A $1 million endowment was recently awarded to San Diego State’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute.
The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute is a program of SDSU’s College of Extended Studies that specializes in the continued learning opportunities such as classes, workshops and educational special events for those over the age of 50. The classes don’t have tests or grades for these students, but emphasize the importance of lifelong learning.
“It serves to enrich learning opportunities so those 50 and older continue to stay engaged and become involved in their learning and the community that they’re building with their fellow Osher members,” Director of the institute Emily Moore said.
Benefits of an Osher Lifelong Learning Institute membership include discounted prices to the educational material and free lectures, complimentary parking, library privileges and eligibility to register for clubs and special events, according to the SDSU College of Extended Studies website. For a term of membership, the cost is $20 with an optional RedID card cost of $18 per term, which can be used to attend the events on campus and the Aztec Recreational Center at the student price.
SDSU is one of 119 colleges and universities in the nation with a program supported by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, according to SDSU NewsCenter.
Meanwhile, the Bernard Osher Foundation provides post-secondary educational funding to universities across the nation, with special attention to re-entry students, according to the foundation’s website.
As an endowment, the program will receive the interest of $1 million each subsequent year, media relations and marketing specialist Steve Dolan said. The program will be funded by the yearly interest accumulated through the $1 million endowment.
“The endowment will keep the ideas that are associated with the Osher Institute alive forever,” Dean of the College of Extended Studies Joe Shapiro said. “That interest enables the program to continue in productivity. It helps us keep the costs down while still expanding additional opportunities.”
With the funding, future goals include expanding the program by increasing the number of subjects taught, recruiting new members and better reaching the needs of the community, Shapiro said. Subjects taught were selected based on the demand of the students.
“We applaud the institute’s dedicated volunteers and staff — as well as the leadership of the university — for developing such an exceptional educational program,” Bitterman told NewsCenter.
In addition to the classes offered through the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, members give back to the SDSU community through the Aztec Mentor Program, Moore said. The program involves Osher members to serve as mentors to current university students, creating a connection not only between the faculty and the members, but between the members and the students as well.
“Our job is to bring the community to SDSU and have our faculty and community connect here,” Shapiro said.
SDSU’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute planned to build upon current strategies of expansion that had been used in the past three to four years of the program, Shapiro said.
“Our motto as a college is to never stop learning,” Shapiro said. “The Osher Institute and the additional funding from the endowment will enable us to continue in that direction and give people extended opportunities beyond their university lives so that, they too, can never stop learning.”
SDSU received the endowment at a ceremony on Feb. 7.
