Gerry Eggert, an 84-year-old student at the University of the Fraser Valley (UFV) in British Columbia, is part of a growing movement to make higher education more accessible and welcoming to older adults. Eggert, who after a career in the navy and business decided to return to university, enrolled at UFV in 2022, coinciding with the institution joining the Age-Friendly University (AFU) Global Network.
The AFU, established in Dublin in 2012, seeks to promote inclusivity for older learners through curriculum development, research opportunities, wellness programs, and intergenerational engagement. The network is guided by 10 principles designed to address barriers older adults often face in academia, such as technological challenges and limited access to campus resources. The initiative aligns with the World Health Organization’s Age-Friendly Cities framework and currently includes more than 140 institutions worldwide.
Dr. Michelle Porter, director of the University of Manitoba’s Centre on Aging, emphasizes that ageism persists both outside and inside universities, limiting older adults’ access and affecting their confidence as learners. The University of Manitoba was the first Canadian university to join the AFU network in 2016.
Eggert initially worried about standing out among younger classmates and potentially hindering professors but soon found his experience valued across courses. His contributions spanned discussions on historical events in sociology and labor unions in business classes. Now a co-chair of UFV’s age-friendly university steering committee, alongside Dr. Shelley Canning—a nursing professor and director of the university’s Centre for Education and Research on Aging—Eggert contributes to initiatives aimed at fostering a campus culture welcoming to older adults.
UFV recently hosted its annual event marking the International Day of Older Persons, drawing around 100 older attendees to engage with the university community. To assess its own progress, a group of senior undergraduate students evaluated campus programs and physical accessibility in relation to the AFU principles. Canning acknowledges ongoing challenges, citing “gentle ageism” and systemic biases that sometimes underestimate older adults’ desire and ability to participate fully in campus life.
Eggert notes technological proficiency as a particular hurdle for many older learners, which smaller universities like UFV are better equipped to address due to lower student-to-teacher ratios.
The presence of older learners on campus also enriches the experience for younger students. For example, UFV’s free “trishaw” program pairs physical education students with older adults for rides along a nature trail, fostering meaningful intergenerational interactions. Kinesiology student Reed Plowright-Wills, 33, credits his involvement with the program for broadening his perspective on working with older populations, an important shift given Canada’s aging demographic. The Canadian Institute for Health Information projects the country’s senior population to increase by 68 percent over the next two decades, underscoring the need for age-related education and training.
At 84 and a quarter years old, Eggert remains actively engaged both on campus and in the community, serving on advisory boards focused on seniors’ issues. He says his journey illustrates that aging should not limit participation or vitality. “You don’t have to fear old age, you don’t have to lock yourself in an old age home,” he said. “You’ve got to keep fighting, keep stimulated.”