Blogging from A to Z April Challenge: U

Aging: The Good, the Bad, the Tolerable

U is for University Diversity

The Harvey A. Friedman Center for Aging at the Washington University in St. Louis has been looking at institutions across the country to see what they are doing to increase age inclusive campuses. It is so exciting to think institutes of higher learning working on diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) would add older folks to the mix.

I am aware that university DEI programs have been a hot political topic of late. (They are here in North Carolina). Ignoring this problem for the moment, my excitement centers around the fact that aging is considered in promoting “age-inclusive” campuses.

Megan Gerhardt, PhD, at the Miami University states that “higher education, like all industries, is currently experiencing a unique dynamic: we have five generations working and learning together on our campuses for the first time in history. Due to gains in longevity (both in terms of health and careers), many professionals are working longer. In higher education, this means not only are many of our faculties and staff continuing to work well past a traditional retirement age, we also have more older individuals returning to our institutions to continue their education.”  (Age Inclusivity in Higher Education, Newsletter of the Gerontological Society of America, Winter 24, p6).

DEI programs are challenging unflattering aging stereotypes and questioning labels of other groups, such as the Gen Z (snowflakes) and Gen Xers (slackers). What I appreciate with this effort is that aging is an equal among other generations. Can this push towards age inclusivity eventually recognize that all generations can contribute equally to the whole?

However, from what I have read, the barriers to include aging in DEI efforts are many: from lack of funding to disinterest and ageism. But the effort is expanding across many university campuses. I intend to monitor the progress and keep my fingers crossed.