There currently is a significant movement across the country for the development of college/university linked retirement communities on or near a college or university campus. The motivations of seniors returning to campus is qualitatively different from those who choose traditional retirement communities It is obvious that there is a hunger for something more than warm weather and a condo on the 5th green. This hunger is manifested in a quest for meaning, learning, service and value in retirement.

It is not simply a matter of building a college/university linked retirement community (a collegiate retirement community) on or near a campus and expect everything to take care of itself. The academic community must look at the broader issues and develop an enabling culture, which will sustain and nurture older adults on campus.

Low Expectations in Retirement

Our society has low expectations of people in retirement. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" is a serious question posed to a child. We have institutions that provide a young person with the necessary education and training to take his or her rightful place in the work-a-day world. In contrast, if one asks, "What do you want to be when you are old?" the response is Silence - Silence because very little exists in the way of institutional traditions to create valued or meaningful roles in retirement.

Era of Mass Longevity

We live in an era of mass longevity. There are approximately 35 million people over 65 today, and in the year 2030, there will be approximately 80 million. We as a nation cannot afford to throw away these enormous resources, skills, and energies. It is clear that something must be done to address this tragic waste of human potential.

Colleges and Universities as Agents of Change

Colleges and universities have traditionally served as agents of social change. Institutions of higher learning have a responsibility to seek solutions to what is perhaps one of the most significant social challenges of the 21st century. There are a number of ways that colleges and universities can serve in a leadership role by laying a foundation for attitudinal changes and the creation of new models for retirement. It should he clearly stated that this is not about the study of the aging process nor the study and treatment of age-related diseases. What is suggested is fundamentally about the personal growth of older adults and a supportive intellectual and cultural ambiance that relates to the development of new and more valued roles in retirement.

New Models for Retirement

Models based on an enabling culture will call for:

Where learning never stops.
This model addresses all types of learning whether it is pursuit of a formal degree, the pursuit of an interest or curiosity through special courses, or just the "rubbing of elbows" or immersion in the intellectual milieu of campus life. For this model to be viable, the climate at colleges and universities must be more embracing of older adults that may wish to live and/or study on campus. However, the predominate view seems to be a very narrow one, i.e., the training of young people for a long career and not the training of an older person for a second career or for self-enhancement.

Where one is never totally disengaged from work or meaningful work substitutes.
This model is most relevant to those retirees such as retired faculty, staff or alumni who may be living near college or university communities. The model would enable such persons to have a continuous campus presence by giving occasional lectures, mentoring students or contributing their skills and talents through volunteer work to enrich the lives of people beyond campus as well as acquire new skills and talents to enrich their own lives.

Where cross generational interactions take place routinely.
Where better for the generations to interact with each other in various and sundry ways than on a college or university campus. The type of interactions envisioned here is informal, unstructured and natural. The context might be a classroom, athletic or cultural events. The negative stereotypes that each generation typically has of one another would certainly be lessened through such contacts. What is needed for this to occur is the presence of larger numbers of older adults as students and/or volunteers on campus.

Where Personal growth is a way of life.
Perhaps the greatest challenge for someone who is retired is to have a reason to get up in the morning. Because our society has such low expectations of people in retirement, they have difficulty finding new interests or worthwhile roles. If people have an opportunity to be immersed in the enabling culture of a college or university community, they will be socially and intellectually challenged and their personal growth will be on-going. To be sure, such an environment is not for everyone and not all will thrive in such a setting, but it is crucial that colleges and universities lay the foundation for these models to grow and evolve.

College/University Considerations

Aging is a universal phenomenon as it cuts across all racial and ethnic groups, gender orientation, abled and disabled, rich and poor. Despite its universality, older adults, with the exception of some faculty and staff, are demonstrably under-represented on campus. It is essential that the university develop a policy under the general umbrella of "diversity" that would foster the development of the above concepts and should be fully endorsed by the Office of the President.

An important ingredient in the development of an enabling culture on campus should involve a focal point for these efforts in terms of an "Office of Mature Students/Residents". It would be here that interested individuals might go to seek information, guidance and opportunities. Ideally, this office should be staffed largely by retired administrators, faculty, alumni and others from the larger community.

Develop programs and provide facilities that integrate these mature students/residents into all facets of the college/university. The presence of a retirement community on or near campus would provide the initial critical mass of seniors for the creation of more meaningful and valued roles in retirement.

Leon A. Pastalan, Ph.D., Director
National Center On Housing and Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The University of Michigan

Frank Macknick, Principal / Marketing
National Center On Housing and Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The University of Michigan

Tien-Chien Tsao, Ph.D., Principal
National Center On Housing and Living Arrangements for Older Adults
Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning
The University of Michigan