DeKALB | There are classes with no prerequisites, no homework and no exams. The catch is, they are meant for 50-somethings and retirees; traditional students can keep dreaming.

With their motto, “learning for the fun of it,” the Lifelong Learning Institute sponsors classes at NIU that range from photography to discussions in cancer research. The classes take place in the Holmes Student Center, rooms 505 and 506, and prospective members have to be at least 50-years old to join.

“Their learning structure is informal and flexible,” said Anne Petty Johnson, the primary administrator for the LLI. “The retired folk that are in this organization are not ones that sit at home day in and day out; they are not required to attend the classes they sign up for.”

Petty Johnson said the members teach and determine the subject matter.

The program has “expanded her horizons on life,” said Sharon Tourville, chair of the steering committee for LLI.

“I absolutely love it,” Tourville said. “The make-up of these classes are stimulating people. Every semester, they come up with so many new areas. It’s just fascinating.”

Previous speakers have included NIU alumni, one of which currently works for the Secret Service and another works with the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms.

Tourville said the steering committee plans the curriculum and visits potential sites around northern Illinois and Chicago. Petty Johnson said this semester they will visit several sites they’ve dubbed “Gems of Chicago,” which will include a trip to the Mitchell Museum of the American Indian High Temple, a Baha’i Temple and the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art.

“Those are different types of formats in which they do their learning,” Petty Johnson said.

Traditional students who may feel left out of the experience can participate in lunch-time notables, which feature NIU professors who showcase their findings and research. They are offered every semester and usually take place from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m, said Mark Pietrowski, a coordinator for the program and for the college of liberal arts and sciences external programming.

“Notables allow the community and anybody that’s interested to hear about what our faculty is doing at NIU,” Pietrowski said. “That’s celebrating the fine work that our faculty is doing at the university, so we want to make sure the whole community has access to it.”