Back in college for a day

One Day University featuring favorite Ivy League professors rejuvenates lifelong learners.

from the June 20, 2007 edition

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Larry Luddecke's college days ended more than three decades ago, but his love of learning continues unabated. So when his wife gave him a birthday card this month, he was intrigued by her handwritten message: "Happy Birthday. You're going to college."

In this case "college" serves as shorthand for an unusual event called One Day University. Thanks to his wife's gift, Mr. Luddecke, a musician in Arlington, Mass., is one of 140 students spending a sunny mid-June Saturday at Mt. Ida College in Newton, Mass., listening to top-ranked professors from Ivy League schools deliver their most popular lectures.

This is no ordinary gathering of undergraduates. A majority of those in the audience are, like Luddecke, in their 50s. As baby boomers and retirees, they are here to play students-for-a-day. It's a chance to indulge their nostalgia for their college years and revel in the heady world of new ideas.

"My father was a lifelong learner," Luddecke says, clutching a pen and blue notebook in the Mt. Ida auditorium. "I think I got it from him."

As cofounder Steven Schragis welcomes the group, he jokes, "You will not be receiving a degree today from Columbia, Harvard, Brown, or Dartmouth." What they will receive is intellectual stimulation during four 70-minute classes on everything from 'Moby Dick' to the science of happiness, politics, and neuroscience.

The year-old venture, offering classes in seven cities in the Northeast, reflects a burgeoning interest in lifelong learning. As those in midlife and beyond enroll in everything from adult education classes to university extension courses and Elderhostel programs, they are feeding a hunger for an active intellectual life. Instead of a condo on the ninth green, some are choosing housing on or near a college campus, where they can take advantage of classes and cultural activities.

The demand for such experiences is growing as the baby boom generation matures. Nearly half of American adults – 46 percent – will enroll in continuing-education courses this year, according to the US Department of Education.

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