Age-Friendly University environmental scan: Exploring “age-friendliness” with stakeholders at one regional comprehensive university

ABSTRACT

Internationally, universities are recognizing the importance of understanding and enhancing age as a component of diversity and inclusion efforts through the Age-Friendly University (AFU) initiative. Eastern Michigan University (EMU) joined the AFU Network in 2018 and has been conducting an environmental scan of supports, weaknesses, and opportunities for age inclusiveness since this time. This article describes a qualitative exploratory study undertaken as part of the Environmental Scan that aimed to understand the perspectives of university stakeholders on supports, barriers, and opportunties to age-friendliness. Twenty-eight participant stakeholders from divisions across the university campus were purposefully sampled to engage in in-depth interviews that were recorded and transcribed. Qualitative thematic findings generated through constant comparative method of analysis include: Experience Sharing, Need for Intentionality in Age-Friendly Efforts, and Existence of Age-Inclusivity Barriers and Opportunities for Change.

KEYWORDS:

• Age-Friendly University
• aging
• students
• education
• intergenerational

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank Arizona State University, Dublin City University, and Strathclyde University for innovating the global Age-Friendly University (AFU) Initiative, Christine O’Kelly for her passionate and tireless work in building the AFU Network, and Joann Montepare for her dedication in championing it through the Academy of Gerontology in Higher Education and the Gerontology Society of America. This project was designed with invaluable input from the Eastern Michigan University (EMU) Aging Studies Program Director, Dr. Cassandra Barragan, and the AFU Steering Committee with support from EMU’s Provost’s Office. Funding for this research was provided by the Emma Stevens Endowed Aging Research Award (Simon & Masinda) and the College of Health and Human Services Research Award (Zakrajsek).

Declaration of interest statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.