{"id":15786,"date":"2019-03-05T19:57:29","date_gmt":"2019-03-05T19:57:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/?p=15786&post_type=story"},"modified":"2022-04-19T19:07:39","modified_gmt":"2022-04-19T19:07:39","slug":"senior-class","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/senior-class\/","title":{"rendered":"College Classes for Adults Ages 50 and Up"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spring 2019 | By Jenna Marina Lee<\/em><\/p>\n

Throughout the academic year, hundreds of eager students come to UCF\u2019s Student Union to attend lectures by faculty on a range of topics. Many show up early to find a good seat and catch up with friends while sipping on a cup of hot coffee.<\/p>\n

These students are the \u201csenior class\u201d of the Learning Institute for Elders (LIFE) at UCF. LIFE\u00a0was organized nearly 30 years ago as a partnership with the university to offer noncredit courses and access to UCF resources, such as the library, for adults age 50 and over.<\/p>\n

And people are clamoring to join. The group currently stands at 798 members, up 148 members\u00a0from just two years ago. The waitlist averages 300 to 400 people in any given year, and the wait time is between nine and 21 months, according to LIFE program coordinator Leslie Collin.<\/p>\n

Given today\u2019s life expectancy rates, it\u2019s not all that surprising that today\u2019s retirees are finding\u00a0value in going back to school. On average, a man who reaches age 65 today can expect to live until age 84 while a woman can expect to live until age 87, according to the Social Security Administration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s at least two decades of life available for exploring new opportunities for work, leisure\u00a0and civic engagement,\u201d says Denise Gammonley, associate professor of social work<\/a> and coordinator of UCF\u2019s aging studies<\/a> minor.<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

[blockquote source=”” cite=”” color=”” css_class=””]\u201cUCF already engages with older adults and helps them achieve a vision of purposeful and productive aging, but I think there are ways we can take it to the next level.\u201d[\/blockquote]<\/p>\n

[divider][\/divider]<\/p>\n

Gammonley is one of the leads of UCF\u2019s disability, aging and technology research cluster<\/a>, a group of professors and researchers who are linking health interventions with technology to help populations of all ages.<\/p>\n

Gammonley says the faculty cluster\u2019s research has the potential to foster what she likes to call\u00a0purposeful aging, or engaging in activities that are personally meaningful. Research shows that having such a purpose is a predicator of longevity.<\/p>\n

For Todd Bowers \u201977<\/strong>, a LIFE board member, that means staying active. \u201cI think there are people that just know being around something as vibrant as UCF and all these young people is good for them. We put a high value on lifelong learning,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a mutually beneficial relationship for UCF. LIFE members frequently participate and\u00a0contribute to research studies, and donate to the university.<\/p>\n

\u201cUCF already engages with older adults and helps them achieve a vision of purposeful and productive aging, but I think there are ways we can take it to the next level,\u201d Gammonley says.<\/p>\n

Enter Legacy Pointe at UCF, a senior living community close to the university\u2019s main campus,\u00a0due for completion in 2021. Legacy Pointe will give residents options for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing or memory care residences. Residents will also have access to high-quality programs from the university.<\/p>\n

In turn, students will have the opportunity to grow from interprofessional educational events,\u00a0internships and service learning at the facility.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Residents] have this vast amount of knowledge\u00a0and talent that many of them want to share with the UCF community,\u201d says Gammonley. \u201cWe\u2019re also very excited about being able to create new models of clinical care. Our relationship with Legacy Pointe will allow us to put our research to the test in the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n

[photo id=”16160″ title=”PhotoGallery-template-1200x800_Senior” alt=”” width=”100%”][\/photo]<\/p>\n

To learn more about senior living options at Legacy Pointe at UCF, visit LegacyPointeAtUCF.com.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":16163,"template":"","categories":[],"tags":[19],"class_list":["post-15786","story","type-story","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","tag-student-union","issues-1348","issues-spring-2019"],"yoast_head":"\nCollege Lends Perfect Environment for Active Retirement<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Given today's life expectancy rates, retirees are finding value in lifelong learning through college programming and college-affiliated senior living communities.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/pegasus\/senior-class\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Senior Class\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"College after retirement? 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