The Graying of Academia: A Study of Aging Faculty at One University

Fuente: ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Don Finn
Format: Recurso educativo Open Access
Language:en
Published: 2025
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author Don Finn
author_facet Don Finn
Don Finn
collection Education Resources Information Center
contents The Graying of Academia: A Study of Aging Faculty at One University Don Finn College Faculty Aging (Individuals) Experienced Teachers Teacher Attitudes Older Adults Academic Libraries Tenure Universities Grounded in servant leadership principles, neurocognitive research, and qualitative insights from senior faculty at one university, this study examined how late-career academics sustain meaningful contributions while navigating the personal, professional, and institutional dimensions of aging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 faculty members representing six academic schools and the university library. Data was analyzed using a pragmatic adaptation of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Three themes emerged: the centrality of decanal relationships, commitment to institutional mission, and mentorship as a vehicle for legacy. Findings suggest that flexible, individualized arrangements, particularly those shaped by supportive decanal leadership, enable senior faculty to sustain cognitive engagement and scholarly productivity consistent with servant leadership and neurocognitive principles. [For the full proceedings, see ED680798.]
format Recurso educativo Open Access
id eric_ED680808
institution ERIC Institute of Education Sciences
language en
publishDate 2025
record_format eric
spellingShingle The Graying of Academia: A Study of Aging Faculty at One University
Don Finn
College Faculty
Aging (Individuals)
Experienced Teachers
Teacher Attitudes
Older Adults
Academic Libraries
Tenure
Universities
The Graying of Academia: A Study of Aging Faculty at One University Don Finn College Faculty Aging (Individuals) Experienced Teachers Teacher Attitudes Older Adults Academic Libraries Tenure Universities Grounded in servant leadership principles, neurocognitive research, and qualitative insights from senior faculty at one university, this study examined how late-career academics sustain meaningful contributions while navigating the personal, professional, and institutional dimensions of aging. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 faculty members representing six academic schools and the university library. Data was analyzed using a pragmatic adaptation of Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Three themes emerged: the centrality of decanal relationships, commitment to institutional mission, and mentorship as a vehicle for legacy. Findings suggest that flexible, individualized arrangements, particularly those shaped by supportive decanal leadership, enable senior faculty to sustain cognitive engagement and scholarly productivity consistent with servant leadership and neurocognitive principles. [For the full proceedings, see ED680798.]
title The Graying of Academia: A Study of Aging Faculty at One University
topic College Faculty
Aging (Individuals)
Experienced Teachers
Teacher Attitudes
Older Adults
Academic Libraries
Tenure
Universities
url https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED680808