I think we need more of the emeritus concept, and the bachelor don. Let old people hang out and retain a connection to an institution they've served without blocking younger generations. In so many cases giving people what they need costs less in every way than tying it to having a job.
wait so bachelor dons would stay in the dorms with students?
apparently. it's a thing I learned about yesterday.
Seems a little sus but definitely agree about the emeritus positions
yeah I mean it depends on what the housing situation is like. the freshman dorms, no, but returning student/grad student/faculty/fellows housing, sure.
Returning student dorms are a thing? Wild never knew and I was one lol
This sort of thing is what I'm thinking about: housing.sfsu.edu/continuing-r...
Also had some luck finding similar by searching nontraditional student housing fwiw
it really depends on the particular institution and how residential/remote it is.
(Not trying to imply you're making it up just shocked I wasn't aware)
I don't *think* I'm making it up.
When I was working in pinball, there was a guy who was like 90 years old and had been in the industry since the beginning, and basically his whole job was to be a mentor and resource for all the other designers to provide feedback and suggestions.
I've been seeing this a lot successfully in volunteer orgs or in my coaching life where continuity can be such a difficult thing to nail. So many groups would benefit from the wisdom, especially if they're willing to help with unglamorous tasks but it's a shallow pool
Access to that experience was sooooo valuable but I feel like no modern company would ever dream of having that kind of position.
cheap and easy and preserves the good things – the mentorship, guidance, and occasional bitter heckling that elders should be providing to an institution – instead of mostly sucking shit at a job they can't or would rather not do