Oct. 5, 2022 marked the official celebration of the University of the Fraser Valley’s new status as an Age-Friendly University (AFU). Hosted at the Abbotsford campus Building K, Dr. Shelley Canning, associate professor in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program and the director of the Centre for Education and Research on Aging (CERA), shared her insights about the importance of this new designation at UFV, the process it took for the institution to receive this status, ageism, and how intergenerational learning is an important aspect of education.
Dublin City University created the AFU, and there are only eight other institutions in Canada who hold this designation. The purpose of an AFU is to create a welcoming atmosphere where more mature students can come to the institution and partake in obtaining a higher level of education; whether that be to upgrade, finish a program or start a new career. There are 10 principles of an Age-Friendly University, which were put together by Dublin City University in 2012. These principles are designed to help recognize and support the needs of more mature students who are interested in obtaining a higher education, conduct research to better understand what older students need, and “to promote intergenerational learning,” to name a few.
“[AFU] opens the doors to some opportunities and new ways to look at the role of the university in terms of the broader community,” said Canning on why this designation is important to UFV.
“Typically university students are the younger demographic. So we think of a university student being somewhere in their early 20s or late teens and that is absolutely true… but it’s not only for that demographic, and it has lots of power as an institution that can drive social change and change the lives of individuals who are outside of that younger adult group. It’s a place that has meaning for all ages,” Canning explained.
According to Canning, the process to successfully obtain the AFU status took upwards of a year and a half, as many steps were required to achieve this goal. She first heard about the AFU during an aging conference she attended and she thought it was something UFV would be interested in pursuing. This led to group discussions within CERA and their decision to pursue this initiative. During the same time, UFV Provost and Vice-President Academic Dr. James Mandigo had just completed the new Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion plan, and Canning said that becoming an age-friendly university connected well with the principles in the plan. CERA received some funding and worked with a “multi-disciplinary group” of students to help create an “age-friendly audit.” During this time, they took a close look at the student demographics, and research on ageism as well.
“Last summer, one of the psychology students worked with me, compiling all the data that we had, writing up a formal report that got sent to our senior admin Dr. Joanne MacLean and Dr. James Mandigo. And then they sent forward a letter to Dublin City University, and it’s that institution in Ireland that grants the designation.”
“[AFU] shines a light on what we are doing, but it also opens the doors to faculty and administration to consider ways that we could do more, “ Canning said regarding how this status is affecting the institution and the students.
“I think the whole ageism piece is built around this fear of losing function, losing ability, and we value so much this idea of independence. And for many people, as they age, of course, they end up depending on other people for some things and we’ve positioned that in our minds to be such a negative, frightening thing,” said Canning.
“I think that we are socialized to see youth and ability in a very positive light. And we counter that with a more negative understanding of old age and some of the inability that comes with aging,” added Canning, when asked what she hopes to see in the future concerning UFV and the AFU status.
As a researcher, Canning would like to see more research conducted on dementia that will give students a better understanding of aging and what it is like to live with the disease as well as remove any misconceptions of the illness. Canning also points out that aging affects everyone, and individuals should have a greater understanding of what the aging process is like regardless if they are in a kinesiology, nursing or social work program.
“I would love to see more broadly dispersed education. I would love to see older adults invited to campus because there’s [a campus event] that [this age-group] would love or be interested in. I would like to see our more mature students feel that they’re part of the university and that there’s support for them so that they’re able to share their strengths, but they’re also able to learn the types of things that maybe younger students could help them navigate a little more easily.”
Rachel is working towards a BA with a concentration in English and Theatre. She has been employed at The Cascade since Fall 2021 as a Staff Writer and a Jr. News Editor. Currently, she is the sectional News Editor and enjoys meeting and interviewing people as well as taking long walks in nature. Rachel also likes to stay up to date on the latest trends and informs students through her fashion column entitled Campus Fashion.
