Introduction

The University of the Third Age (U3A) comprises a set of lifelong learning programmes focusing on the education of persons in the post-productive age. The core mission of the U3A is to provide senior citizens with access to university resources, knowledge and skills. The U3A strives to enhance existing knowledge as well as introduce new information, fields of study and technologies which may otherwise remain inaccessible.

All U3A programmes are open to participants who have reached retirement age and successfully completed secondary education. Participants are required to pay an enrolment fee; the amount for a given academic year or semester is set by the vice-rector.

Applications for individual U3A courses are to be submitted by means of a special application form from May to June to the Masaryk University Rector’s Office at Žerotínovo nám. 9, Brno. Each year, the list of lectures is compiled and published by the end of April.

Instruction is carried out in the form of lectures, seminars and excursions. Individual lectures take two hours and are held once every two weeks from September to May; attendance is recorded in attendance sheets.

The University of the Third Age provides all participants with free access to a reading room and wheelchair-accessible computer room at the Faculty of Social Studies and a computer lab at the Faculty of Education. These facilities provide participants with both on- and off-site site library loans as well as internet services, TV, video, DVD and a comfortable environment. Access to U3A computer rooms is managed by means of a smart card system. An assistant is always present in each computer room, providing U3A participants with support as needed.

In order to complete the programme, participants are required to attend at least three quarters of all lectures, seminars and excursions.

U3A participants who meet these conditions thus become programme graduates and are issued a certificate signed by the Rector of Masaryk University.

Education is free of charge, the enrolment fee – set at CZK 700 for the 2011–2012 academic year – constitutes the sole expense.

Pursuant to Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions, U3A participants are not considered to be university students.