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East Tennessee State University has joined an international network of schools dedicated to making education a lifelong experience.
This fall, ETSU earned the Age-Friendly University (AFU) designation from the Age-Friendly University Global Network (AFUGN), a prestigious consortium of more than 140 higher-education institutions committed to promoting positive and healthy aging, intergenerational learning and access to education across the lifespan.
“ETSU demonstrates what lifelong learning can look like,” said ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland. “From the Little Bucs early childhood program to the K-12 students at University School and from first-year students beginning their college journey to retirees pursuing new passions, ETSU is a place where learning happens at every stage of life.”
The AFU network provides a platform for universities to share best practices and innovative practices in teaching, research and community engagement.
“ETSU’s application for membership highlighted many of the ways that the university creates opportunities for students and community members of all ages to learn, serve and succeed,” said Dr. Keith Johnson, vice president for Student Success. “Online learning, professional development opportunities and free and accessible programming, such as the offerings at the ETSU Martin Center for the Arts, ensure that ETSU is a place for people of all ages.”
The application also emphasized ETSU’s research agenda and its impact on older adults. ETSU faculty, staff and students are studying everything from the biological and medical aspects of aging (such as Alzheimer’s disease, stroke and chronic illness) to social, cultural and policy issues that affect older adults’ health and quality of life.
“At ETSU, we recognize both the challenges and the opportunities that come with increased longevity,” said Dr. Jodi Southerland, assistant professor in the ETSU College of Public Health. “Our research reflects the university’s broader mission to enhance the well-being of our region’s residents, many of whom are older adults.”
Southerland, who co-chaired ETSU’s AFU committee with Johnson, is also serving on the Lifelong Tennessee Steering Committee, part of a multi-year initiative to ensure Tennesseans are well cared for and well supported as they age.
