Mission Statement

The Center for Senior Citizens' Education is a community outreach program of the University of St. Thomas.  It presents educational and cultural programs specifically designed to foster and support life-long learning.  The Center engages older learners in challenging and intellectually stimulating programs and also provides opportunities for undergraduate students to benefit from the wisdom and experience of their elders in an academic environment.

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The Center for Senior Citizens’ Education was established at the University of St. Thomas in 1973 and has been in continuous operation since that date.

The University of St. Thomas has a commitment to serve the social as well as the academic needs of the community, and the Center for Senior Citizens’ Education is pleased to be able to offer these programs as part of the mission of the University.  

As an outreach program of the University of St. Thomas, the Center’s mission reflects the mission of the University:

§         Commitment to learning as a lifetime activity. . .We strive to impart this value to all in the larger community.

§         Belief that learning is enhanced when it takes place within a diverse, supportive community, when all involved acknowledge they have both something to learn and something to teach.

§         Such learning touches the whole person – spirit and faith as well as intellect and skills.

§         Belief that the University’s educational and social traditions provide a rich context for the learning community because they embrace a respect for each person.

The Center’s goals include the following:

• To encourage and enable older adults to remain attuned to  the mainstream of society
• by opening the college classes and campus to them and
• by offering educational and cultural programs designed specifically to meet their needs and interests;
• To provide a setting in which older adults are comfortable, welcomed and encouraged to share their experience and expertise with younger students;
• To help older adults make informed decisions regarding their legal, economic and financial concerns and be actively engaged in planning their futures;
• To make these programs and services available to senior citizens of all socio-economic levels and to actively reach out to include people of color and other minorities.

What does the Center do?

How is the Center supported?

Because it is an important outreach program of the University of St. Thomas and a significant complement to its mission to serve the urban community and to foster life-long learning, the Center receives considerable support from the University.  Because of the Center's commitment to make its services and programs available to all senior citizens, program fees have been kept at a very modest level.

STAFF:
Sister Marie Herbert Seiter,  Director
Jan Viktora, Associate Director
Susan Anderson-Benson, Administrative Assistant

LOCATION :  309 Loras Hall,  St. Paul Campus

PHONE:  651- 962-5188                     FAX:        651-962-5190

E-MAIL:      mhseiter@stthomas.edu
                     jmviktora@stthomas.edu
                     skandersonbe@stthomas.edu

Center Advisory Board

William Brazil, Program Participant, CPA (retire)

Gail Buuck, Program Participant

Susan Cochrane, Dean of Professional Studies, College of St. Catherine

Donald Conway, Special Assistant to the Academic Dean, University of St. Thomas (retired)

Hugh Enzler, Program Participant (retired)

Thomas Fish, Graduate School of Education, University of St. Thomas

Bernice Folz, Graduate Programs in Software Design, University of St. Thomas (retired)

Willis Gilliard, Program Participant, Civil Engineer (retired), Pastor

Fred Hoedeman, Attorney (retired)

Gary Jeub, Branch Manager, USBancorp Piper Jaffray

Charles Keffer, Office of Vice President for Administration, University of St. Thomas (retired)

Michael Mikolajczak, English Department,
University of St. Thomas

Martha O'Toole, Program Participant, ElderLaw Attorney (retired)

Jerry Rotman, Program Participant, Attorney (retired)

Thomas Sturm, Quantitative Methods & Computer Science Department, University of St. Thomas

Richard Wilhoit, Attorney, Briggs & Morgan

Wayne Zuehlke, Program Participant, CPA (retired)