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By Marty Siederer LC‘77
When we think of senior citizens going back to college, the first thought is often of Rodney Dangerfield, who played Thornton Melon, the senior who went back to college with his son. In the movie “Back to School,” Melon had to buy his way into getting admitted to college by making a large donation towards a new building for their business school. To enroll in the Rutgers Senior Citizen Audit Program, however, senior citizens don’t have to make a donation to sit in on classes.
The Senior Citizen Audit Program was created by the Rutgers University Board of Governors in 1974 as a one-year test, and was so popular, the program was made permanent a year later to allow retired New Jersey residents age 62 or older to audit courses on a space-available, noncredit basis.
According to Patricia Kastner, associate director, Rutgers Strategic Events and Programs, there are no tuition costs for auditing courses. Senior auditors do not receive academic credit for audited courses, and need to obtain the approval of the professor teaching a course they would like to audit. Auditing a course simply means that participants can sit in on classes and participate in discussions.
Kastner began working on the Senior Citizen Audit Program in 2015, and coordinates all aspects of online registration and outreach to potential and current participants. (Fun Fact: Kastner is also the point person for the annual Rutgers Day celebration.) There are currently 1,500 seniors enrolled in the program, with 400 currently auditing classes at Rutgers, mostly on the New Brunswick-Piscataway campus. Most seniors are auditing an average of 1-2 classes each semester, with 240 attending in person and the rest virtually. The oldest currently enrolled senior is 85 years old, and the most popular classes, according to Kastner, are art history, music, and Jewish history.
Edna Schiffres, who has been auditing classes since 2015, calls the program “the best thing I’ve ever done.” When she retired from the workforce, Schiffres was worried about “becoming jelly-brained” from not staying active, and saw the senior program as an opportunity to learn new things. Schiffres finds going to campus an energetic experience.
“The first day of school is so invigorating for me. Rutgers students are so bright and they have been so welcoming of auditors like me.” Schiffres favorite classes: art history, nutrition and health, and civil war and Reconstruction. An outgrowth of Schiffres’ participation in the audit program is that she has become an avid fan of the Rutgers mens and womens basketball teams.
When David Blain retired from the workforce in 2020, he was looking for ways to stay active and found out about the Senior Citizen Audit Program via an online search. His first class that year was a Byrne Seminar on the topic “Is There Life On Mars? He has since audited classes on astronomy, archaeology, criminal justice, and sustainability. Blain prefers in-person classes to virtual, and his favorite campus is College Avenue, since it reminds him of other campuses he has visited throughout the country. Even a broken leg suffered prior to the last day of the criminal justice course did not deter him from attending class. “I really liked being with the students and there were two other seniors who were auditing the class, so we were able to provide some historical perspective to some of the discussions.” Blain hopes to take classes until he’s “85 and beyond.”
Jay Schiffres heard about the senior audit program from a friend and audited his first class in 2014. “It was on the history of medieval Europe, and since then I’ve been hooked. I’ve taken classes to learn more about other countries and their cultures, and on astronomy.” Schiffres feeds off the energy of the students on the College Avenue campus and enjoys using the Alexander Library between classes.
For Frank and Jane Giannelli, the Senior Audit program was a godsend after their work careers respectively in information technology and education. “It was an opportunity to learn about subjects that were totally different from their jobs,” Frank said. “We went to a class at our local fitness center and overheard someone talking about the senior audit program.”
Frank and Jane searched for information online and decided to take classes around their interests in well-being. Their first class – Food as Medicine – provided information they could apply to their lives. There was an added bonus, according to Frank. “If we got to Busch Campus early for our classes, it was an opportunity to walk around and explore the buildings, and experience the bustle of campus life.”
Frank and Jane audited classes covering “Field to Table,” “Nutrition and Health,” and “Italian Food Culture” during the spring semester. They enjoy being around the students and professors. “The campus and classes are such a stimulating environment.”
Eilan Ezrachie heard about the Senior Audit program through a friend who retired five years ago. “The program is an incredibly fulfilling experience. All of the college-level classes I took on the way to graduating in 1980 were geared towards my business career plans, and the Senior Audit program is a great way to learn about subjects I didn’t have a chance to explore while I was in college or in the workforce. I always look forward to coming to campus and interacting with the professors and students. It’s a great energy boost, and I’ve recommended the program to fellow retirees who are looking to do something meaningful with their time.”
Milton Heumann, Distinguished Professor in Rutgers’ Department of Political Science, welcomes senior auditors to his classes. “The seniors are a great resource for students. I encourage students to seek out the senior auditors and ask them about their work and life experiences. It’s a great additional benefit for students in addition to learning what’s in their curriculum.”
For more information about the Rutgers Senior Citizen Audit program, visit https://community.rutgers.edu/programs-services/program-directory/senior-citizen-audit-program or email senioraudit@rutgers.edu
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