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Little is known about the impact of the end of mandatory retirement on professors over the long term. This follow-up study investigated the ten-year experience of professors who chose not to retire from a major research university after the elimination of the age 70 mandatory retirement in 1994. The initial interview study was conducted in 1998 (Dorfman, 2000, 2002). All surviving professors (n = 13; age 80-84) agreed to be reinterviewed in 2007. The study investigated major reasons for continuing to work or retire, professional and nonprofessional activities, perceptions of departmental and institutional atmosphere and student and faculty attitudes toward older faculty, and preparation and plans for retirement. Content analysis of the tape-recorded open-ended questions revealed that employed professors continued to work mainly because they enjoyed it. Retired professors retired mainly because of age or felt it was time to retire. Retired professors as well as their employed counterparts continued professional activities, primarily research. Both groups reported mixed reactions to the overall atmosphere in their departments and university as well as to student and faculty attitudes toward older faculty, with one-third of retirees reporting departmental or institutional pressures to retire. The major type of planning for retirement was financial.

This study examined outcomes for faculty and community partners of a gerontological curriculum enrichment effort at a midwestern state university. The study was supported by the John A. Hartford Foundation. Faculty from three academic centers around the state were involved in revising the foundation (core) curriculum. Community practitioners from hospitals, elder services agencies, nursing homes, and hospice--along with community elders--served on an advisory board. Quantitative and qualitative data were collected to assess outcomes of the project. Findings indicate that faculty strongly supported the goal of curriculum enrichment, would continue to incorporate aging content into their courses, felt that project resources were helpful, and that the project had strengthened the curriculum. Advisory board members said their work would be used to improve social work practice in aging, the project had resulted in tangible outcomes and products, and monthly meetings were applicable to their work. Implications of the findings are discussed. (Contains 2 tables.)

There is a national shortage of social workers who have the knowledge and skill competencies needed for practice with our rapidly growing older adult population. In the last decade, research has identified many reasons for the lack of interest in gerontological social work and steps that could be pursued within social work education to remedy the situation. The Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education (GeroRich) Program, funded through the John A. Hartford Foundation, engaged 67 social work programs throughout the United States in a process of curriculum change to increase the amount of gerontological content in the foundation social work curriculum. This study examined how the GeroRich program was instrumental in infusing gerontological content into the curriculum. Based on common outcome measures, the GeroRich program was found to be effective in (1) increasing the amount of gerontological content in the curriculum, (2) engaging faculty in the change process, and (3) exposing students to gerontological content. Relatively few variations were found among different program types or geographic settings. The model of curricular change implemented by the GeroRich program may be effective with other curriculum enrichment efforts. (Contains 2 tables.)

This study describes a multi-method approach to evaluating a gerontological social work curriculum enrichment initiative funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation. The project involved all required first year core courses in the BA and MSW curricula. Data were collected from students at three geographically dispersed academic centers of a School of Social Work at a major Midwestern state university. Evaluation instruments included quantitative pre-and post-tests to assess change in undergraduate and graduate students' gerontological attitudes, knowledge, and skills, qualitative and quantitative pre-and post-tests to evaluate an intergenerational service-learning option, and an open-ended question to assess the gerontological content students had been exposed to in required core courses. Results for all students showed strong positive change in general attitudes toward elders, gerontological knowledge, and gerontological skills. There was only marginal support, however, for increased willingness to work with elders. Results for service-learning students revealed positive reactions to the service-learning experience and a significant increase in gerontological knowledge. (Contains 3 tables.)

This article describes a gerontological enrichment model for institutionalizing and sustaining curricular change utilizing Rogers' (1995, 2003) diffusion of innovations approach to organizational change. The goal of the project, funded by the John A. Hartford Foundation, is to transform the social work curriculum at a major state university so that "age and intergenerational connections" are important organizing principles in the diversity emphasis of the program. Components of the model include: (1) increasing faculty competence; (2) infusing gerontological/ geriatric competencies into all foundation courses; (3) community partner involvement; (4) intergenerational service-learning; (5) developing field and practicum sites; and (6) evaluation. Implications for gerontological/geriatric education are discussed. (Contains 1 table.)

Service-learning evaluation rarely compares different cohorts of students, so it is difficult to determine whether the findings are reliable. This study compared attitudinal change in five successive cohorts of intergenerational service-learning students (n=59) enrolled in an introductory gerontology course at a major Midwestern university. Quantitative and qualitative data were used to investigate the attitudes of students. Results indicated that only Cohorts 1 and 2 showed significant positive change at posttest in overall attitude toward the elderly. Additionally, only Cohort 1 showed significant positive change at posttest in overall attitude toward working with elders and on an "I fear getting really old" item. Content analysis of open-ended questions indicated that Cohort 1 had the highest proportion of students with positive attitudes toward their own aging at the end of the service-learning. Possible explanations for these findings and implications for evaluation of intergenerational service-learning programs are discussed.

Service-learning evaluation rarely compares different cohorts of students, so it is difficult to determine whether the findings are reliable. This study compared attitudinal change in five successive cohorts of intergenerational service-learning students (n =59) enrolled in an introductory gerontology course at a major Midwestern university. Quantitative and qualitative data were used to investigate the attitudes of students. Results indicated that only Cohorts 1 and 2 showed significant positive change at posttest in overall attitude toward the elderly. Additionally, only Cohort 1 showed significant positive change at posttest in overall attitude toward working with elders and on an "I fear getting really old" item. Content analysis of open-ended questions indicated that Cohort 1 had the highest proportion of students with positive attitudes toward their own aging at the end of the service-learning. Possible explanations for these findings and implications for evaluation of intergenerational service-learning programs are discussed.

Survey responses from 17 of 18 employed and 54 of 65 retired college professors aged 70-74 showed that the employed were less likely to be married and have children/grandchildren and more strongly oriented to their professional role. Retirees wanted to pursue other interests or had workplace concerns. Both groups had high life satisfaction. (Contains 33 references.) (SK)

Interviews with 17 tenured university professors aged 70 74 showed that most continued to work because they enjoyed it or felt their work was important. Their institutional or departmental environment was positive and they felt little pressure to retire. Most had no plans to retire. (Contains 36 references.) (SK)

Interviews with 104 university professors just before and a year after retirement showed that health; rated importance of teaching, research, and consulting roles; and leisure activities related to satisfaction before and after retirement. The most consistent predictor of satisfaction before retirement was self-perceived health and after retirement, importance of creative work. (SK)

Oral history research has seldom focused on the reflections of rural older women. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify: (a) stresses associated with major historical events that affected the lives of rural older women, and (b) strategies they used to deal with those stresses. Oral histories were gathered from a cross-section of 25 older women living in a small rural Midwestern community and analyzed using the method of constant comparison (Glaser & Straus, 1967). Content analysis revealed that economic hardship, disruption of family life, and fears and uncertainties were stressors associated with the Great Depression and world wars of the 20th century. Resilience was demonstrated by frugality, reliance on social supports, and acceptance. Implications for intervention with rural older women are discussed. KEYWORDS life course, older women, rural aging, stress process DOI: 10.1080/08952840903285237

The Geriatric Enrichment in Social Work Education (GeroRich) initiative was a critical step in addressing the national shortage of social workers interested in gerontological practice. Sixty-seven social work programs participated in the 3-year GeroRich project designed to infuse gerontological content into the BSW and MSW curriculum. This study analyzed the lessons learned by participating institutions about the curriculum enrichment effort. Five themes emerged from the qualitative analysis of GeroRich final reports: (a) obtaining faculty buy-in and faculty development, (b) increasing student interest and engagement, (c) developing community partners, (d) developing interdisciplinary linkages, and (e) facilitating institutional commitment and sustainability. The findings from this study provide valuable information on the implementation of curricular enrichment efforts in gerontology that can benefit social work and other health care disciplines. KEYWORDS Gerontology, education, social workers, infusion, geriatric enrichment

This chapter first examines the impact of the rural environment on work and retirement by reviewing current socioeconomic conditions in rural areas, rural community infrastructure, and rural community change. It goes on to discuss the employment status and income of older rural workers, giving particular attention to gender and racial/ethnic differences in employment. Job training and job creation are also discussed. Next, the chapter turns to the retirement needs and retirement preparation of rural elders. It concludes with suggestions for gerontological social work practice in developing employment and retirement services and improving existing services and service delivery. KEYWORDS. Older workers, retirement, rural practice

The service-learning approach in education, which integrates community service with academic classroom learning, is gaining national prominence. The goals of this project were to incorporate intergenerational service-learning into an undergraduate introductory gerontology course and to involve students and elders in meaningful interactions in a rural community setting. Thirteen of the 50 students in the class could be accommodated at nursing home and semi-independent living sites and were paired with elders for friendly visiting and oral history. Attitude scales (Pillemer & Albright, 1996) indicated that service-learning students showed more positive change at post-test in overall attitudes toward the elderly than did non service-learning students. Open-ended questions indicated that students valued the experience, felt it enhanced classroom learning, and gained knowledge about rural elders and communities. Follow-up interviews with elders were uniformly positive. KEYWORDS. Gerontology education, intergenerational, nursing homes, rural elders, service-learning

The satisfaction of caregiving becomes more manifest and the strain caused to the caregiver more subdued when the spouses extend their support to the caring tasks. Satisfaction with life is expressed in the form of an enhanced ability to manage caring tasks. Wives who care for their chronically ill husbands risk physical, psychological and financial stress. The effects of this stress become insignificant with increasing satisfaction accruing from these tasks.

This study investigates (a) quantity and quality of intergenerational and sibling relationships in retired rural men and women and (b) personal background factors associated with quantity and quality of kinship relations in those retire men and women. Interviews were conducted with 252 men and 199 women who participated in the retirement substudy of an 8-year epidemiological investigation of two rural counties in Iowa. As evidenced by proximity, frequency of contact, receipt of aid, affectional closeness, and value consensus with kin, retired rural elderly appear well integrated into kinship networks, with females advantaged over males. Kinship relations are affected by health, financial status, marital status, and age. Implications for practitioners and program planners are discussed.

The professional activities of retired academics from two universities in Great Britain were investigated and were compared with the findings of studies of retired academics from a major U.S. state university. A high degree of similarity was found between the two groups. (Author/MLW)

Investigated reactions of rural housewives (N=95) to their husbands' retirement and factors associated with satisfaction of rural wives during the retirement years. Found a highly consistent relationship between joint decision-making by husband and wife and satisfaction of the wife in retirement. (Author/ABB)

Interviewed 149 retired rural couples to examine conjugal role organization. Found that subjects showed a traditional, gender-differentiated division of household tasks, but that household role segregation decreased significantly after retirement; spouses made majority of decisions jointly; and spouses participated in large number of joint leisure activities during retirement. (Author/NB)

Compared correlates of retirement satisfaction for married and widowed rural women. Increase in voluntary association memberships and health were predictors of retirement satisfaction for both groups. Other predictors of satisfaction included financial adequacy, frequency and certainty of aid from friends for married women, and maintenance of preretirement friendships and frequency of visits with friends for widowed women. (Author/ABB)

Investigated factors related to personal and professional development in mature (age 35 and over) reentry women graduates. Showed that support from classmates and desire for intellectual stimulation were equally good predictors of perceived personal development and that desire for career identity was the only predictor of perceived professional development. (Author/ABB)

A study to investigate correlates of professional activity of professors in retirement is discussed. Variables included professional role orientation, professional affiliations and contacts, material supports, department, and the state of knowledge in various fields. Sixty-four University of Iowa emeritus professors were interviewed. (Author/MLW)

Conducted (N=36) interviews with homemakers whose husbands recently retired from a number of occupations. Investigated positive and negative aspects of retirement and a range of variables associated with life satisfaction and three domains of satisfaction. Found the most consistent correlate of wife's satisfaction was husband's participation in household tasks. (Author/RC)

A study of professional activity in retirement of emeriti, including emeriti who left the University of Iowa community after retirement and emeriti who continued to live in the community for part of the year, is discussed. Interviews were conducted with 113 emeritus professors. (Author/MLW)

The professional activities of retired professors from liberal arts colleges, a comprehensive university, and a major research university are compared. Results show that a large majority of faculty continue to perform professional roles. (Author/MLW)

Investigated satisfaction and strain experienced by mature reentry women students (N=141). Questionnaire data showed significant correlates of satisfaction including helpfulness of professors, counseling, and psychological support from children and friends. Significant correlates of strain included dissatisfaction with job and financial aid. The strongest predictor of satisfaction was helpful attitudes of professors. (Author/JAC)