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ABSTRACT
There is no single path to becoming an Age-Friendly University (AFU). This paper shares the story of one regional, public university that became the first in its state to join the AFU global network. We discuss how early efforts at coalition building both within and outside the university facilitated the campus-wide endorsement of the AFU principles. We highlight several partnerships and programs that reflect the AFU principles and discuss how becoming an AFU helped to further strengthen university ties and is now providing a valuable framework for continued collaboration and coalition building. We share lessons from our efforts, including the challenges and benefits of being the first AFU in our state as we forge a path forward. We conclude with our plans for ensuring the growth of age-friendly practices and policies at our university, and we hope that this paper will encourage you to do the same on your campus.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to acknowledge our colleagues and community partners who have supported our gerontology programs and our efforts to become the first in our state to join the AFU network. Thank you to our CCSU colleagues and administrators as well as Erica Michalowski from AARP CT, Donna Fedus from Borrow My Glasses, Maureen McIntyre from the North Central Area Agency on Aging, Dianne Stone from the Newington Senior and Disabled Center, Claudia Oakes from the University of Hartford, and our many AGHE colleagues.