PITT'S THIRD AGE LEARNING COMMUNITY ALLOWS PEOPLE AGE 55 OR OLDER TO AUDIT CLASSES

July 12, 2001

PITTSBURGH—The University of Pittsburgh College of General Studies (CGS) is unveiling its Third Age Learning Community, an expanded program for people age 55 and older. The program incorporates the former College Over Sixty as well as additional educational opportunities for this age group.

Third Age participants may audit a large selection of Pitt courses, on a space-available basis, receiving no credit or grades, for a fee of $25 per course. This auditing option has enjoyed a long success as the College Over Sixty, attracting approximately 1,000 older students a year.

Under its new name, the Third Age Learning Community will enhance its offerings, including a weekend bus trip September 15-16 to the US Air Force Museum at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio, as a collaboration between Third Age and the University Honors College. A Third Age Lecture and Luncheon will take place on October 9, featuring Vera Auretto, who will speak on the Italian Holocaust.

Why the name change? "We were looking for a term other than 'senior' or 'elder' that identifies this stage of life," explained Judi Bobenage, CGS director of community and continuing education. "The term Third Age has long been used throughout Europe, Canada, and Australia to refer to people in their third stage of life—either retired or semi-retired—when their career or family obligations are not as great. We thought we'd introduce this term locally, and help people understand what it is."

CGS Dean Susan Kinsey adds, "An important part of CGS' mission is to assure that the community has access to the vast resources of this University. One of the most important ways we can accomplish that is by welcoming Third Age students into our existing courses, and by creating new programs expressly for them."

Third Age is part of Pitt's Center for Lifetime Learning, which encompasses all of the CGS noncredit programs, with the exception of the Computer Learning Center.

For more information on Third Age, or to obtain a Fall 2001 catalog, contact Jan White at 412/624-7308 or white@cgs.pitt.edu, or stop by the CGS offices at

407 Cathedral of Learning.

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