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Symposium

Academy for Gerontology in Higher Education

Age-Inclusive Strategies to Enhance Learning and Workplace Environments in U.S. Higher Education

Thursday, November 9, 2023
12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
Location: Room 307

This symposium reports on recent research to develop informed strategies to expand age-friendly campus practices related to institutional functions our previous study identified as areas of high-need and broad-impact within an age-friendly campus environment: Teaching and Learning, Personnel, and Student Affairs. The current research aimed to identify barriers and opportunities for age inclusivity as experienced by older campus members (faculty, staff, and students); identify challenges and strategies for implementing age-friendly campus practices; and recommend practical strategies to expand and enhance age-friendly practices. To this end, we drew on data collected from several sources: open-ended responses to the Age-Friendly Inventory and Campus Climate Survey (ICCS) administered to a sample of 23 U.S. members of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) network; responses from 16 focus groups of faculty, administrators/staff, and students; and 18 experts on a nationally selected Delphi panel of experts in higher education. Based on the focus group data, we generated over 50 strategy recommendations within the academic functions that were then evaluated by the Delphi panelists to assess their efficacy, feasibility, likelihood of implementation, and perceived impact. Silverstein will provide an overview of the research objectives, Bowen will discuss what the open-ended responses revealed about perceptions of campus age-inclusivity, Lin and Xu will describe the study samples, Whitbourne will describe the results of the focus group analyses, and Montepare will discuss the final set of recommendations based on the Delphi panel analyses. Berg-Weger will serve as Discussant.

Learning Objectives:

  • describe age-inclusive strategies for higher education in the areas of teaching and learning, student affairs, and human resources.
  • identify which strategies, according to experts in higher education, could have the greatest impact to increase age inclusivity on their campuses.

Presentations:

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
    Identifying Challenges for Age-Inclusive Higher Education: Survey Responses by Faculty, Staff, and Students

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Lauren M. Bowen, PhD (she/her/hers) – University of Massachusetts Boston

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
    Study Methodology and Sample Selection to Develop Age-Inclusive Strategies

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Yan Lin, PhD, FGSA (she/her/hers) – University of Massachusetts Boston

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
    Meeting the Challenge of Age-Inclusive Education: Focus Group Perspectives

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Susan Krauss Whitbourne, PHD, FGSA (she/her/hers) – University of Massachusetts Boston

  • 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM ET
    Identifying Age-Friendly Campus Strategies Using a Delphi Panel Methodology

    Individual Symposium Abstract First Author: Joann M. Montepare, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE (she/her/hers) – Lasell University