College program helps students of all ages ‘expand their mind’

You’re never too old to master a new subject, and you can do it without the stress and the tests.

Wesleyan College offers a catalog of short, non-credit courses through its Wesleyan Academy for Lifelong Learning.

The majority of students in the program are retirees, but the classes are open to all ages and offer something for everyone, said Hannah Gardner Doan, the program coordinator. Around 130 adults participate each semester.

Courses are held for an hour or hour and a half in the morning or afternoon on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. The majority meet once a week for four weeks, although a few have more sessions.

The program was founded in 2011 by Vince Coughlin. He was involved in the Academy for Lifelong Learning at the University of South Carolina Aiken and pitched the idea of a similar program to Wesleyan College after he moved to Macon in 2010.

Twelve to 17 courses are spread throughout each semester, in subjects ranging from history and government to technology and literature. Spring 2017 classes start the second week of January and include studies of Jane Austen, evolution, tai chi, musical theater, beginning drawing, intermediate genealogy and African-American literature.

“The diversity of the classes is important,” said Coughlin, the curriculum committee chairman and professor of the Great Decisions class this spring. “This introduces people to topics they may have never had the opportunity to take if they went to college.

“It’s not required that you went to college to take these courses. There are no exams. This is a very relaxed atmosphere. Here, you just come in and enjoy it.”

Most classes are held on the Wesleyan campus, but sometimes students go on field trips. For instance, students in an architecture class looked at buildings downtown. People in a bird-watching class met at the college’s arboretum, and those in a Harriet Tubman class visited the Tubman Museum, Doan said.

The instructors are from area colleges and universities, retired professors who have settled in Macon or subject experts in the community. Teachers choose their class format, whether it’s interactive, discussion-based or a series of guest panelists. Many of the classes are on hard-hitting, current topics that encourage debate.

Brooke Bennett-Day, associate professor and chairwoman of the Wesleyan psychology department, said there is always a lot of discussion in her History of Psychology, Psychology in the Legal System and Psychology of Good and Evil courses for the program. The older students offer a unique perspective on life.

“It gives me a chance to teach a group of students who are different from the typical college students,” Bennett-Day said. “It’s also a way to teach some of your favorite topics without having to worry about exams.”

The students stay motivated during classes because they have voluntarily signed up for them, she said. They also serve as role models for younger students on campus.

“They tend to be really curious, lively, interesting folks. The audience is so receptive,” said Jim Ferrari, a biology professor at Wesleyan College who has been teaching Birding 101 and Trees and Shurbs of the Southeast since 2011 and is leading a class on evolution this spring.

Participants can pay for one class or sign up for a semester or year-long membership, Doan said. The program’s students are treated like special guests on campus. They are invited to Wesleyan events, and they get perks such as discounts in the library, dining hall and campus store.

“It gives seniors the opportunity to do more,” Doan said. “I don’t want them to feel like just because they’re in a retirement community or older that they don’t have access to continued learning. It’s always important for anyone at any age to expand their mind.”

Seniors are able to break out of their solitary routine by mingling with other students and use the resources that Wesleyan has to offer, Doan said.

Sandy Tharpe has been taking classes since 2011 and is the current program president. The program provided a way for her to continue to be involved in the learning process after retirement, she said. She signs up for as many classes as she can each semester, sometimes all of them.

“I have actually gained so much more knowledge about some of the things that have happened in Macon and in the history of the world,” Tharpe said. “It’s been a very pleasant experience to take these classes and to talk and discuss.”

This story was originally published December 14, 2016 at 4:47 PM with the headline "College program helps students of all ages ‘expand their mind’."