aUp3w

Bio:
Dr. Cliff Wilcox has a Ph.D. in intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and an M.A. in Jewish Education from the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR). He is the Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah, Ventura, CA and adjunct instructor. He focuses his teaching on the history of ideas and Jewish Studies. He is particularly interested in the intersections of culture, politics, and identity in American and Jewish history.

Mondays, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: October 6, 13, 20, & 27
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
This course focuses on the most popular, influential, and enduring artists of the British Invasion, which spanned roughly the years 1964 to 1968. We will examine the roots of those artists in their native Great Britain, and then show how they crashed the U.S. charts on the heels of the Beatles, who paved the way for their compatriots to take advantage of the lucrative American market. The Beatles were not just the first to do so – in spectacular fashion – but they also set a standard for British groups that came after them; groups that were self-contained, meaning they wrote their own songs, developed their own style, and had unique visual and musical trademarks.

In the first 4 weeks, we’ll be focusing on the following acts:
Part 1: The Bee Gees, Gerry & the Pacemakers
Part 2: The Dave Clark 5, The Hollies
Part 3: The Zombies, The Yardbirds
Part 4: Donovan, Herman’s Hermits 

Bio:
Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions. He holds a master’s degree in Folklore from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film from Cal State University Northridge.

Tuesdays, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: October 7, 14, 21, & 28
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
On the fog-swept coastal bluffs overlooking California’s Golden Gate Bridge near the Marin Headlands, rises an imposing concrete bunker with the rusted remains of a 15-inch naval gun.  Battery Spencer, a vestige of a bygone era, and many others in the area have kept watch over the coastal approach to San Francisco Bay since 1895.  The West Coast of the United States from the Mexican to the Canadian borders is dotted by similar sites.  Constructed during the Spanish American War, these coastal defensive positions gradually fell into disrepair, but still remained in various levels of service during WWII and the Cold War. This course will take a closer look at the history of these sites and in so doing provide an overview of how California and the West Coast experienced WWII and the Cold War.  From the shelling of the Ellwood oil piers by a Japanese submarine near Gaviota to coastal radar and missile defenses, we will examine the role played by sites such as the Marin Headlands throughout this era.  We will also explore what people living on the West Coast and California in particular feared as a result of WWII and how these responses shaped their daily lives. Today, you can still explore these unique sites, many of which are open to the public and this course will offer tips and suggestions for planning a visit. 

Bio:
Dr. David Livingstone received BA and MA degrees in History from California State University, Northridge and a PhD in Modern European History from the University of California, San Diego. He has taught at California Lutheran University, Moorpark College, and the United States Naval War College.  He specializes in European political, diplomatic and military history with an emphasis on modern Germany.  He also served as a law enforcement officer for 34 years with the Simi Valley Police Department and retired in 2022 at the rank of Chief of Police.  David's first book, Militarization and Democracy in West Germany's Border Police, 1951-2005 was published by Camden House in 2024.  He also serves as a historian and guide for World War Two battlefield tours.

Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: October 8, 15, 22, & 29
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
Lincoln’s assassination is perhaps one of the most infamous events of American history. Nevertheless, while many have a broad understanding of what took place, they’re also missing numerous details. Who was John Wilkes Booth before he tarnished his own name? With whom did he work in this assassination and who else was targeted? How did he get away, and how was he finally caught? Even more, what did he expect would happen after he killed the President? This course will dive into these questions and tell the story of Lincoln’s assassination.

Bio:
Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), Dmin (Biblical Studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations, and the award-winning author of 12 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary. Connect with him at jasonhensley.net. 

Thursdays, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: October 9, 16, 23, & 30
Choose to Attend Online via Zoom or In-Person in Thousand Oaks

Course Description:
American Regionalism is a realist modern art movement that focused on local, representative scenes of distinctly American locales. It was the dominant style in American art during the 1930s and into the 1940s, in reaction to European Modernism and Abstraction and as a response to the Great Depression. In this course, we explore the varied works of Regionalist Triumvirate—Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood and John Steuart Curry, as well as the New York-based Edward Hopper and Pennsylvania's Andrew Wyeth.

Bio:
Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

Thursdays, 1:30-3:30pm (Pacific)
Meeting Dates: October 9, 16, 23, & 30
Online via Zoom

Course Description:
This course will introduce students to the history of wine making and the difference between “old world” and “new world” wines. We will then tour the globe to explore the different wine regions. Each region is known for its style, terroir, and local wine varietals. Students will gain an appreciation of the art and science of wine making.

Bio:
Pattie Ridenour is an Adjunct Professor in the Geosciences Department at Ventura College. Pattie achieved Level 2 of the WSET (Wine Spirits Education Trust) in 2014 and earned a Certificate of Specialty in Wine Studies at College of the Canyons in 2015. Other instruction includes viticulture and oenology at Allan Hancock College in Santa Maria.

Pattie taught Physical Geography at CSU Northridge and presently provides instruction in Human Geography and Physical Geography at Ventura College. Topics in the physical geography lecture and lab courses include meteorology, plate tectonics, geomorphology, fluvial and eolian processes, global pressure systems, and ocean currents and their effect on weather and climate. Ms. Ridenour earned her Master’s degree in Geography from CSU Northridge in 2007.

Thursday, September 4, 10-11am (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
The Artemis II mission will return astronauts on a mission to the Moon for the first time since 1972. Join NASA Solar System Ambassador, Christopher Mick as he provides an in-depth look at the mission objectives, crew members, and how Artemis II will setup future Lunar surface missions near the South Pole of the Moon.

A brief history of the Apollo program will be provided to help illustrate the goals of the Artemis campaign. The hardware, such as the Space Launch System rocket, Orion Crew Capsule, and launch and recovery assets will also be presented.

View a preview of these lectures on our YouTube page at the following link:  https://youtu.be/AEKVcRaNF6g

Bio:
Christopher Mick is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, and an Aerospace Education Member with the Civil Air Patrol, and has served on boards for organizations such as Infiniscope and the Space Camp Alumni Association. Christopher was named an International Teacher Liaison in 2022 by the Space Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and in 2023 was selected to be a member of the Space Exploration Education Crew with Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas.

He has also been a judge for several national and international competitions, including the National Space Society’s, Space Settlement Contest, NASA Space Apps Challenge, and the U.S. Army’s eCYBERMISSION Competition.

He lives and works in Hudson, Wisconsin.

Monday, September 8, 1-3pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
The framers of the American Constitution put in place checks and balances to ensure that no branch of government, especially the executive, could amass too much power. We had recently fought a war over the assertion that our nation would run better without a King than with one. The current administration has systematically and effectively consolidated power, enacted policy and silenced its critics. Our system has seen a shocking realignment of power in a very short period of time.

After reviewing the way our government is supposed to work, we will look at a question that is essential for the future of America’s experiment with democracy: What guardrails are left to ensure our democratic system of government remains intact? 

View a preview of these lectures on our YouTube page at the following link: https://youtu.be/iy8jp6IDWds

Bio:
Tim Allison, J.D. is an Adjunct Faculty member at Cal State University Channel Islands. He teaches courses ranging from Constitutional Law to Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Campaigns and Elections, Intro to American Government, Judicial Process and a seminar course on Empowering First-Generation Students. He is the Executive Director of a High School Teachers union where he has been the lead negotiator on four contract negotiations in the past two years. He is a past "Faculty of the Year" Award recipient and was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in Denver in 2008 and Chicago in 2024 and a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. He is a regular local media commentator on politics and public affairs.

Thursday, September 25, 10am-12pm (Pacific)
Online via Zoom

Lecture Description:
Two-time Grammy Award Winner Mads Tolling has had a career in music, learning and playing the violin the traditional way, only to bring it into contemporary music styles. This lecture will teach you all you need to know about the violin: From the history of the instrument, and how to get a basic sound to cutting edge looping technology that makes it possible to play just about any kind of genre as a one-man-band. This lecture will include some demonstration and playing of the violin to accompany the presentation.

Bio:
Mads Tolling is two-time Grammy Award-winning violinist and composer from Copenhagen, Denmark, now based in the San Francisco Bay Area. A former member of both Stanley Clarke's band and the Turtle Island Quartet, Mads has performed with renowned artists like Chick Corea, Ramsey Lewis, Paquito D’Rivera, and Leo Kottke. He is currently a member of Bob Weir & Wolf Bros and leads his own ensembles.

After graduating from Berklee College of Music in 2003, Mads joined Stanley Clarke's band on the recommendation of Jean-Luc Ponty. He has been featured on NPR’s Morning Edition and received praise from the Washington Post and The San Francisco Chronicle. In 2016, Mads won DownBeat Critics Poll Rising Star Violin Award. Mads has performed for King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark at the 50th Anniversary for the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C.

Mads has written violin concertos for The Oakland Symphony and Pacific Chamber Orchestra and has performed them around the U.S. and Japan, including with The Hawaii Symphony and Orchestra Kanazawa. As a member of Bob Weir & Wolf Bros, Mads has recorded three albums and toured extensively, playing venues like Red Rocks and Radio City Music Hall. With hundreds of concerts worldwide, he leads Mads Tolling & The Mads Men and recorded the album Playing the 60s, which reimagines songs from 1960’s TV, film and radio. The release topped US jazz radio charts and peaked at #5.

Mads is a featured Yamaha Artist, offering clinics and masterclasses globally.