Olde Posts Addenda (6)

     Since all of the news is "breaking" these days, here are some more stories which have broken and are related to older news items in MM.

   My lack of output recently is explained by the fact that much of October was spent in Vancouver. I suppose I could have written something while there, but the scenery and grandkids are too distracting.
   To get back to blogging, I will begin by discussing an article I read that is related to a subject about which I have written a few times in MM. That article, combined with my posts, will help you understand why senior citizens are now often seen among university students, and on which campuses they are most likely to be spotted.

University Retirement Communities (URC)
   The article raises this question: "Why Are More Retirees Going Back to College?" They are not only going back to them, but choosing also to live on campuses, or reside close by in college towns. The full citation is provided here:
"Why Are More Retirees Going Back to College? At Arizona State University, residents pay about $500,000 in entrance fees to live on campus and take classes alongside undergraduates," Sarah Bahr, New York Times, Oct. 20, 2025.
   Over the years, this trend has been followed in Mulcahy's Miscellany and much that has been written about it recorded in: "Retiring Back to University," "Campus Corner," and "Lifelong Learning,". That last post discusses Mirabella at Arizona State University, which is the one profiled in the NYT article cited above. 
   It also provides links to some other examples of university retirement communities and an omnibus one that is essential for anyone interested in this subject: URC: University Retirement Communities.com: The #1 Source For Information on University and College Retirement Communities. Eight-four University Retirement Communities are listed along with links and descriptions. Some of the names are alluring: "Azalea Trace", "Butterfield Trail Village", "Edenwald", "Loomis Lakeside at Reeds Landing", "Oak Hammock", "The Cedars of Chapel Hill", and "The Forest at Duke." Others appeal to alumni: "Longhorn Village" and "Sooner Station".

University Based Retirement Communities (UBRC)
  Apart from providing useful information, the website attempts to clarify what can be considered a university or college retirement community and to determine the degree of connection to the institutions. That is, does a retirement community which appears to be associated with a university, have a direct relationship with that university? It is suggested that those looking for information related to this topic consider a distinction between a University Based Retirement Community (UBRC) and the more generic University Retirement Community (URC). The UBRC  "is a retirement community that has been certified as having a deep, integrated partnership with a local university, going beyond just proximity. These communities offer residents full access to university facilities, courses, and events, fostering intergenerational connections and lifelong learning through structured programs and organic interaction. The "certified" status signifies a community that meets specific criteria for this high level of integration, distinguishing it from other senior living communities near a university."  

Some CANCON:
   There are no Canadian examples among the 84 listed on the "University Retirement Communities.com." website. Some will be found in the posts in MM provided above. For a link to one located close-by see: Schlegel Villages, "The Village at University Gates." (University of Waterloo.)
   Given that the numbers of foreign and young students are decreasing here in Ontario, perhaps senior citizens should be considered as replacements, and they are likely to be better 'customers.'

The Bonus: 
  A couple of years ago I provided a post about Berry College which has, arguably, the largest campus in the world. This spring I had to visit relatives in the United States and was able to go through the campus of Berry College in Rome, Georgia. It is indeed very large and beautiful and  provides a scenic detour that allows one to avoid Atlanta if travelling to Florida on I75. At the very far end of the long winding drive through the Berry campus, there was a retirement village being constructed in the Georgia pines. It is one of the communities listed on the URC website. "The Spires at Berry College" is described this way: "Breathtaking beauty in your backyard. Celebrated as “America’s most beautiful college campus” and nestled alongside pristine Eagle Lake at the foot of Lavender Mountain, our location at Berry College is without question a picturesque place to retire. Even better, this incredible lakeside sanctuary serves as the setting for senior living that feels every bit as good as it looks."

(P.S. - Take your tennis rackets. The Rome Tennis Center at Berry College has 63 courts, 6 NCAA regulation courts and 3 stadium courts.)

Sources:
  Researchers should start with the "University Retirement Communities" website. 

Another good list is found in this issue of Retirement Living - "College- Linked Retirement Communities."
   For Canada, in addition to the university retirement communities mentioned in the related posts in MM, see this article: "University Based Retirement Communities (UBRC in Canada," Stephanie Sadownik, Advance, Oct. 5, 2022. Here is a sample from it: 

"University Based Retirement Communities (UBRC) in Canada,"

   Do University Based Retirement Communities (UBRC) exist in Canada? A literature review of the search “University Based Retirement Community” provided multiple papers and recent conference proceedings by authors (Hou & Cao, 2021; Kim, 2017) who had completed case studies of UBRC’s in the United States but did not produce any that featured Canadian Universities....

Conclusion

   This paper considered the definition of University Based Retirement Community and noted demographics, advantages and disadvantages as reported in academic journals, theoretically considering a Canadian perspective, in addition to the plausibility of a UCRB program while considering possible locations in Canada and accompanying universities that fit the parameters and subcategories. Insight was gained from the acknowledgement that intergenerational learning for UCRB’s has limited knowledge of retired adults perspectives and benefits, and even less knowledge in Canada about the benefits Elders and First Nations retiring adults experience. Further investigations are needed to understand this perspective and any changes that are noted that might help to gain deeper insight into the value of UCRBs in Canada."