Wichita State designated Age-Friendly University for focus on range of learning opportunities
April 6, 2022
By WSU Strategic Communications
Contact for News Reporters: Lainie Mazzullo-Hart, director of news and media relations, 316-978-3409 or lainie.mazzullo@wichita.edu.
Wichita State University has joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network (AFU), a growing group of more than 90 higher-education institutions around the world that
have committed to meeting the personal, educational and career needs of adults of
all ages and to creating age-inclusive environments on their campuses.
WSU is the first institution in Kansas to become a member of AFU. Membership in AFU demonstrates WSU’s commitment to provide a full range of learning opportunities that include adults at all ages
and stages in life, as well as to generate knowledge and innovations that address
the second half of the lifespan through research.
"Age diversity and inclusion fit with Wichita State University's main priority of
providing accessible education for everyone in our community at all stages of the
lifespan and life course,” Wichita State President Rick Muma said. “As the only urban
public research university in Kansas, we view WSU’s designation as an Age-Friendly
University as a signal to all our communities that we are committed to welcoming and
responding to their changing interests and needs throughout the lifespan."
Age-friendly campuses have grown in importance as the lifespan has lengthened. The
proportion of adults age 55 and older is about a third of the US population, and the
number of people in this age group is projected to increase for many years to come.
Twenty-eight percent of the population in Kansas, 27 percent of the Wichita population,
and 25 percent of the population in the Fairmount neighborhood surrounding Wichita
State are 55 or older.
This is a large and diverse group of adults who have different life choices and needs
than previous generations. As an educational institution with community-wide reach,
WSU is uniquely positioned to provide opportunities for lifelong cognitive, social
and physical activity, all of which are the foundation for wellbeing.
WSU offers a broad range of opportunities and resources for older adults, as well
as for those who work with older adults. These include well-established programs of
community education and lifelong learning, availability of regular academic programs
to adults at all ages, career training and upskilling programs through WSU Tech, and
academic programs that focus on training students to provide services to older adults.
As part of its research commitment, WSU supports the Regional Institute on Aging,
which provides internal research funding for a range of projects that address the
needs of older adults. In addition, WSU offers many health-related services, and arts,
cultural and athletic events that are open to all members of the community, regardless
of age or student status.
As a member of AFU, Wichita State has an exciting opportunity to learn more about
emerging age-inclusive efforts on campuses around the world and to contribute to the
knowledge base of lifelong learning, engagement and well-being.
The AFU Global Network, led by Dublin City University, is supported in the United
States by the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education. The recognition is
part of an international effort endorsed by the AGHE to create more programs, policies,
and opportunities for an aging population.
Wichita State University serves as the Kansas urban-based research university, enrolling
more than 16,000 students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries.
Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation
driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in
the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM),
Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of
applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one
of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing
over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
