A college education isn’t just for students fresh out of high school. Ohio State opens its doors to people of all ages.
Program 60’s motto is “An Open Invitation to Open Minds.” Since 1974, the program has been a place for people over 60 to continue their education in a non-credit environment. Only Ohio residents are eligible and there is no fee to enroll in classes.
Mike Hoza, the program director of Continuing Education, cited a paper that came from the Ohio State University archives that said OSU led the effort in bringing senior citizen non-credit learning to all state schools in Ohio.
The Office of Continuing Education’s Program 60 Association, a fun, low-cost membership, includes outside-the-classroom activities such as picnics, luncheons, conferences and lectures among other entertaining and educational events. A participant does not have to join the Program 60 Association – but for $3 it provides a community to explore events beyond the classroom.
“There is such a wonderful level of participation within the program,” said Jennifer Laughbaum, the office staff coordinator for the Department of Continuing Education. “People take classes for enrichment and can enjoy to continue their education.”
Eileen Zell and Fayette Muieller, two members of Program 60, are taking English 549: Modern Drama and English 578.01: Greed, Vengeance and Love in Ethnic Technicolor. When asked what sparked their interest to take classes again they both said “I never stopped going to school.”
The two women love their classes, and both agreed that they could not pick a favorite between the two.
“Both professors are so good at bringing in information,” Zell said.
Although Program 60 offers free classes, Program 60 students still have to pay for books.
“One book was $66,” Zell said. “I was shocked at the expense.”
Although Zell and Muieller do not have to take exams or turn in assignments, they still complete all the homework including extensive reading.
Zell graduated from college in 1951 and became a teacher. She started her master’s but never finished. Zell said her passion is for drama, literature, theater and all the fascinating English courses offered by Ohio State.
Muieller, a former art teacher who acquired her Master of Arts from Case Western, started an unfinished doctorate degree.
“(I prefer) the Columbus situation better since we’re among young students who all have different opinions,” she said.
Both took courses in Florida that were called Lifelong-Learning classes, which were classes given only to older adults. Being in an atmosphere of different people of all ages made both ladies lean in favoritism toward OSU.
Muieller rekindles this love of scholarship and atmosphere by comparing the Lifelong-Learning courses’ participants having “the same life experiences and no different point of views” and OSU with the very diverse audience’s opinions and understanding.
Both women said they wish they could take more classes, agreeing that these courses are wonderful activities.
Muieller proposed the only criticism: She wished for a chance for education to be spread to all ages.
“Cleveland went out of their way to go into public schools to expose children to very interesting similar programs in the arts and theater,” she said.
These women bring back an ideal that sometimes gets buried under the stress of time management and all the different activities and aspects of college life.
“We’re very fortunate. The professors couldn’t be better,” Zell said.
