‘It was a lifeline:’ Senior students devastated by cuts to Lifelong Learning Centre hours

Another education program is reducing its services due to budget cuts, and this time, it’s affecting seniors.

The Lifelong Learning Centre (LLC), which operates out of the University of Regina’s Centre for Continuing Education, will be reducing its programming to lunch hours only for financial reasons. The university made the decision to reduce the program’s hours.

Students like Abby Ulmer feel neglected by the cuts made to the program.

“I just think it’s disgusting. I think there’s some ageism going on,” Ulmer said Thursday.

She said the program offered her things beyond just education. She gained valuable friendships over the eight years she was part of the program. The people she met came from all different backgrounds; some were former counsellors, doctors and lawyers.

“Sharing that knowledge was incredible,” she said.

The LLC program began in 1977. Students were able to take classes about technology, fitness, language, mental health and more. Students felt encouraged to bring their life experience to the classroom and engage in thoughtful conversations with their classmates and professors.

Nine-week-long courses were offered at first, but they continuously got cut to shorter increments, said Kay Antrobus, a student of more than 20 years.

“For many of us, it was a lifeline to keep us interested in life and what was happening,” she said.

Now, students are left feeling lost.

“I don’t know how I’m going to fill some of my time next winter,” said Antrobus.

Glenys Eberle holds up a sign showing support for the Lifelong Learning Centre. (Nicole Garn/980 CJME)

Glenys Eberle was part of the crowd showing support for the program Thursday. She held a sign that read, “Life learning must go on! Our very survival depends on it!”

She said her husband taught with the program for 20 years. She talked about how it was a source of enrichment for her and so many others.

“We have to provide spaces where people can come, they can be and they can give and they can talk and they can learn,” said Eberle.

She fears for the future of education.

“I cannot survive unless I keep learning,” she said.

The cuts came as a shock to students, professors, donors and long-time staff.

Jennifer Bowes, the Saskatchewan NDP’s Advanced Education Critic, said the cuts to post-secondary education are devastating to all people of Saskatchewan, including seniors.

“A promise made should be a promise kept,” she said.

She was referring to the multiple promises made by Minister of Advanced Education Gordon Wyant, who stated that cuts to post-secondary funding would not result in cuts to the programming.

Bowes says that promise was broken.

In a statement, Wyant said neither he nor the ministry have the authority to direct the universities on operational decisions.

Dr. Isabelle Dostaler, the provost and vice-president (academic) at the University of Regina, said the university feels for the students. The school understands their anger, but it was a difficult financial decision that had to be made.

She said there will be an opportunity for students to express their feelings and feedback about the program in the upcoming weeks.