Talk:University of the Third Age

U3A redirects to University of the Third Age.

Untitled
When this page was created, no links into it were made -- SGBailey 22:45, 2004 May 20 (UTC)

I have added a paragraph and a link from university to U3A. Although U3A does not conform to the modern Western model of a university, a state-approved and richly funded institution permitted to award honours and academic degrees, it does reflect the original sense of universitas magistrorum et scholarium - a gathering of teachers and scholars - in the instance of the U3A - with the aggregated experience of many years of life and a desire to teach and learn just for the pleasure of those activities. Fenton Robb 23:37, 10 April 2006 (UTC)

Links and text from lifelong learning, communication and conversation added. Fenton Robb 18:11, 13 April 2006 (UTC)

Links to U3A in Scotland and the International Network have been added. In time, there will be links to Special Interest Networks as well, but, In spite of these links to metasystemic institutions, it is important to remember that the UK model is focussed on the individual local subject Group and its ability to sustain itself as an independent and autonomous entity. It is this concept that endows the movement with its unique virility. Groups of groups,distinguished either by geographical location, or by area of interest, facilitate and support, but do not control or influence the individual Groups. Fenton Robb 00:24, 29 April 2006 (UTC)

I've added a reference to the model being used in South Africa and also added SA to the list of references at the end. I act as the webmaster for the common internet site host u3a.org.za through which all SA groups can be found. Colinvlr (talk) 22:55, 13 December 2008 (UTC)

Defining what is "The Third Age" for Us3A
I suggest that this Article might benefit from the addition of a brief definition of what is taken to be "The Third Age" by the various Us3A.


 * A simple Link as a reference to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ages_of_Man apparently would NOT serve ?
 * Moreover, perhaps NOT to any of Shakespeare's seven, including -
 * The sixth age shifts
 * Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,
 * With spectacles on nose and pouch on side,
 * His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide
 * For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,
 * Turning again toward childish treble, pipes
 * And whistles in his sound.


 * To me, the U3A Third Age is related to "life-long-learning".
 * U3A is intended predominatly for mature-age people; with some U3A prospectuses making reference to being 'retired', and by implication being eligible after paid-employment.
 * Or perhaps it is getting into one's third-generation - being a grand-parent.
 * What it means seems only a vaguely defined consensus, with many women participating who were of an age to have been unpaid engaged in "home-duties", as well as for mature people who had no children, or grand-children.
 * Perhaps there are National differences in the respective Us3A participants ?180.200.142.254 (talk) 00:36, 26 February 2014 (UTC)

ONE ANSWER This is one BRITISH 'definition' of what is "The Third Age":-


 * "U3A membership is not related to a specific age but to a period in one’s life (the third age) after the second age of full-time employment and parental responsibility. Anybody in their third age can join U3A and this includes people who are working part time.  There is no lower age for membership."
 * source - http://www.u3a.org.uk/component/content/article/79-public-area/81-how-to-join.html

203.129.61.159 (talk) 06:56, 26 February 2014 (UTC)

Added links to U3A websites in Spain 14 Jan 2015. Local sites are shown as there is no central U3A for Spain Mainvision (talk) 20:56, 14 January 2015 (UTC)

Added (to a paragraph on English-speaking U3As) that Lifelong learning institutes is the term used in the United States for organizations that are similar to U3A groups. I have encountered some fuzziness at North American boundaries--at one time a group in Vancouver, B.C., Canada, belonged to ALIROW, a networking organization of Lifelong learning institutes that spanned the Pacific West Coast (ALIROW is no longer active), and I have seen the website of a U3A group in San Diego, California, just north of the US-Mexico border, that is associated with a Catholic university. The first USA Lifelong learning institute began at New School University in New York City in 1962, but the second one, at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, was founded several years after the first U3A in France described in this article. Truly the thirst for, rise of, and enjoyment of, learning in the Third Age has been universal worldwide.LM6407 (talk) 04:31, 31 August 2019 (UTC)