The Academy of Lifelong Learning

“I am a little Type A and I like to be busy all the time,” said Arlene Bookbinder, a retiree who fills her days taking a broad range of classes in her hometown community of Short Hills, NJ, and remotely via Zoom through NYU SPS. While she had taken classes in person at NYU, the pandemic has made it necessary to pursue her academic interests through remote study. She is a big fan of lifetime learning and has used the time in lockdown to increase her knowledge in the areas that matter most to her.

“People would be happier if they learned to expand their horizons,” said the 72-year-old grandmother who worked in the financial services sector before retiring from JPMorgan after more than 17 years. “They would be much happier if they pursued something every day that is important to them.”

What is important for Bookbinder are the art history classes she has taken at NYU SPS.  Although the pandemic has limited the in-person classroom experience, Bookbinder is enjoying her remote class on Velazquez, Rembrandt, Vermeer: The Golden Age of Painting, taught by Filip Noterdaeme, whom she describes as an “amazing” professor. She also plans to take Noterdaeme’s Pivotal Early Works by Great Artists class this coming fall. “He absolutely loves his subject,” she said. “He has made each class wonderful and easy to follow online through Zoom. We are able to interact with him and with our classmates in an environment that is very intellectually stimulating and safe”

For nearly 15 years, Laura Weinstein, a retired museum educator, has taken a variety of courses at NYU SPS—mostly in-person classes at the School’s Midtown location. “It is important to continue to grow intelligently and keep you mind stimulated and strong, and the NYU SPS courses have helped do just that for my friends and I,” said Weinstein.

Prior to retiring, Weinstein held positions at a number of New York City museums, including the American Museum of Natural History, The Jewish Museum, the Museum of Arts and Design, and the Museum of the City of New York, where she continues to volunteer at as a tour guide several days a week.

“Over the years, I have taken many courses related to New York City, including on the City’s architecture, multiple courses with Professor Francis Morrone, an adjunct instructor and NYC historian, and, this summer, I will be taking a Travel with Film course with Leonard Cortana, an adjunct instructor,” Weinstein said. “These courses have really helped me to learn a host of little-known facts about the City, which I have been able to share with tourists in my role as a volunteer at the Museum of the City of New York.”

“I have taken courses at other academic institutions, but those classes are not of the same quality as the NYU SPS classes,” said Weinstein. “I feel that one of the most important factors in choosing courses is the instructor, including their level of expertise and engagement with the class. And, NYU SPS offers just that.”

In addition, Weinstein has built relationships taking these courses that have extended well beyond the classroom and enhanced her overall experience. “I have made lifelong friends with a group of ladies who regularly take the NYU SPS courses. In a recent semester, we have participated in activities, such as lunches and trips, outside of the classroom,” she noted.

While she has enjoyed the in-person interaction with the instructor and other students in her previous classes, like others, Weinstein needed to recently transition to remote learning for the 2020 Spring semester due the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Weinstein, “This spring was my first online/remote class, and it was a good experience. The content was of the same high-quality that you would expect from an NYU SPS in-person experience, and I would definitely recommend these Zoom-based courses to anyone who is interested in lifelong learning.”

“In today’s ever-changing world, it is important for me to be current on global and national issues, and the expert opinions delivered in the NYU SPS Center for Global Affairs courses are ideal for staying well-informed on today’s hot topics,” asserted Gregory Rasin, a partner with Proskauer, a leading international law firm.

Since 2019, Rasin has taken a variety of NYU SPS courses, including classes on world and US politics, foreign and regional affairs, and mid-eastern and far-eastern history. “The NYU SPS courses are energizing, and I am looking forward to taking additional courses in the coming semesters, especially as our country approaches the fall presidential election,” said Rasin. “I have taken several courses taught by Judith and Mark Siegel, who worked for the US State Department and political parties respectively, and they provide expert perspective on real-time political issues and current affairs that makes their courses very dynamic and engaging,” he added.

“As I begin to transition from my career at Proskauer, where I have been for 15 years, the NYU SPS courses are keeping me well-informed on the current issues that are of the most interest to me,” he concluded.