The minor in gerontology increases educational opportunity at Clarion University by teaching students from a variety of academic programs about the process of aging and the needs of the elderly. Pennsylvania is second only to Florida in percentage of residents over the age of 60. The program will train people to meet the needs of this increasing segment of our population and sharpen their ability to collaborate in decisions affecting this group.
The minor in gerontology is interdisciplinary as evidenced by the nature of the courses, the sponsorship by four different departments, the administration of the minor by a coordinator, an Interdisciplinary Gerontology Advisory Committee, and the establishment of an outside five-member Advisory Board whose members represent various segments of society at large.
Objectives of the program:
-
to educate students from a variety of degree programs about the multifaceted changes and needs of the elderly;
-
to prepare students from a variety of degree programs to work with the elderly;
-
to provide structure and integration for existing courses in gerontology;
-
to give formal and marketable recognition to students who have developed expertise in gerontology;
-
to give students an interdisciplinary view of aging;
-
to meet the needs and interests of nontraditional students;
-
to promote faculty scholarship in an interdisciplinary field.
To enhance the development of gerontological instruction, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education (AGHE) published its second edition of Standards and Guidelines for Gerontology Programs in 1990. These are the recognized standards and guidelines for gerontological education in the United States. Clarion's minor in gerontology adheres to these standards. The Clarion curriculum is based on a required core and elective courses.
Students who wish to explore the possibility of the minor in gerontology may receive information from the coordinator or a member of the Gerontology Advisory Committee: Dr. Raymond Feroz (special education), Dr. Janina Jolley (psychology), Dr. Mary Jo Reef (political science, sociology, and philosophy), Jane Fox Tarr (nursing), and Dr. Linda Benson (nursing).
GERONTOLOGY, MINOR (21-24 credits)
Required: SOC/PSY 253, BIOL 257, GERO 499, PSY 467, SOC 353; additional required courses (three-six credits): PSY 499, REHB 495, or SOC 499, NURS 450; and three elective credits: ECON 150 or NURS 365.
