Lasell College (MA, USA) joins Age-Friendly University
Since its inception, the Fuss Center has advocated for the value of intergenerational exchange and the critical need for institutions of higher education to further aging education and enhance educational opportunities for an increasingly older and age diverse population.
In September 2015, the Fuss Center was pleased to announce that Lasell College, home to Lasell Village, was the first Massachusetts college to join the Age-Friendly University Initiative. Lasell College has strengthened its commitment to intergenerational exchange and lifelong learning by joining this international effort led by leaders at Dublin City University to highlight the role higher education can play in responding to the challenges and opportunities associated with an aging population. Launched in 2012 by Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Dublin City University (DCU) President Brian MacCraith, the initiative involves several colleges and universities internationally including Arizona State University and Strathclyde University in Scotland.
Communities local and globally are responding to the call for more age-friendly living environments that better reflect our contemporary aging population. A critical component that has been missing in these efforts is the involvement of higher education. By joining the initiative, the Fuss Center, Lasell College and Lasell Village can raise awareness and educate the undergraduate population about aging issues and build curriculum to support an increasing age-diverse population. The principles also provide a guiding framework to broaden opportunities for older learners to access higher education in their pursuit of life-long learning.
The AFU Principles reflect efforts that are in motion or percolating at other institutions in Massachusetts, and it is hoped that Lasell's endorsement of the Age-Friendly University (AFU) Principles will serve as a catalyst for other institutions to reflect on how they can be more age-friendly.
The President of DCU, the world's first Age-Friendly University, Professor Brian MacCraith said of Lasell's announcement:
"I am delighted to welcome Lasell College to the family of Age-Friendly Universities around the world. It is highly significant that Lasell is the first university in the state of Massachusetts to join this important global movement. We look forward to welcoming colleagues from the renowned Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergenerational Studies to the first global conference for Age-Friendly Universities in Dublin in November."