Urban Action Institute

Preparing students to meet the challenges that face our urban environment

About Areas of Work Worcester State Teaching Garden Older Student Registration

Get to know the Urban Action Institute

The Urban Action Institute is the outreach and community action arm of Worcester State University’s Department of Urban Studies. The Institute collaborates with students, faculty, and community partners to address social, political, and economic injustices through field-based learning and advocacy for a more equitable city. The Institute aims to contribute to a world where the collaborative approach it embraces becomes mainstream.

Areas of work

The Urban Action Institute aims to enable students and community members of all ages and backgrounds to work for an equitable world. Work is conducted in different formats, including practica, events, speakers, and workshops. The Institute also oversees and manages the Worcester State Teaching Garden and Older Student Registration.

Social Justice

Working with community partners on initiatives that defend human rights and the struggle for equity across the greater Worcester area, including work on issues of racial and economic justice, LGBTQ rights, environmental justice, and diversity

Educational Collaboration

Partnering with students from across the education system to identify pathways to academic success in which they can build leadership and active citizenship skills through mentorship initiatives that emphasize inclusive communities, social justice, collective good, global citizenship, and intergenerational solidarity

Inclusion & Equity

Working with refugee and immigrant communities and Worcester community organizations and institutions to further efforts to be an inclusive and equitable place for immigrants and those who have been historically under-served or excluded

Collective Good

Expanding and protecting collective resources that are maintained by engaged urban residents for the benefit of communities

Intergenerational Solidarity

Bringing younger and older students and community members together on a range of social-change efforts while fostering personal and professional development

Global Citizenship

Forging connections between Worcester State students and the greater Worcester community to address global issues locally as well as abroad through advocacy, outreach, and transformative action

Older Student Registration

Massachusetts residents age 60 and older are entitled to free tuition courses on a space available basis at all public higher education institutions (by state law). The Urban Action Institute administers older student registration prior to fall and spring semesters. Eligible older students register directly with the Registrar’s Office for undergraduate courses and the Division of Graduate and Continuing Education for evening and graduate courses for winter and summer sessions.

If you are an older student, you:

Can register during Older Student Registration, which is usually held the Thursday before the start of classes

Must bring one of the following forms of identification: valid driver’s license, senior ID, or birth certificate and proof of residency

Are responsible for costs of books and materials

May select from day or evening, graduate or undergraduate courses if space is available

May matriculate (i.e., admitted as a degree candidate) and then register for courses with our traditional students

May choose to audit classes (class work only, no exams), but you must get an “audit only” form at registration
Visit WebAdvisor to view WSU’s online database of classes.

On the bottom of the next screen, under registration, click on Search for Sections (at the bottom of the screen).

On the next screen, select from dropdown menus:

Term

Search – Day or Evening, Continuing Education, or Graduate

Search – Open or Closed

Academic level – Select graduate or undergraduate

If you know the subject or general area of study in which you would like to take classes, you can select one of the choices under Subject or Section Type.

If you are interested in viewing all course offerings for the semester you selected, then leave the Subject and Section dropdown menus blank and scroll down to the bottom of the screen.

Now you are ready to click on submit.

A list of the courses you want to view will appear with additional details about each course.

If you want, you can click on the highlighted text to get more information about a course.

Repeat steps to search for additional classes for different times, different academic levels, or different subjects or section types.
Remember that these classes are only for viewing. You will need to wait until the next Older Student Registration date to register in person. Also some of these classes may be filled with traditional paying students before the next older student registration date, so think about a few courses you may like to take in case your first or second choice is unavailable.

Note: If you are a matriculated student, you may register for classes prior to the older student registration day.