In the UK a 'crisis' has been manufactured around the so-called baby boomer generation. It has been claimed that this demographic (those born between 1946 and 1964) have benefitted from supportive public policies throughout their lives and are still continuing to access advantages but at some cost to younger generations. For example, policies that…

The purpose of this paper is to find out what academics do when approaching retirement, and why; as well as to reflect on the process and consequences of reaching a retirement decision -- for themselves, the university system, and the wider community. Our study concentrates on baby boomers, as this large cohort starts to retire or become eligible…

This article examines the trend of faculty retirement in the United States. Much of the concern about aging faculty has centered on the twin concerns of lifetime employment in the form of tenure and the lack of a mandatory retirement age. However, as analysis shows, more attention should be paid to what will happen when older faculty…

This article discusses how community colleges respond to the rising number of faculty members who are eligible for retirement. Many faculty members at community colleges are near retirement largely because many of the colleges were created and did the bulk of their hiring between 1965 and 1975, when the first group of baby boomers was entering the…

Community colleges are facing difficult times. Resources are becoming increasingly scarce, enrollments are growing to unprecedented numbers, the student body is becoming increasingly diverse, the economic downturn continues to have an effect on curriculum and mission, increased demands for accountability are driving decisions, and faculty turnover…

Scope and method of study. This descriptive case study was designed to describe the critical issues surrounding Baby Boomers and their motivations to attend community college, in addition to their perceptions of learning and curriculum needs. Additionally the study explored what these Baby Boomers plan to do after completing their courses and…

As many baby boomers prepare to retire in the next decade, there are not enough young junior faculty members in the professoriate to replace them, according to a recent study by the American Council on Education (ACE). The ACE report, "Too Many Rungs on the Ladder? Faculty Demographics and the Future of Leadership in Higher Education," highlights…

University business programs have been facing a growing dilemma concerning how to address increasing shortages of doctoral-level faculty. In this study, the authors examine the challenges facing business schools because of the identified shortage, especially in light of pending baby boomer retirements. With the California State University system…

More than a decade ago, as the end of mandatory retirement for faculty approached, many academic administrators were concerned about its negative impact on their institutions. With the assistance of a variety of incentives put in place to encourage voluntary retirement, a significant number of senior faculty retired during the 1990s. Now, the…

The baby boom generation faces added uncertainty on their investments and perhaps lower realized rates of return on all components of their retirement savings, primarily because of their large number. Effects will be felt in the Social Security system and by pension plans and private investors. Individuals, employers, pension fund managers, and…

The likely retirement age of "baby boomers" among the tenured faculty in the State University System (SUS) will coincide with a steep increase in the population of traditional college-age students over the next ten years. The majority (53.5%) of SUS faculty were born in the baby boom years between 1943 and 1959. This group is already…