Barriers to Age-Friendly Universities (AFU): Lessons from Osher Lifelong Learning Institute demographics and perceptions

ABSTRACT

The age-friendliness of universities and colleges is a growing area of research and practice. This study focuses on lifelong learning institutes at universities and colleges who provide courses and experiences for older adults but do not award academic or work-related credentials. The Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) network in the U.S. is used as an exemplary case of institutes that aim to increase the age-friendliness of their supporting institutions, whilst also aiming for greater diversity among their learners.

This study draws upon literature regarding OLLIs and Age-Friendly Universities (AFUs) and national demographic surveys of OLLI student members in 2014 and 2016 (n=  5,500). The study highlights the 2016 demographic characteristics of OLLI learners, notes changes since 2014, and makes comparisons to national trends. Furthermore, this study investigates the barriers to participation identified by older learners participating in OLLIs, considered in light of studies that have addressed such obstacles for underrepresented groups.

KEYWORDS:

• Older adults
• lifelong learning programs
• access to learning
• third age learning

Notes

1. A reviewer of this manuscript aptly pointed out that travel experiences offered by universities and colleges may have dual motives for learning and revenue-generation. While this is important to note, this study’s authors take the position that greater access to learning for older adults is the primary concern of this study, while not critiquing potential revenue-generation motives of institutions. These notions should be investigated in future research.

2. “To ensure that the university’s research agenda is informed by the needs of an ageing society and to promote public discourse on how higher education can better respond to the varied interests and needs of older adults” (Dublin City University, 2018).

3. These figures compare individuals that identified with a single racial or ethnic group, not multi-race identifying individuals.