impact

Lifelong Learning Institute offers retired faculty new purpose and passion

The member-driven volunteer organization for curious adults 50 and older is celebrating 10 years this fall with nearly 60 courses, field trips, lectures, and special events.

Diane Deffenbaugh

6 Sep 2024

A man and woman with gray hair and glasses speak to another person across the table with a wall of windows in the background. — Lifelong Learning Institute members Nancy Metz (at center), professor emerita in the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, her husband, Paul Metz (at left), professor emeritus in the University Libraries, and Karen Arnold discuss strategies taught in an Aging in Place class. Photo by Diane Deffenbaugh for Virginia Tech.

Even years before she had retired from her 42-year career in the English department, Professor Emerita Nancy Metz was already thinking anxiously about what she would do after her life in Shanks Hall fell away.

“Where would I find structure and meaning and rewarding work?” she said. “For years, I had been surrounded by the most inspirational teacher-colleagues. I thought, ‘When I retire, I’m just going to take their courses myself.’ But I later realized that the presence of a white-haired lady in the back of the room with her hand constantly in the air might not have been the ideal situation for them.”

One day after class in 2015, she returned to her office and found the answer in her inbox. Pat Hyer, who had recently retired as associate provost for academic administration, and Jerry Niles, who retired as the founding dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences and interim vice president for Outreach and International Affairs, were looking for help developing the Lifelong Learning Institute at Virginia Tech (LLI).

In the decade since, the institute has become a New River Valley treasure that draws new retirees to the region and helps Blacksburg retain retired Virginia Tech faculty and staff. For some, it’s the chance to continue teaching, but for others, it’s the opportunity to explore and share new passions, stay connected to the community, and never stop learning.

The institute does that through experiential and discussion-based learning programs for curious adults 50 and older. Members need not be retired or connected to the university to participate.

Fun and relevant courses are taught in a seminar format. Instead of homework and exams, participants have spirited discussions, participate in hands-on activities, and forge new connections with peers. The institute also organizes field trips around the region, such as a gentle raft float down the New River, as well as ones further afield, such as to Costa Rica.

The Lifelong Learning Instutite (LLI) is celebrating its 10th year this fall with about 60 courses, field trips, lectures, and special events. Registration opened Aug. 26, and classes begin Sept. 16.

University-community partnership

While the institute relies on a team of about 125 volunteers giving their time and expertise, Niles said that the partnership between the university and the community is just as integral to its success.

“It takes a village to run LLI,” Niles said. “That village comprises the university and volunteers from the community working hand in hand on a common purpose.”

The institute first emerged from the support and vision of Susan E. Short, associate vice president for engagement in Outreach and International Affairs. Continuing and Professional Education, part of Outreach and International Affairs, provides logistical support, including member support services, classroom facilities, and registration services. Financially, the institute supports itself through membership fees, class registrations, business and community sponsorships, and individual donations.

“Lifelong learning is at the heart of Virginia Tech's land-grant mission, where community engagement is not just a goal, but a responsibility. The Lifelong Learning Institute embodies this mission by bridging the gap between the university and the wider community,” Short said. “Every time an LLI member engages in a class or activity, they experience firsthand the wealth of knowledge and innovation that Virginia Tech offers. This connection not only enriches their lives but also strengthens the bonds between the university and the communities we serve.”

The institute draws on the region’s vast academic and community resources to create enriching programming. Those resources include retired and current faculty members who find genuine enjoyment teaching older audience members who ask lots of questions and are excited to learn.

The institute also has continued to build collaborations with Warm Hearth Village, LewisGale Hospital Montgomery, AARP Virginia, the Montgomery Museum of Art & History, and other community partners.

A group of 20 adults pose for a group photo with gold, mirrored walls in the background. — A group of about 20 members recently traveled to New York to see performances of “All of Me,” “Appropriate,” and “The Notebook.” Photo courtesy of Pat Hyer.

New purpose and passion

Hyer knew after retirement that she wanted to use her skills and experiences to serve the community and indulge her own interest in learning. Boy, has she.

She’s helped drive the volunteer-led organization’s membership to more than 400 members and its program offerings from 15 to nearly 60 each term.

Hyer, who’s served the past decade as the institute’s volunteer leader, said the institute has given her as much as she has given. “My life is richer for the new collaborations and friendships, for the joy of learning, for the travel adventures we have had together, and for allowing me to have purpose and meaning in my daily life,” she said.

While some retired faculty members bring their well-known expertise to the institute classroom, others choose to share a passion for a subject separate from their career. Hyer said favorite instructors have even developed “groupies” who sign up for any course they offer.

One of those sought-after instructors is Anne McNabb, professor emerita of biological sciences and associate dean emerita of the Graduate School. McNabb is unsurprisingly a master at recruiting instructors — including Virginia Tech graduate students — to lead courses on science-related topics.

But when she teaches for the institute, it’s to share her longtime passion for cooking. Whether its Chinese, Moroccan, or fusion cuisines, McNabb leads about 12 members in the preparation of a meal in her own kitchen before they sit down together to enjoy it.

“Every single one of them has been an absolute ball,” she said.

Joy of learning

Katherine Allen, professor emerita in human development and family science, pores through the institute's course catalog when it arrives before each fall and spring term.

“The variety of options is amazing, and one of the most exciting parts of LLI,” she said. “I have taken courses on topics as diverse as democracy, finances, happiness, memoir writing, ukulele, and end-of-life decision-making, as well as teaching a course on family relationships.”

But Allen points out that institute’s magic just isn’t in the topics offered. “The sense of connection I feel to the place where I devoted most of my academic career is unsurpassed,” Allen said.

“LLI provides this bridge between the past and present for me. Sitting in a class, I might see someone from my neighborhood, my doctor, a member of my spiritual community, my son’s preschool teacher, or a long-lost friend. Meeting new friends from different walks of life has been especially helpful as I consider all the different ways to do retirement.”

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