Professors find students are never too old to learn

Some students walking up Bascom Hill are not your usual 20-somethings.

For example, 83-year-old Frank Loeb is enrolled in professor Hans Adler’s German topics course because he wants to explore prejudice through reading and discussion of 17th century texts.

As a senior guest auditor, Loeb, who escaped Nazi Germany before World War II and settled in the United States, is catching up on what he missed during his youth.

Loeb finds his classes in the Department of German extremely satisfying. “This department is remarkable in its knowledge of the subject. Most of the courses are taught in German, actually,” Loeb says. “I have spoken more German in the last five years while taking courses than in the previous 50.”

Adler says he and his other students benefit from Loeb’s class participation. “Frank and his wonderful sense of humor are warmly accepted by younger students,” Adler says. “I appreciate Frank’s straightforwardness and the experiences he brings with him to class.”

“Having senior auditors in class is a delightful aspect of teaching,” Adler says.

Loeb and other Wisconsin older adults are taking advantage of UW–Madison’s Senior Guest Auditor Program, which allows Wisconsin residents ages 60 and older to audit lecture courses at no charge. Last fall, 185 seniors enrolled in classes with the instructor’s consent.

Another senior auditor is Samuel Glazer, who graduated from UW–Madison in 1947. He says he’s received “a second education” by attending classes in recent years.

Many senior guest students find the program a good way to stay young and fresh in retirement. Glazer, of Madison, has attended industrial engineering, sociology and human behavior classes. Before retiring in 1981, he worked as a safety director and questioned the amount of safety education taught to business students.

After enrolling as a special student in business classes, he saw a need for increased safety education. As a result, Glazer has written articles about safety observations based on his real world and classroom experiences.

“Auditing is a wonderful way to have one’s mind challenged,” says Kathleen Keller, who has audited classes for 15 years. “It helps one to age gracefully.” Keller’s studies expand on subjects she explored as an undergraduate at the University of California, Berkeley, including ceramics and history. Although not required to, Keller buys all the reading materials for each class because she feels it helps her understand and grasp the information.

Adults with or without degrees looking for personal or professional enrichment can audit courses at reduced costs if space is available and the instructor agrees.

Another option is to enroll in regular classes as a non-degree special student.

Older adults can join the Division of Continuing Studies’ Participatory Learning and Teaching Organization, which offers lifelong learning sessions on topics such as travel, art history and poetry.

Contact the Adult and Student Services Center, Division of Continuing Studies, for information, 263-6960.