Purposeful aging for all

Group photo of half century trojans doing victory fingers

Our mission

The University of Southern California joined the Age-Friendly University Global Network in 2018. A growing team of institutions of higher education around the world have committed to the Global Network’s 10 guiding principles for ensuring age-friendly policies and programs in research, teaching and practice. As the first university in California to join the network, USC continues its leadership in aging and highlights its commitment to research and teaching in the field as well as creating an Age-Friendly environment for students, alumni, faculty, staff, and the community. Uniquely positioned in the center one of the world’s most diverse and international megacities, USC Age-Friendly University Initiative is pleased to collaborate with the Los Angeles’ Purposeful Aging Initiative and other local institutions committed to pursuing a more age-friendly region and world.

The USC Age-Friendly University Initiative is directed by the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology.

What we’re doing

Supporting our Trojan community and the Southern California region in which we live

Engaging and translating interdisciplinary research for maximum lifespan health

Training a global workforce to address the needs of the world’s growing older population

Age-Inclusivity

USC Age-Friendly University Initiative shares in the broader national work of Age-Inclusivity in Higher Education. Age-Friendliness and Age-Inclusivity address making accepting and hospitable spaces for non-traditionally aged students in the classroom and online, recognizing the concerns of older staff and faculty, and considering the needs of community members and retired employees who engage with our campuses. Furthermore, our efforts include educating all of our Trojan community members about the personal and society impacts of Ageism and implicit bias concerning age and ability.

We’re part of a growing movement!

Los Angeles County Age-Friendly Campus Collaboration

Los Angeles County’s Purposeful Aging LA and a growing number of local public and private universities and community colleges have joined together to collaborate in advancing the cause of age-friendliness and age-inclusivity in Southern California. As the first institution of higher education in California to join the global Age-Friendly movement, we are pleased that more schools are joining! As more institutions join the cause, we can build our collective knowledge and the much-needed gerontology and geriatrics workforce, to serve the County’s rapidly expanding aging population.

2,500

More than 2,500 graduate and undergraduate students are 40+

30

More than 30% of staff are 50+

50

Half of USC faculty are 50+

100,000

100,000 Trojan Alums are in their 50s and 60s

12,000

At least 12,000 Trojan Alumni are Half-Century Trojans, age 72+

50

Half of USC faculty are 50+

News and Communication

Getting around campus

Employee Support

Things to do

Medical and wellness

Learning opportunities

Research

Retirement

Part of a Global Network