Super seniors: Auditors enjoy UWM classes

Thirteen years ago, Russ Eisenberg took his first class at UWM. And then he took a history class. And a linguistics course. And a business ethics class. And then a class in political science.

Today, he’s still not done learning.

“You have to get out in the world and see what’s new,” Eisenberg said. “The world changes. There are different views. Professors can explain the newest research to you.”

That’s why Eisenberg and his wife, Merzy, are senior auditors at UWM. The pair are happy grandparents, are retired, and love learning new things. Each enjoyed a long career; Merzy was the founding Hebrew/Jewish Studies teacher at Milwaukee Jewish Day School, and Russ was a lawyer and then a bankruptcy judge in the U. S. Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. In addition to classes, they are busy with music - Russ with piano, and Merzy singing in four choirs. Russ also does some pro-bono photography work.

They’re taking advantage of Wisconsin’s senior auditors program. Any Wisconsin resident age 60 or older can audit classes at any UW System institution without charge. There are exceptions; some professors choose not to allow auditors in their classes.

Homework? Tests? Not a problem – auditors are not required to complete them, though they can if they want.

Russ Eisenberg was teaching a class at University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison when he first learned about the senior auditor program. Curious, he enrolled in a class at UWM and found himself impressed by the caliber of the professors and the quality of the classes.

Merzy and Russ Eisenberg are enjoying their retirement after long, successful careers. These days, they enjoy auditing UWM classes. Seniors in Wisconsin may audit almost any class offered at UW institutions for free. Photo courtesy of Merzy Eisenberg.

“UWM has outstanding professors, fine education, and it’s nearby,” he said. “Both Merzy and I believe that people, especially those who reside in the greater Milwaukee area, are fortunate to be near UWM because UWM has some truly outstanding instructors.”

Consequently, he and Merzy choose which classes to take based on the professors they find particularly interesting. Between the two of them, they’ve taken a linguistics class with Fred Eckman, a class on Russian history with Christine Evans, and a business ethics course with Mike Freimark, a lecturer in the Lubar School of Business. They began with a course in Jewish Studies taught by Rachel Baum.

“Now (Freimark) has me come back once a year to teach a class on business ethics and responsibility from the perspective of a bankruptcy judge,” Russ Eisenberg said.

In fact, many professors find that senior auditors have a lot to contribute to classes.

“It gives my instruction such a boost to have senior auditors participate in my courses,” said history professor Amanda Seligman. “Imagine: people who could do just about anything with their time choose to spend three hours a week learning about history from me! Senior auditors bring so much to the classroom: they model curiosity and excitement about life-learning, they ask great questions about the readings, and they bring the depth of their personal experience to classroom conversations.”

Case in point: When Russ took one of associate professor of political science Sara Benesh’s classes about the United States Supreme Court, he was able to relate the story of how he met former Chief Justice John Paul Stevens when the judge would visit the Seventh Circuit courts. Merzy told Benesh, whom she consideres a “true expert” on the Supreme Court Justices, the story of how the Eisenberg’s daughter borrowed a prom dress from Justice Anthony Kennedy’s daughter when they were friends at Stanford University.

Russ and Merzy prefer not to speak up in class unless they’re called upon. The undergraduate students are graded on their participation, and it seems unfair to take any time away from them, Russ explained.

They’re on the lookout for their next class – maybe another political science course, or perhaps sociology. They want to keep learning. When Merzy is too busy rehearsing for choral concerts, Russ teaches her the content of the lectures he hears the next day as they are take a walk. There’s always something to talk about.

“Merzy and I believe there is no such thing as remaining stationary,” Russ said. “You either move head or fall behind. And there’s no moving ahead without an education.”

By Sarah Vickery, College of Letters & Science