SUUSI workshops are exciting, challenging and downright fun... and there's something for most everyone. The majority of workshops are held right on campus. Morning workshops are generally scheduled from 10am-noon and afternoon ones, generally 2-4pm. There are also evening workshops that typically start at 8pm, however there are a few workshops that don't fall into any of these typical times.
A Sampling of SUUSI Workshops
Explore your curiosities, interests and passions by taking one of the over 120 workshops that will be available this summer. Workshops fall into different catagories (general education, spiritual discussion, crafts, dance, music, cooking and more!) Some of the workshops to be offered this year include: Introduction to Meditation, Take Bettter Photos, Beginning Ballroom Dance, Brews for UUs, Wildflower Identification, Secret Path to Spirituality, Religion in Popular Film, Couples Enrishment, Fun Run, The Joy of Yoga, Collaborative Songwriting and many, many more!
How to Register for Your Workshops
You will be able to register for workshops once the SUUSI 2008 Catalog and online registration becomes available in the Spring of 2008. When it does, be sure to read the "what you need to know about Workshops and Nature Trips" information in the general Registration guidance. It includes important stuff to consider before, and after, registering.
When registering, we invite you to indicate alternative workshops as well as your first preference. Why? Sometimes the workshop is already full. If the limit for a workshop is 12 people, we will register the first 12 people who request it. If you're the not-so-lucky 13th person... we will register you for the alternate workshop you have indicated on the Registration form. However, when you arrive at Registration, check and see if someone dropped that workshop. If so, there may be space and you may be able to register for it then.
Fees for General Workshops and Nature Trips
Fees for General Workshops and Nature Trips will be listed per individual in the catalog and online. The SUUSI Board and staff strive to keep fees affordable. We strive to offer as many free experiences as possible. Fees cover the expenses of the Workshop and Nature programs: workshop materials, equipment rentals, etc. Workshop and Nature leaders are volunteers who receive a discount of their SUUSI costs in return for providing their expertise to the SUUSI community.
IMPORTANT: There will be no refunding of General Workshop or Nature activity fees after completion of the SUUSI registration process on Sunday. The only exception to this procedure is a workshop or activity cancelled by SUUSI due to a logistical or safety reason. If a participant desires to cancel their registration for a specific Workshop or Nature activity, this must be done 24 hours in advance of the first meeting of the workshop or activity to receive credit. A credit may be used to register for another Workshop or Nature activity.
Workshop Eligibility
Most workshops welcome participants age 14+. Participation in some workshops is limited to adults at least 18 or 21 years of age. The minimum age of a participant is indicated by the age and a plus sign. As an example 14+ means anyone 14 or older. Workshops designated for couples are open to all couples including unmarried and same sex couples.
Attendance Policy
A minimum enrollment number is set for all workshops and those workshops with less will be canceled. Therefore, pre-registering for the workshops you want to attend makes it more likely the workshop you want will happen. Each workshop will have a designation at the end of its description indicating the workshop leader's attendance policy. They are REQUIRED, PREFERRED or DROP IN. You must register for all workshops, including DROP IN workshops.
If you sign up for an attendance REQUIRED workshop, SUUSI will not register you for another workshop or Nature Trip in the same or an overlapping time slot. Only persons willing to attend all sessions should select workshops designated as REQUIRED. PREFERRED attendance means that you need to attend all the sessions in order to get the full benefit of the workshop. In the case of DROP IN workshops, attendance is optional; however, you should register for DROP IN workshops so that minimum enrollment requirements can be met and so a space big enough for everyone can be assigned for that workshop.
Recommended Reading
Many workshop leaders will suggest specific books or web sites in their workshop descriptions. Reading these sites and books before SUUSI will allow you to get the most from the workshop.
Workshop Locations
Workshops will be held at various locations around the campus. The location of your workshop will be printed on the materials given to you during Check-in. In addition, lists with the location of each workshop will be available in the Information Office on the first Sunday evening of SUUSI and throughout the week. Inevitably, some workshop locations will change. As they occur, location changes will be posted in the Info Office and in the next published SUUSINUUS.
Emotional Stress Workshops
Some workshops can involve emotional experiences which may be stressful. These are designated by an ES (Emotional Stress) next to the workshop title and are typically limited to individuals 18 years and older. These workshops are designed for normally functioning, psychologically healthy individuals, and are not intended as a substitute for counseling or therapy. If you are in therapy, you should register for ES workshops only with the permission of your therapist. Leaders have the right to request your withdrawal after the first session if they consider the content inappropriate for you.
An example of a workshop, to provide a guide to the format of the descriptions in the catalog:
Attention Artists! If you are an artist who would like to sell your work at SUUSI, be sure to register early for the Artist's Bazaar workshop. There is a limited amount of space for the Bazaar so we must limit the number of participants.
How to Lead a Workshop
Leading a workshop is a great way to meet new people and give something back to the SUUSI community. Workshop proposals are due in the fall each year. When the call is announced for workshop proposals, submit your idea online with SOLIS. If you haven't yet, you'll first need to register as a user in SOLIS - SUUSI Online Information System. This registration is a quick and easy process of providing your e-mail address, selecting a password and clicking on a link that we e-mail to you automatically. Once you're registered, you can fill out the form in order to submit a proposal for a SUUSI workshop. We welcome new workshops and workshop leaders, and we're especially looking for workshops with class participation (rather than lecture-style). We usually begin accepting workshop proposals towards the end of August through mid-October each year.
Questions? Contact Torie Camp at workshops@suusi.org