For many people, every day is an opportunity to seek knowledge to enrich their lives. At the University of Utah, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (Osher) provides classroom lessons to people long past their traditional “college days.”
“We have two Continuing Education programs at the U. One is called Lifelong Learning and is for anyone who has graduated high school. These are individuals who are 18 and older and those classes are mostly designed for people who are working still, so they’re in the evenings,” Jill E. Meyer, director of the U’s Osher Institute, said. “Then we have the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which is designed for people ages 50 and better. And those classes are held during the day.”
Housed within the U’s division of Continuing Education, Osher “offers a rich and evolving array of courses, lectures and special activities, taught by distinguished emeritus faculty, scholars and community experts. Members from all walks of life bring a lifetime of experience to the classroom and our activities,” the website states.
Subjects in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute include history, art appreciation, current events and politics. Other classes are science and technology, literature, as well as health and well-being. A typical class size is about eight to 30 students.
The Osher curriculum is designed for people ages 50 and “better,” a nod to highlighting the vibrancy and intellectual curiosity of mature adults.
“I like to say, ‘50 and better’ and it’s so funny that people will correct me to say, ‘50 and older,’ instead,” Meyer said. “I explain it’s got to be ‘50 and better’ because sometimes there’s agism that occurs when we turn 50 and we start to think ‘50 and worse!’ I was not quite 50 when I first found out about Osher and I couldn’t wait to join. Adult learners have unique needs. We don’t call ourselves students anymore. We call ourselves class members.”
Established in 2004 and named in honor of businessman and philanthropist Bernard Osher, the U is one of approximately 125 colleges and universities nationwide funded through the Bernard Osher Foundation to develop an institute and its programming.
Each location received a $1 to $2 million endowment to support the programming, explained Meyer.
The institute requires a $40 annual membership to create a sense of community almost like a club, she said. While intergenerational learning can be enriching, the needs of younger learners and those over 50 years old are different.
“You’re in a class with people who truly value the education experience,” Meyer said. “One of the benefits of the program is that emeritus faculty and community experts lead the classes.”
“It’s a platform for former or retired instructors to continue to teach and then also learn from their class members because you’ve got highly educated people who are just there for the joy of it,” she said. “No tests, no exams, no grades. They just are there because they love to learn. They bring their life experience to it, and they ask amazing questions.”
Most classes are six weeks and are offered in terms rather than semesters. The cost is $99 for a six-week class that meets for 90 minutes each week. Currently, there are over 1600 members, placing the U among the top 10 of all Osher Institutes across the country.
Meyer notes that older learners bring a vast amount of life experience to the classroom, giving them the chance to continue the search for knowledge and enlightenment they began decades before.
“Learning never retires, and it makes you feel young again to get that student ID card,” she said.