First Annual Going Back to College Day

The USC Half Century Trojans held their first annual Going Back to College Day. The event began with check-in at the newly remodeled Widney Alumni House and included a lunch with various presentations, a tour of Doheny Memorial Library, an afternoon of lectures by USC faculty, a dinner, and attendance at a USC men's basketball game at the Galen Center. See selected pictures of the day's events. SAVE THE DATE: A second "Going Back to College" day has been scheduled for February 4, 2010.

Purpose of the USC Emeriti Center College

The Emeriti Center College, a division of the USC Emeriti Center, was established in 1990. It aims to identify and to advance the continuing intellectual interests of retirees. It seeks to facilitate the service of scholars to society, to help disseminate their accumulated knowledge and wisdom in lectures, short courses and occasional publications both collegially and for the benefit of the general public.

The College's ultimate goal is to provide means by which mature persons may keep their minds vigorous, their interests expanding and deepening and their skills sharp.

Principal Activities of the Emeriti Center College

Community Involvement

USC Speakers Bureau
Provide Presenters for Community Organizations
Albert and Elaine Borchard Lecture Series
Noboru Inamoto Lecture Series
Public Participation Lecture Series

Mentor Students and Faculty

Mentoring in collaboration with the USC Mentoring Programs.
Teaching of freshman seminars and advanced academic courses.

Funded Research

Grants to Emeriti scholars for continued empirical or archival research.
Undergraduate internships to assist Emeriti scholars in research projects.

Enrichment Classes

Short courses that are the result of retirees' learning interests and teachers' interest in teaching. The subject matter will have no borders and will range from practical to intellectual. Each course will have its own length of time and number of sessions as needed by the instructor to cover the desired material.
Special courses will also be developed for USC faculty and staff who are interested in knowing more about retirement and preparing for retirement. These courses will utilize the resources of the university, the USC Emeriti Center, and professionals who specialize in retirement issues.

Special Initiatives

Colloquia, Book Clubs, and Theater Groups
Opportunities are provided for retired faculty and staff to meet colleagues who are working in important new fields and to participate in book clubs, theater groups, and other group intellectual activities.
Talking Together
An available program that is provided to businesses and focus groups where a well-versed retiree or faculty person will lead a discussion on the subject or topic designated by the sponsoring group.
Performance and Exhibiting
Provide opportunities for the USC retirees to exhibit their artistic and/or scholarly work as well as facilitate the opportunity to perform at least once a year.
Just Us
Provide opportunities for USC retirees to gather to visit and talk about issues of concern.

Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation
Research Grants Available

Grants of up to $2,000 are available through the Emeriti Center College from the Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation to assist retired USC faculty with expenses for research and publication. One grant will be awarded during the current academic year. For more details and an application form (in PDF), click here.

Emeriti Center College Oversight Group (ECCOG)

Robert Biller
Janette Brown
Carole Gustin
Guilbert Hentschke
Robert Scales
Jerome Walker

Contact Us

Emeriti Center College
University of Southern California
3715 McClintock Avenue, Room 221
University Park
Los Angeles, CA 90089-0191
(213) 740-8841
(213) 740-7120 (FAX)

Jerome B. Walker
Director
jbwalker@usc.edu

Judy Diaz
Judith C. Diaz
Assistant Director
judydiaz@usc.edu