Mississippi State University is now offering personal fall enrichment classes.  The classes are put on by the Center for Continuing Education and are open to everyone.

The classes range from acrylic painting, to wine tasting. To register, folks can contact Dixie Cartwright, the manager for the Center for Continuing Education at 662-325-2702 or https://ce.msucares.com/pers_enrich_current.php. Registration for each class ends three days before the class starts meeting. 

Cartwright has been in charge of the Fall Enrichment classes since the early 2000s and is excited about the new season of programs. 

 “I’m most excited about reaching out to the students,” Cartwright said.   

This semester, the classes will be keeping an Instagram and Twitter following to keep up with record numbers of enrollment. The classes range in price from $25 to $125 per class, depending on how many times the class meets. All the classes are in the evening, at various buildings on campus, with the exception of the wine class. 

The classes are taught by teachers who are very confident in their fields. Lynette McDougald, teacher and adviser of floral affairs, will be teaching her third semester of Fall Enrichment. 

 “Classes are very relaxed; I like to refer to the time as ‘flower talk,’” Mcdougald said. “I talk the technical, but any time people work with flowers, a wide array of conversation ensues.  I love to hear about their mother’s decorating or their grandmother’s garden.  Flowers, gardening are such a large part of the Southern experience.  It’s in our blood.” 

McDougald will be teaching all three classes in the floral design sector of Fall Enrichment, which includes a class in fall wreaths, a class in planting flowers in pumpkins and a demonstration on making a personal cornucopia. 

Classes can be charged to an online MSU account, a credit card or a debit card. Since there’s no academic credit for these courses, you cannot use scholarship or government funding to help pay for the classes. However, payment is convenient and can be made over the phone, in person or online. 

The classes have a wide age-range allowed, with the youngest age being nine-years-old. Five of the sixteen classes require a supply list. All the supply lists can be accessed online, right under the caption of the class. 

Not only is the Center for Continuing Education looking for students, but also teachers. Some of the teachers included in this year’s semester of classes are actual MSU students. 

If anyone is interested in teaching a class or creating a course proposal for one of the classes or a completely different one, they can contact the office or go online. Requests are currently being taken for next semester’s classes. 

Cartwright is looking for community participation.

 “We’d love to have people from the community and campus to participate,” Cartwright said. “We have a great group of instructors. We’re trying to get some new classes out there. We just want it to grow and continually get bigger and better.” 

Classes are filling up fast, and there are only so many spaces this semester. While one might see a few of the classes return next semester, it is a good plan to get a jump on it now.