Active Minds for active timesBy Mike Kohuth
Bill Ransom and his wife Marilyn are currently taking courses in political science, history and religious studies at Cleveland State to enrich their knowledge.
Bill and Marilyn Ransom are among the 522 students, who are 60 and older, to participate in a program called Active Minds (also known as Project 60) this semester.
The couple’s day often begins by heading to the RTA Park and Ride in their community to catch a bus that takes them to CSU.
“I can’t wait to wake up on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and come to class, its so exciting,” said Marilyn Ransom.
Bill and Marilyn Ransom have their own agenda on what classes they like taking. Marilyn likes to follow courses in a specific area while Bill likes to mix his course work up. “We come together, we study together, but we don’t always take classes together,” said Bill Ransom.
Since both of them are retired, they have taken trips to France, Italy and England. They said CSU coursework helped them prepare for the trips.
Students are not required to take exams or write papers under the Active Minds program. Marilyn Ransom said she took three semesters of Japanese and the professor told her she needed to take the exams to completely comprehend the course material. “I was fine with it the first semester, then it progressively got harder,” Marilyn said and laughed. If students in the program want to take exams or write papers, professors usually give them that opportunity.
Active Minds is a state mandated program, which started 20 years ago through public colleges and universities, according to Kaye Grospitch, advancement officer at the Division of University Advancement.
Grospitch said the program gives residents over the age of 60 the chance to attend classes free of charge. She added students in the program are responsible for purchasing books and arranging transportation.
“We want to reach out to the active seniors who want to mentally achieve through classes and other programs,” Grospitch said.
Grospitch, who started working with the program in May 2006, said she enjoys working with the program and encourages senior citizens that are not active to become involved.
Bill and Marilyn Ransom said they were extremely grateful for the chance to be in college again to learn new things outside of their fields of study.
The couple met on a blind date while working on their undergraduate degrees from the University of Michigan. They graduated in 1960: Bill with an economics degree and Marilyn with an education degree. Bill went on to law school and graduated in 1963. Marilyn received her master’s degree in non-profit organization in 1991 from Case Western Reserve University.
“I just think it is a wonderful program,” said Bill Ransom. “This is the centerpiece of my retirement.”
For more information on Active Minds, visit csuohio.edu/project60 or contact (216) 687-3561.