The Roles of Canadian Universities in Heterogeneous Third-Age Learning - A Call for Transformation

Oct 15, 2026

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This article argues that Canadian universities, inside and outside their campuses, must expand their vision of third-age learners. Third-age learners are described as people seeking formalized education from the stage of life beginning at retirement, characterized as more numerous, active, financially stable, diverse, healthier, and better educated than in earlier periods. The paper contends universities can gain and offer more by deepening and broadening involvement, using multi-pronged collaboration and prioritizing the public good through community engagement rather than short-sighted financial concerns.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Résumé

Introduction

CSSHE SCÉES Canadian Journal of Higher Education Revue canadienne d’enseignement supérieur Volume 46, No. 1, 2016, pages 76-90 The Roles of Canadian Universities in Heterogeneous Third-Age Learning: A Call for Transformation Ginny Ratsoy Thompson Rivers University Abstract This article makes the case that Canadian universities—both within and beyond their campuses—must broaden their visions of third-age learners. Canadian third-age learners—defined for the purposes of this article as persons seeking formalized education who are in the stage of life beginning at retirement—are more numerous, active, financially stable, and diverse as well as healthier and better educated than at any other time in our history. It follows that Canadian universities have much to offer and gain by both deepening and broadening their involvement with these learners. I argue that universities must consider multi-pronged forms of collaboration and must be motivated, at all times, not by short-sighted financial concerns but by their core obligation to serve the public good by fostering community engagement. Résumé Cet article expose le bien-fondé, pour les universités canadiennes, tant sur leurs campus qu’à l’extérieur, d’élargir leur vision des apprenants du troisième âge. Au Canada, cette catégorie d’apprenants que l’on définit, pour les besoins del’article, comme des personnes à la recherche d’un programme de formation structuré ayant atteint l’étape de la retraite, renferme une population plus nombreuse, active, stable sur le plan financier, en meilleure santé, plus instruite et plus diversifiée qu’à toute autre époque de notre histoire. Par conséquent, les universitéscanadiennesauraientplusàoffriretàgagnersiellesapprofondissaientet élargissaientleur implication auprès de ces apprenants. Nous soutenons que les universités doivent envisager des formes de collaboration à volets multipleset se montrer motivées en tout temps, non par des préoccupations financièresimprévoyantes, mais par leur obligation première de bien servir le public en encourageant la participation de la collectivité. CJHE / RCES Volume 46, No. 1, 2016 Canadian Universities and Third-age Learning / G. Ratsoy 77 Introduction Various sectors of the Canadian university system seem to be envisioning universitycommunity relationships as integral to the 21st-century university. Judging by everything from community resource guides to strategic research plans, from public declarations by presidents to faculty associations’ conference themes, it would appear that Canadian universities are increasingly recognizing the benefits of eroding barriers between the “ivory tower” and the community surrounding it—whether to encourage the greater community to utilize campus resources, to provide meaningful research opportunities for students and faculty while addressing increasingly critical societal needs, or to address shared spatial needs and economic crunches. For example, as partofits community engagement strategy, the University of Guelph recently published a 95-page guide to campus services, including everything from community borrower privileges at its libraries and educational programs for children to “collaborations with local organizations, charities, businesses and residents”(University of Guelph, 2014) . Thompson Rivers University’s most recent strategic research plan is not atypical in devoting two of its six major objectives to such connections at the research level, espousing “linking of research to community . . . development” and“facilitat[ing] the development of partnerships with communities . . . for pursuing mutual objectives”(Thompson Rivers University, 2014, p. 2). In addition, both McGill University principal and vice-chancellor Suzanne Fortier and University of Toronto president Meric Gertler have recently affirmed their respective institutions’ commitment to forging stronger relationships with their cities. In the context of acquiring for McGill a

FAQs

How does the article define third-age learners in the Canadian context?

Third-age learners are defined as people seeking formalized education who are in the life stage beginning at retirement.

What main transformation does the article call for regarding Canadian universities?

Universities must broaden their vision of third-age learners and deepen or expand their involvement through multi-pronged collaboration.

Why does the article emphasize motivations beyond financial concerns?

It argues that universities should be motivated by their core obligation to serve the public good by fostering community engagement.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Muffet