BLACKSBURG -- Students from Virginia Tech's distinguished "Class of '69" aren't too far from turning 65.

And for a university that has often looked inward for leadership, the Monday gathering at the Inn at Virginia Tech of 21 employees Tech has tabbed as up-and-comers was significant.

The employees are faculty and administrators in management positions selected by colleagues to participate in the first class of Tech's new Executive Development Institute, a leadership training initiative the university began planning in 2007.

They will go through the first of three intensive leadership training retreats this week with similar sessions to follow in February and in May, when the program ends. In between, there will be training through live Internet conferences and group projects.

Mekeisha Williams, director of organizational development at Tech, said the training will cover issues such as distance learning, finance and diversity. The training also involves self-assessment so participants can better understand where they need to improve.

Tech President Charles Steger, a member of Tech's 1969 graduating class, told the group Monday that the effort represented a key responsibility of the university "to look into the future and prepare the next generation of leaders."

Tech has lost and replaced several vice presidents over the past two years and is currently in the process of hiring a replacement for David Ford, vice president and dean for undergraduate education. Ford is retiring at the end of December.

Jack Dudley, assistant provost and head of the university honors program, also retired this year.

And the numbers show there are more to come.

Twelve percent of Tech's managers, directors and department chair people will reach retirement age over the next five years. Officials couldn't say exactly how many management positions could be affected.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity for the university to bring in new ideas and look for leadership," said Karen Eley Sanders, associate vice president for academic support and one of the employees chosen for the program. Sanders, 46, was hired by Ford in 2001.

Associate Vice President of Human Resources Hal Irvin was hired in March and charged with leading Tech's transition.

He said the issues at Tech are not unique. Colleges throughout the country and other industries are experiencing it as baby boomers approach retirement age. Irvin worked at Georgia Tech before coming to Blacksburg. The Atlanta university lost its entire executive team over an 18-month period.

"They're getting out ahead of it," he said of Virginia Tech's plans for the new program, which will train employees each year. "It is clearly tied to succession. We know that we might have some key retirements, and we're preparing for it.

"There'll be a good bit of, you know, just confusion and transitional difficulties as people retire."

Irvin said the program should not be interpreted as encouraging older employees to retire.

In dealing with state budget cuts, the university has repeatedly said it is not considering early retirement incentives, which involve significant upfront costs and could encourage the departure of senior faculty who bring in research contracts.

Beyond an employee's age, the university isn't using any other methods, such as surveys, to determine which employees approaching retirement age might actually retire. Irvin said the recent stock market collapse could lead some people to put off retirement.

"But when these people do choose to retire, we've got to be ready," he said.

The training costs the university about $4,000 per person. Irvin said it may appear counterintuitive, but difficult financial times call for additional investment in training employees. It shows them the organization is committed to their future even amid the hiring and pay raise freezes.

Radford University spokesman Michael Hemphill said the university doesn't have any figures on the percentage of employees approaching retirement age and does not know of any plans for the university to implement a leadership training program for employees.

But there are incentives for employees approaching retirement at Radford. Twenty faculty will take advantage of the university's work force transition option when they leave at the end of the fall semester.

In addition to general graying of the work force issues, Tech's history makes it a candidate for leadership change over the next several years.

The university grew from a regional to a national university in the late 1960s and early 1970s with enrollment growth of more than 1,000 students in some years. In addition to Steger, Vice President of Alumni Affairs Tom Tillar, Treasurer and Virginia Tech Foundation Chief Operating Officer Ray Smoot and even football coach Frank Beamer, among others, graduated from Tech in 1969.

"It's really important that that generation pass the torch," said Roderick Hall, associate vice president for research.

Hall, 44, began working for the Tech Foundation in 1989, and helped start the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center in Blacksburg. CRC President Joe Meredith is another 1969 Tech graduate.

"There's a lot of people who were the age that I am now then and played significant roles with the growth of the university," he said.