As Boston University undergraduate students returned to their classes this semester, some found themselves sitting amongst much older — often outspoken — classmates.
Sitting alongside individuals enrolled in the Evergreen program, which allows people 58 years and older to sit in and audit classes for a small fee, some students said the senior citizens are intrusive, often diverting the focus of the class to disruptive tangents that ruin the flow of the class.
“They are more of a distraction in class and tend to bring up irrelevant stuff,” said College of Arts and Sciences junior Alice Chin, who took a Chinese history course with several Evergreen students before deciding to drop the class. “[It] didn’t seem like they were there to learn, just to sit in for something interesting. But they already know stuff about [the subject], and they often correct the professor.”
An Evergreen program coordinator said the program, offered through Metropolitan College’s Lifelong Learning department, gives suggestions to Evergreen members about the appropriate way to participate in their classes.
“We always let them know that the priority should go to the students who are paying the full tuition,” said Lifelong Learning Senior Staff Assistant Neil Coletta.
Despite these suggestions, some BU students said Evergreen participants continue to impede the learning process.
The high amount of Evergreen student class participation varies depending on instructors’ preferences, Coletta said.
“There are certain professors who are happy to let Evergreen students participate more,” she said.
Some program participants also have medical conditions that students said directly impeded with the learning process in class.
“One woman had a tracheotomy that kept hissing and disrupted my lecture,” said CAS sophomore Alex Sternig. “I was slightly annoyed.”
Students said the program’s participant guidelines should be updated to emphasize the enrolled students’ learning process and minimize potential distractions.
Chin said everyone, including Evergreens, should contribute to the learning environment, not detract.
Evergreen participants pay $50 per class on a space-available basis. There are no specified limits on the number of classes they can take each semester. No educational credentials or professional affiliations are required to join the program either, Coletta said.
Students may encounter Evergreen program participants in their classes, but the participants have different expectations than regular BU students, Coletta said.
“As an auditor, all they’re required to do is attend the lecture,” she said. “They don’t even have to buy the books if they don’t want to spend the money.”
Some undergraduate students expressed a different view, saying the Evergreen students’ insights add to the learning experience.
“They brought forth a point of view that was really unique,” College of Communication junior Garytt Poirier said. “[They] lived in the social environment during when these movies [we studied] were made.”
COM junior Megan Ryan agreed with Poirier, saying she holds the Evergreen participants in high regard.
“They’re inquisitive,” she said. “I have a lot of respect for them.”