Tailor-made programs; MFC looks at retirement learning designed for specific community needs

Millard Fillmore College is investigating a different kind of program for senior learners that would complement the auditors program and, according to MFC Dean George Lopos, extend UB's central academic culture into the community.

Lopos sees a great future for both credit and non-credit learning in retirement, "from programs like our existing senior auditing program to the kind of tailor-made programs offered by the Chautauqua Institute-courses that focus on a particular topical area and are offered in a non-traditional time frame.

"For instance, with auditing," he said, "senior students study in regular classrooms with the regular students during regular academic sessions.

"But we could also offer other academic programs designed and constructed to meet the specific interest needs of different groups of people in the community," he said. "The nature of these courses will be determined by a study of the interests of seniors in this area. We want to know if the profile of Western New York's large retired population is consistent with the kinds of services and programs we can offer here to meet their continuing intellectual needs. Then we'll design appropriate programs based on those interests."

Lopos added: "These may not be traditional academic courses, but they won't be craft programs either, because that isn't our mission or area of expertise at MFC." (Non-credit, continuing education is offered in great variety at the UB Crafts Center and is open to the public.)

"We would be interested in serving the many people who are retired from area schools, industries, businesses who never really did much with Shakespeare, for instance, but want to do it now," Lopos said. "Others might like tailor-made programs in sculpture or painting, art history or something in political science, math, biology, economics-you name it."

At MFC, he said, such a program would not focus on grades or academic outcome, but on the presentation of information in a unique way and discussion. A week-long, daily seminar could be offered that might focus on health issues and emotional well-being for instance, or American fiction writers of the late 20th century or the anthropology of magic, but it needn't be a credit-bearing course.

"I'm an example of one kind of student we think we can serve," Lopos said. "I'm 55. I have my AARP card. I could be retired myself already. Do I want to take more courses in higher-ed administration? Well, actually I want to learn Italian so I can read Dante's 'Vita Nuova' in the original. I've read and studied much of Dante in translation, but I wish I could 'read' the Italian on the other page. It sounds just beautiful!"

By PATRICIA DONOVAN