Perceptions of age inclusivity in higher education by students, faculty, and staff: Broadening the view of diversity, equity, and inclusion

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in higher education seldom incorporate age-inclusive values, practices, and policies in intentional ways into ongoing programs. However, the need to advance age inclusivity across our colleges and universities has become a pressing issue for many reasons which call for extending DEI efforts. An important empirical step in this direction is identifying what students, faculty, and staff perceive about age inclusivity on their campuses. To this end, the present study conducted a qualitative analysis of responses to an open-ended question about age inclusivity by a national sample of 412 students, faculty, and staff. Four key themes emerged from their responses: 1) age inclusivity in higher education is a valuable initiative (40% of responses); 2) age inclusivity only works if enacted appropriately/thoughtfully (12%); 3) age inclusivity should not be a focus in higher education (26%); and 4) age inclusivity is an unfamiliar concept (12%). Other comments reinforced the existence of ageism on campuses. Findings from this study can help to inform why and how age-inclusive efforts can be better integrated into ongoing DEI campus efforts.