There is a surprisingly large number of US universities which have become involved with the development of retirement villages on or near to their campuses.

Whilst in some cases there is no meaningful connection to the university, other institutions have established retirement communities for alumni which involve close engagement, support and access to university services and facilities as well as learning opportunities. And golf courses, especially golf courses. This list from the US gives an indication of the range of institutions involved and some of the reasons for the popularity of the approach.

Many people today are looking for more meaning and value in retirement. College-linked retirement communities offer a return to a stimulating environment they enjoyed decades earlier. Residents audit classes and may even teach. They may also attend various cultural and sporting events on campus.
The motivation for seniors returning to campus is qualitatively different from those who choose traditional retirement communities. They hunger for something more than warm weather and a condo on the fifth green. It is fundamentally about personal growth, stimulation, the development of a more meaningful life, and a supportive intellectual and cultural climate to make it happen. They want to continue to learn and enrich themselves.

OK, maybe there is a bit more to it than just golf.

There really are quite a few of these. This one above, Cascade Manor, is a retirement community located in Eugene next to the campus of the University of Oregon.

The world’s coolest dorm

A few years ago this story in Inside Higher Ed covered plans at Arizona State University to build a new retirement village on campus (ASU Mirabella) where the aim was very much to see the residents as part of the campus community:

New housing under construction at Arizona State University isn’t slated to be completed until 2020, but the university president has nonetheless dubbed it “the world’s coolest dorm,” and future residents have already secured their spots.
The residents won’t be typical college students, however — they’ll be people in their 60s, 70s and up. The housing complex on the university’s Tempe campus will be a retirement community with a twist — the residents will be able to take classes, make use of campus facilities such as the library with university-issued ID cards and immerse themselves in university life as much, or as little, as they like. They’ll also be encouraged to mentor and build relationships with younger students.
“There’s no reason everyone can’t be a college student and engaged in what this community has to offer for the entirety of their lives,” ASU president Michael Crow said at a groundbreaking ceremony for the complex, called ASU Mirabella, in February 2018. “We’re excited that we’ll have on our campus several hundred new learners, new teachers and new experts,” he said.

Well, Mirabella is now built, up and running and at least partly occupied by retirees. It’s not clear that it is the coolest dorm there is but there are certainly plenty of interesting features. There will be more to be added to that list soon too I am sure.

Non-stop fun

Already well established in a similar vein is College Square at the University of Central Arkansas where you can be as retired as you want to be:

College Square is prominently featured on the corner of the University of Central Arkansas. We’re the only retirement community physically on a state college campus in the USA! We’re trailblazers! With College Square’s location on campus, you will receive special UCA privileges and have endless opportunities for personal growth and experiences. You can audit a class, attend sporting events or enjoy the latest production in Reynolds Performance Hall.

It certainly looks like non-stop fun at College Square.

Not only in the US

Meanwhile in South Korea, the Korea JoongAng Daily reports on the development plans at a pair of universities looking to the retirement home market to offset a forecast decline in student numbers:

Tongmyong University and Chosun University signed a memorandum of understanding to create a retirement community on their campuses in March. 

A retirement community will be built near the main gate of Tongmyong University in Nam District, Busan, with around 600 residences. Chosun University’s community will have around 700 residences and will be built near the Chosun University Hospital in Dong District, Gwangju.

Older people will pay to stay at the on-campus retirement communities, while the university will offer various classes and health care support. There will also be programs for older people and university students to come together.

The universities plan to tap into the retirement home business while the student population declines.

It really is an interesting approach and there does not appear to be anything like it in the UK. Yet. But given the need for universities to find new ways to generate income and the opportunities offered by recruiting an older generation of students it is surely just a matter of time before a UK HEI opens its own Mirabella or College Square.

(A version of this piece originally appeared on Wonkhe back in 2019.)