Popular CSUSM program for retirees expanding to Oceanside

By: DAVID GARRICK - Staff Writer | Saturday, November 19, 2005 11:03 PM PST ∞

SAN MARCOS ---- A Cal State San Marcos program that helps retired people keep their minds sharp by studying Socrates, slavery and other academic subjects is adding a classroom in Oceanside.

The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute was launched by the university's Extended Studies program in fall 2004 at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido. Institute officials say they will open another in February at Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside to better serve retired people living near the coast.

"It is ambitious for us to open a second classroom, but there is a huge market on the coast we are not tapping into," said Suzanne Strassburger, director of the institute.

The expansion might also help the institute move closer to financial self-sufficiency, which could be crucial in spring 2007 when its three-year, $300,000 grant expires. Other possible financial solutions include private donations and a $1 million endowment that some Osher programs are awarded when their grants expire.

Strassburger said she is confident that the institute will find a way to survive in the long term, partly because it has been immensely popular with the few hundred retired people who have taken classes so far.

"These classes are intended for people who take classes for the sheer enjoyment of learning," said Strassburger. "This is something people might not have had time for in their professional careers."

A handful of students interviewed last week offered an array of reasons why they have taken classes, and why they plan to come back for more.

"Taking classes truly expands your thinking and it feels great to be mentally stimulated," said Vista resident Ethel Hafner, 72. "It inspires us to read more extensively on the subjects we study."

Classes meet once a week for six weeks at the institute, a schedule that Hafner said is much more appealing than the one-time classes offered at many community colleges.

"It lets you do the reading and lets it all sink in," said Hafner, who has taken classes on American diplomacy, Socrates and racism. "It's more in-depth, which is very appealing to me."

But the classes are not so intense that people who never attended college would be intimidated, she said, explaining that there are no tests and no homework.

"It's not a threatening situation," said Hafner.

Escondido resident Larry Rollins, 68, said he is a big fan of the subjects selected by the institute.

"What I was really looking for was classes on subjects that older people enjoy, like political science and diplomacy," said Rollins. "It really keeps me active. I used to have to go up to the library to get my mind working again."

The institute has also helped Rollins broaden his interests, he said, explaining that he has taken classes in zoology, Japanese art and music.

"I didn't know much about American music when I got started, so it was very enlightening," said Rollins.

Vista resident Eleanor Cohen, 65, said the learning environment makes her feel young and "turned on" to delve deeply into academic subjects, but that the real benefit of the institute is the chance to meet like-minded people.

"It is an opportunity for me to get access to contemporaries who like to think," said Cohen. "It's not for everyone, but it's great if you want to be with a group of people who are seriously interested in the subject matter."

Meeting people was a common theme among the students.

"We have found many people we enjoy there," said Hafner. "So from that perspective, it has broadened our circle."

Hafner said she and her husband, Gerald, previously drove south to the University of San Diego to take such classes. "It's wonderful that we now have these opportunities in North County," she said.

Hafner said another appeal of the classes is feeling as if she has gone back in time. "The professors treat us exactly like college students," she said.

One of those professors, Patricia Seleski, said she has enjoyed working with older students at the institute, where she has taught a variety of history classes.

"With Osher, you get to work with people who have had rich experiences," said Seleski. "Working with young people gives me a window on a different set of concerns. So both kinds of teaching have tremendous rewards, but they are different rewards."

Seleski is among the approximately one-third of institute professors who are on the Cal State San Marcos faculty, Strassburger said. The rest are retired and active professors from other colleges and universities, she said.

Seleski said she has been impressed by the camaraderie of her Osher students, and she predicted that she will take such classes when she retires.

Increasing enrollment, a key goal for the program, can be achieved by positive word of mouth and some help from the baby boomers nearing retirement age, Strassburger said. There are also plans for extensive marketing, she said.

"We wouldn't be going to Oceanside if we didn't think the demand was there," said Strassburger. "We could have put all our eggs in the inland basket, but we studied the ZIP codes and decided this was the right move."

Class fees, which are $50 per course plus a $15 annual membership payment, cover about $40,000 of the institute's $140,000 annual budget, said Strassburger. The rest of the costs, which include $500 per class for each professor and Strassburger's salary, are covered by the $100,000 annual grant from Osher.

The institute has forged mutually beneficial relationships with the Escondido arts center and the mission, Strassburger said.

"We have history as an education institution and welcome the continued use of the mission to provide the opportunity to learn in a beautiful, historic environment," said Father Ben Innes, executive director of Mission San Luis Rey.

This winter, the institute will offer 10 classes each in Escondido and Oceanside. On every weekday, both sites will offer one class each morning and afternoon. Students must be at least age 50. They do not have to be retired, but the daytime classes do not fit into the typical working person's schedule, Strassburger said.

Classes in Oceanside, which will run Feb. 27 through April 7, will include Political Science and World War II, the Italian Renaissance, Behind the Scenes at the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park, Biotechnology, History of California Missions, Sociology, China's History and Economy, Plato's "Republic" and Creative Writing.

For details on Escondido classes, visit www.csusm-es.org.

Contact staff writer David Garrick at (760) 761-4410 or dgarrick@nctimes.com.