Students of the Third Age (AMERICAN COUNCIL ON EDUCATION/ORYX PRESS SERIES ON HIGHER EDUCATION)

As a result of extended lifespans, decreasing birth rates, and the aging of the baby boomers, one of the fastest-growing segments of the North American population is the older adult (55 years of age and older) which comprises a population of increasingly well-educated, affluent, and active individuals. This book addresses the ways in which higher education institutions are responding to the educational needs of this growing population. The focus of this book is on an emerging instructional mode: member-based Learning-in-Retirement (LIR) academies and institutions--a new organizational form that is significantly impacting on higher education institutions.