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Innov Aging
Innov Aging
innovateage
Innovation in Aging
2399-5300 Oxford University Press US 

10.1093/geroni/igaa057.1808
igaa057.1808
Abstracts
Session 5090 (Symposium)
AcademicSubjects/SOC02600
Making the Case and Laying the Groundwork for Integrating Age-Friendly Practices Into a University Strategic Plan
Cannon Melissa  
Western Oregon University, Monmouth, Oregon, United States
2020 
16 12 2020 
16 12 2020 
4 Suppl 1 Program Abstracts from The GSA 2020 Annual Scientific Meeting “Turning 75: Why Age Matters”552 552
© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America.2020This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted reuse, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Abstract
A crucial first step in preparing to become an Age-Friendly University (AFU) is seeking endorsement from the campus community and leadership. This presentation describes the mapping of the AFU principles to the strategic plan and initiatives of Western Oregon University, leading to endorsement by its faculty senate, and highlights a study of the older community members’ use of the university, laying the groundwork for advancing age-friendliness on campus. Data were collected through surveys (N=46), interviews (N=9), and photovoice method (N=7) with older adults, and data were analyzed using SPSS, team coding, and intensive group discussion to develop categories and themes. Themes emerged related to how the college campus is used by older adults, the need to promote lifelong learning to the community, and the need to address accessibility issues in order to be more age-friendly, providing helpful insight to other institutions of higher education seeking to join the AFU network.