Some of Union's liveliest learners are also the oldest students on campus.
Their academic work does not involve grades or course credits, and they don't worry about getting into grad school or finding a job. These students are involved in the best kind of education — learning for the pure satisfaction of gaining knowledge about a topic they are interested in. They are members of the Union College Academy for Lifelong Learners (UCALL).
“UCALL is a program created to provide people who are retired, semi-retired, or just want something to do, and who consider themselves lifelong learners, with a place to be intellectually enriched and learn something they have always wanted to know,” explains the program's director, Michela French, a retired xxxxx professor.
UCALL classes radiate a great sense of energy — an energy felt by everyone in the classroom. Happy to be there, students are more than willing to be a part of each lecture. In fact, lecture is a misnomer; the “teacher” is more a moderator, and the classes are better described as conversations among people exchanging ideas and deeply engaged in what is taking place. Every UCALL student wears a nametag; knowing each other and being able to address one another personally is an important aspect of the program.
French says, “The thing I remember most about our beginning is how many people would come up to me and ask 'Where have you been? I've been waiting for something like this.' I have members who have been with this program since before I was involved, and they just keep coming back.”
Bob Hall, a retired inventor and scientist from General Electric, says, “I got a great undergraduate education at Union, and this is a way of continuing that. UCALL is a great place with great programs and great people. And I'm not too old to keep learning.”
Charles Stamm, a retired radiologist, says that he and his wife are involved for many of the same reasons. “I don't remember exactly how it was that we found out about UCALL, but ever since, I've been happy we did. For us, being back on campus is great, but our reasons for being involved in UCALL are not nostalgic. We were both interested in the idea of continuing our education after retirement. Seminars are always stimulating and, without exception, a great educational experience. It's great to keep your head alive after you retire.”
Established in the summer of 1989, UCALL began when an associate dean of the College asked French if she would be interested in developing and working on a continuing education program. French, whose position is part-time, has led the program for the last ten years.
Membership to UCALL is open to all, regardless of formal education (there are more than 150 members now). Seminars, which run in the fall and spring, are generally limited in number to allow for discussion and interaction. Six seminars are offered each term, and each seminar has five two-hour meetings. Course leaders come from within the UCALL membership, or through associations that members have with others in the community. UCALL members pay $65 a year and then $15 for each class selected. Past courses have ranged from “The History of Middle Eastern Culture” to “Chinese Brush Painting.”
UCALL has a Curriculum Committee that ultimately chooses the courses to be offered, but before final decisions are made all members of UCALL make suggestions about possible topics and coordinators for classes. French says, “After handing out the surveys to our members, I often get a wide range of topics that they are interested in. Then begins the process of deciding what is possible and what is not.”
French says that she definitely thinks UCALL has a place in Union's future. “The main thing is that we keep the quality of the program high and at the same time we keep it challenging, because if people aren't challenged they aren't going to come.”
French hopes the future might bring greater interaction between UCALL members and Union students. “We have so many retired professionals, and often Union students are interested in going into the same professions that our members have worked in and often retired from. We have doctors, lawyers, and GE engineers who are all willing to talk about their experiences, and this sort of interaction could be very useful for students.”
Anyone interested in learning more about UCALL should call the Office of Graduate and Continuing Studies at (518) 388-6288.
A sampling of courses previously offered by UCALL:
Origins of Our Language
Dreams and the Unconscious
Immigrant Women in the United States
Introduction to Personal Computing
The History of the Galapagos Islands
DNA and Genetic Engineering
Enjoying Opera: Puccini
Our Astonishing Universe
Geoffrey Chaucer: The Canterbury Tales
Understanding Financial Markets
The Development of Modern Medicine