Older Adult Learners: An Opportunity for Universities

Abstract

In many developed countries the proportion of the population that is in the ‘normal’ age range for attending university is declining; at the same time, there is an ever-increasing proportion of the population falling into the ‘older adult’ category. The recently developed concept of ‘community-university engagement’ allows higher education institutions (HEIs) to address both of these issues together; they can do this by engaging older adult learners and creating a community of learners that exposes older adults to a range of university resources and opportunities, including participating in educational programmes, engaging in research, working on collaborative outreach activities, and engaging in intergenerational learning. In some cases, HEIs may actually encourage older adults to live on campuses. Such community-university engagement activities can add vibrancy and public support for the higher education institutions, while at the same time benefiting older adults and thereby contributing to the social good.