Palo Alto University Commits to Serving the Needs of Older Adults

Palo Alto University, Northern California’s leading school of psychology and counseling, joins Age-Friendly University Global Network, a global group of colleges and universities committed to meeting and serving the needs of older adults.

“It is exciting that Palo Alto University has joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network. Given PAU’s commitment to under-served and marginalized communities, using AFU’s 10 principles to further our ongoing efforts to address the needs of a rapidly aging population makes perfect sense,” shares Palo Alto University Professor Lisa M. Brown, Ph.D., ABPP.

In becoming an age-friendly university, Palo Alto University endorses AFU’s 10 principles that will provide guidance for PAU’s age-friendly programs and policies. The principles are as follows:

1. To encourage the participation of older adults in all the core activities of the university, including educational and research programs.
2. To promote personal and career development in the second half of life and to support those who wish to pursue second careers.
3. To recognize the range of educational needs of older adults.
4. To promote intergenerational learning in order to facilitate the reciprocal sharing of expertise between learners of all ages.
5. To widen access to online educational opportunities for older adults to ensure a diversity of routes to participation.
6. To ensure that the university’s research agenda is informed by the needs of an aging society and to promote public discourse on how higher education can better respond to the varied interests and needs of older adults.
7. To increase the understanding of students of the longevity dividend and the increasing complexity and richness that aging brings to our society.
8. To enhance access for older adults to the university’s range of health and wellness programs and its arts and cultural activities.
9. To engage actively with the university’s own retired community.
10. To ensure regular dialogue with organizations representing the interests of the aging population.

PAU’s emphasis on cultural competency and its diverse program and degree offerings are uniquely positioned to address older adult students interested in changing careers, promoting personal development, or exploring leadership opportunities.

“It’s our responsibility as leaders to commit to meeting the diverse needs of our society, regardless of age. Educating students who are providing mental health care to older patients is an active form of social justice. I feel proud to have Palo Alto University be a member of the Age-Friendly University Global Network as their principles are well aligned with PAU’s core values,” said Palo Alto University President Maureen O’Connor.

About Palo Alto University
Palo Alto University (PAU) is dedicated to improving the human condition through excellence in teaching, research and scholarship in the fields of psychology and counseling. With an unwavering commitment to diversity and to the communities it serves, PAU offers doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s programs, as well as hands-on clinical training. A private, non-profit university, PAU is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC).

PAU was founded in 1975 as the Pacific Graduate School of Psychology (PGSP), an independent, professional school and was first accredited in 1986 by WASC and has been continuously accredited since then. PGSP re-incorporated as Palo Alto University in August 2009.