THE MEANING AND ROLE OF THE UNIVERSITY FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

APPENDIX

EUROPEAN MODELS OF UNIVERSITIES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS

• France. In comparison with other European countries (like England) the educational tradition for adults is recent in France. The notion of continuous formation, indeed, goes back to the end of the 1960's when, following a parlamentary law, the universities created some departments of continuing education for adults, with the objective of professional reinsertion. In this context, many Universities for Senior Citizens have arisen. The most important model is, without doubt, that of Toulouse (the first University for Senior Citizens in Europe); its founder, Pierre Vellas, has always sustained that the University for Senior Citizens must be, at the same time, a center of research and a cultural institution, therefore a center for gerontology has been combined. Another model would be that of Nantes, called the inter-age University, which is part of the department of continuing education and whose program has been inspired by it. Enrollment in the various courses is open; there is a strong spirit of community inasmuch as the students participate in the organization of the program of studies and in the administration as members of the council. Another interesting model is that of Fontenay aux Roses, near Paris: it is an association completely autonomous, essentially educational, created by university professors but not linked to any Parisian university; the classrooms are furnished by the Town Council and the administration is held by the students who are all members of the general assembly; the cultural level of the cycle of conferences is very high. In general, the Universities for Senior Citizens are financed through tuition fees and by the State, being for the most part structured like university departments.
• England. Educational structures for adults have been developed very early: in 1902 the Worker's Education Association was founded; afterwards, extra-mural departments of the University were established with courses even in small towns; for many years the same local authorities have organized courses for adults in which even senior citizens have participated. This strong and antique tradition gives life to the Universities for Senior Citizens and explains its characteristics; these, in particular have not been promoted by professionals who have not understood the specific educational needs of senior citizens. In this perspective, in 1980 at Cambridge, The University of the Third Age in Cambridge had been founded, absolutey and voluntarily indipendent from the University of Cambridge. According to its inspirer, Peter Laslett, senior citizens must take care of themselves, without any assistence from the second age or from educational professionals or from university institutions. In the Universities for Senior Citizens, those who attend are contemporarily teachers and students; the senior citizens must help each other to be responsible for each's own destiny. This is the only English model (taken from more than 100 Universities for Senior Citizens gathered in a national organization) which is a bit in competition with the existing adult educational structures.
• Germany. The tradition of adult education goes back to the XIX century with the Volkshochschulen (public adult high schools). In the 1960's these schools created teaching for senior citizens (Alterbildung) and education for senior citizens was initially monopolized by them. At the end of the 1960's, however, competing with the public school system, educational activity for senior citizens was launched at the university with the title of Seniorenstudium (studies for senior citizens). A rapid development with inter-university meetings was established and, at the end of the 1970's, a federal committee was created. The Seniorenstudium were institutionalized with four models: 1) the intergenerational integrative model: the seniors could attend normal courses at the university with other students, without title and without obtaining a diploma (Oldenburgh); 2) the curriculum model (Dortmund, Berlin): A true formation for a limited time period, with the goal of reinserting the senior citizens in the work force. This results in a title; 3) organization of specific programs of cultural character in select fields (Marburgh); 4) conference cycles created for senior citizens (Leibsig). The financing comes from tuition fees and often from provincial or federal subsidies. In general, the German universities have participated in the education of senior citizens in a different way compared to the public schools and with precise objectives of gerontological research.
• Belgium: Francophone Community. At the end of the XIX century, by initiative of the local authorities, a permanent education program for adults was organized, with the goal of combatting illiteracy. At the same time, public courses for the elite were developing such as the Free University of Bruxelles. Afterwards, the university created extra-mural courses open to all, based on the English model. At this point education for senior citizens began. During the 1970's, based on the French model, Universities for Senior Citizens were created, with the main goal being to instruct the elderly. The leisure time university of the Free University of Bruxelles offered, for example, the possibility for older students to attend courses as free observers. Some Universities for Senior Citizens were structured as university departments (Louvain la Neuve); others were independent. All attempted to ensure a university level; the financing came from various sources.
• Switzerland. In German-speaking Switzerland public schools for seniors, like those in Germany, arose with various structures of permanent education. These institutions blocked the founding of Universities for Senior Citizens; that of Zurich, for example, goes back to 1985. To differentiate themselves from the public universities, the Universities for Senior Citizens created by the state universities (Basel, Zurich, Saint Gallen) had as its only goal a university-level education. Therefore, the student is only a listener and a consumer. In francophone Switzerland, the University for Senior Citizens has the intention of aiding activities that are not only purely academic but in which the student is asked to participate in university life and to be available for social service.
• Spain. After the Franco era, the Minister of Social Security financed the creation of a University for Senior Citizens, based on the French model, with the name of Aulas de la terzera Edad, an institution of university characteristics. Social and cultural activities are organized; there are about 20 groups in a national association and they have very diverse characteristics, both in their programs as well as in the language used for the courses. For the most part, yet maintaining the autonomous structure, they are linked to a university where the courses take place. The intergenerational character in Spain is particular: the young people participate in the animation of the Aulas; furthermore, the artistic creativity aspect is highly developed.
• Sweden. At Uppsala there is a university for retired people. Created in 1979, it has 600 enrollments, a high number for a small city. It is linked to the university even though it is an independent institution. The students enrol in study groups dealing with particular themes (language, history, astronomy, etc.); there are also general conferences, and the animators are for the most part university professors. The aspect of solidarity and mutual aid is very developed.
• Finland. The University for Senior Citizens of Jyvaskyla proposes maintaining the elderly in good health and developing them personally and spiritually. Moreover, it carries into effect research to integrate the elderly in community life. Various courses are held, general conferences on arguments that concern the role of senior citizens in society and other activities (travel) organized by the students themselves. The students participate in the organization of programs. The University is financed by the city and by tuition fees.
• Italy. Because there is not a tradition consolidated by national educational organizations for adult studies, and being that the university is not in the position to open itself up to adults, the Universities for Senior Citizens have arisen due to private volunteer and cultural institutions. Several of these can be characterized by the multiple courses offered to be chosen by the students (Turin), others by a project goal of social reinsertment of the students themselves (Trento and Vicenza). Today there are more than 500 Universities for Senior Citizens and several regions have emitted a special law of sustenance. Vicenza and Trento have multiplied their territorial headquarters in the last few years, with special conventions with the community administrations. 54 Italian universities, with 168 didactic hedquarters, have founded the Italian Federation (Federuni), which for the last ten years has elaborated a sistematic reflexion on the subject and in this way carries out a service to all the Italian Universities for Senior Citizens. A second national association exists (Unitrč) which seeks conformity among all the headquarters to the cultural and organizational model of Turin.