Where’s my tweed jacket with leather elbow patches? The challenges of aging gracefully in higher education
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This paper presents an examination of one veteran academics’ experience in higher education. Via an autoethnographic reflection of a two-decade career, the work-related situations that impact on job enjoyment and challenge motivation to bring enthusiasm year-after-year are discussed. Veteran academics have seen higher education transform dramatically during their tenure and the pressure points that impact on wellbeing are discussed and aligned to contemporary research. In response to the challenges associated with aging in higher education, this paper examines how veteran academics need to prioritize self-care and explores ways that universities can maximize the accumulated knowledge and pedagogical skillset of these individuals toward the end of their careers.
Source: Educational Gerontology
Authors: John A. O’Rourke, Christina Gray
Institution: Edith Cowan University
Language: English
Subfield: Demography
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4409514299