The University of the Third Age (U3A) is a voluntary community organization providing low-cost learning for older people. Each U3A is autonomous and caters for older persons who want to continue learning in a relaxed environment. There are no entry requirements for membership, no assessment of learning and no credentials. Activities are negotiated to meet the needs of the group; a course may be long or short, depending on the subject; groups may be of any size and teaching may be done by an individual or a team.
U3A policy is to engage as many members as possible (all volunteers) to lead classes, administer members’ registration s, finance, program organization, newsletters and publicity releases; to join committees; and to run an office. Low annual membership subscriptions (generally between $15 and $40) are sufficient to cover overheads.
There are U3As spread right across Victoria, and there is also a U3A on line for older people living in remote or isolated circumstances: www.u3aonline.org
For details of your local U3A group, contact U3A Network – Victoria Inc, Ground Floor, 341 Queen Street, Melbourne, telephone 9670 3659 or visit the website: www.vicnet.net.au/~u3avic
• U3A Groups are invited to send information and news about their groups to this column, which appears each month in Fifty-Plus News. Send to Around U3A, Fifty-Plus News, Suite 5, 288 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy 3065 or by email: editor@fiftyplusnews.com
