Portland Community College | Portland, Oregon

PCC’s Senior Studies Institute: Having fun and turning 20

Photos and story by James Hill

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Last month, it was a Who’s Who of PCC movers and shakers that came together to celebrate 20 years of the college’s Senior Studies Institute at a ceremony banquet at the Oregon Zoo.

There was Preston Pulliams, PCC District President; Portland City Commissioner and former PCC board member Dan Saltzman; Jim Harper, Vice Chair of the college’s Board of Directors and 20-plus year member of the Foundation Board; Norma Jean Germond, foundation member and former PCC Board member; Mary McGladrey, the Senior Studies’ first chair; and Neal Naigus, Executive Assistant to the District President.

Germond, Saltzman and Naigus were prime movers in establishing SSI.

“America faces major transformations,” Pulliams said. “Fewer dollars force us to tap into our own resources.”

He noted that SSI’s donations to the PCC Foundation Scholarship Fund have made PCC available to many students without alternate resources.

“SSI’s partnership with the college has strengthened us both,” he added. “Innovation and engagement are keys to SSI’s success.”

What is the Senior Studies Institute?

It’s laughter, lively discussions and lots of learning. What is it? It’s the Senior Studies Institute at Portland Community College and its turning 20 years old this year.

At the Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation District Building and five other locations around Portland, the institute is giving retirees a path to lifelong learning. On a day in early September, about two-dozen senior citizens gathered in one of the old Safeco Insurance Building’s classrooms on Kruse Way to chat about current events.

In these classes, there’s food, exchange of ideas, social networking and plenty of learning. Through offerings like this one, SSI gives attendees a social network and a way to continue their education.

“It’s one of the largest all-volunteer, member-driven programs of its kind in the country,” said Neal Naigus, assistant to the PCC District President and founder of SSI. “It’s totally operated by volunteers and it’s the volunteers who continue to keep the program self-supporting for the last 20 years. It’s really become a remarkable program that has been able to sustain itself for this long by being dependent solely on volunteers.”

Burgeoning with students, SSI is marking this school year for its 20th anniversary celebration. For two decades, the Senior Studies Institute organizes 90 classes and 300 current event sessions every year for a per-member annual fee of $30. From Greek Theater appreciation to learning about Indian cave art to understanding Alzheimer’s, there is rarely a subject that the institute won’t touch.

“Our slogan is that we never stop learning and we learn from each other,” said SSI director Don Lief, who is leading SSI this year. “The idea is to be informative and, beyond that, to follow our curiosity.”

The Senior Studies Institute is run by its 275 members and operates 52 weeks per year. It gives local seniors a chance to attend classes four days per week, with sometimes two classes per day.  And, their discussions are lively, complete with controversy, humor, disagreement, insight and wisdom. Groups or classes can be led by participants who are well prepared in the subject or by faculty or guest speakers. Attendees are encouraged to participate no matter their educational background.

“I’ve done a number of classes on subjects I was curious about and, even though at first I didn’t know anything about it, I researched the topic and was well informed by the time of the class,” Lief added. “We have talks like that that fill the room. We even had a series where one of our members – a drug war Interpol agent – led a discussion on that subject.”

Locations are all over the PCC district to make classes convenient for members – Lake Oswego Parks and Recreation Building (4101 Kruse Way), Beaverton Community Center (12350 S.W. Fifth), Neighborhood House (7688 S.W. Capital Highway), PCC’s CLIMB Center (S.E. Clay and Water), PCC Southeast Center (2305 S.E. 82nd Ave.) and SMILE (8219 S.E. 13th Ave.).

“The objective is to encourage a lively exchange of ideas in an atmosphere of respect, civility and mirth,” said SSI facilitator and member Dawn Carol, who joined the program in 2008 and facilitates classes at the Lake Oswego site. “Members may contribute or simply enjoy listening. There is no pressure to share. That is the great attraction to our volunteer Senior Studies Institute. Our members are the reason for our success, month in and month out, year after year.”

To celebrate 20 years of serving the local seniors community with lively discussions and classes, Senior Studies Institute will hold a ceremony in May of 2011. And like with everything else the program does, members will organize SSI’s 20th anniversary event luncheon at the Oregon Zoo on May 20, 2011.

“We have a good gene pool with our members really being active and many who have been here since the beginning,” Lief added. “People find one thing they like to do it and they do it. It’s a low cost for the breadth of offerings we have. It’s very special in that way; the combination of the two.”

About Senior Studies Institute:

• All volunteer organization that presents 40 classes, 60 current event sessions at six locations in each of three terms for $30 annual membership (all inclusive).
• At least 50 percent of SSI’s classes are presented by members who may become experts in topics researched for presentations.
• Outside speakers come from all imaginable walks of life including educators, public officials and experts in their fields.
• Many members engage in other volunteer organizations such as Elders in Action, Reading to the Blind, teaching ESL, assisting in medical fields, libraries, assisting homeless and delivering Meals on Wheels.
• SSI participates in community events such as wellness fairs, senior expos, and often raises funds from these that are donated to the PCC Scholarship fund.

For more information, visit the SSI webpage, or call Tony at (503) 228-2488.