The Management of University of Third Age Driven by the Elderly: A Case Study of the Third Age University in Chiang Rai Province

Abstract

           The University of Third Age of Chiang Rai Province interested by educators and government sectors from many regions of Thailand. There are more than fifteen groups of visitors came to visited and study in the area of institute management and education management for elderly in a year. The purposes of the study were emphasized in investigating the management style of the third age university of Chiang Rai province and to propose some guidelines in managing the third age university driven by elderly. A phenomenological qualitative research study was conducted with ten executives of the university and ten leaders of the student in the University of Third Age in Chiang Rai province. In-depth interview was chosen as the main data collection technique. The instrument used in this study was an interview guide developed by the researchers and Atlas. ti 7.0 was used to analyze the data. The finding showed that there were several factors which leaded the university run their institute effectively which consisted of emphasizing on the happiness of both employees and students, creating self-awareness, utilizing the management model to manage the institute, having the good interaction between lecturers, officers, executive, and students, working as a team, having a respect and good authority, having respect for the rules, having a public mind, having stability of tenure of personnel, and providing courses which meet the needs of elderly. This study could be the starting point which leads other third age university or learning centers for the elderly to provide their employees, lecturers, and students with the necessary support to increase the quality in the future.