Minutes
EMERITUS FACULTY COUNCIL MEETING
9:30 a.m. Monday, February 6, 2023
(Live meeting at Old Capitol Conference Center, Meeting Room A, 2d Floor, Old Capitol Mall, With Zoom Connection.
Chair Hines called the meeting to order at 9:29
Roll Call: EFC Members Attending: Christopher Atchison, Constance Berman, Deborah Cobb, Cathy Cole, Minnetta Gardinier, Miriam Gilbert, Bill Hines, Russell Lenth, Jacob Odgaard, Mary Ann Rasmussen, Carol Scott-Conner, Siroos Shirazi, Bernard Sorofman, Jill Valde.
Other participants: Frank Mitros, Steve Fleagle
EFC Members Absent: John Westefeld, Charlie Anderson
Guest Speaker: Steve Fleagle, Associate Vice President and CIO, Information Technology Services
Gilbert introduced Fleagle and asked if he could describe the IT services available to the emeritus faculty.
Fleagle began by describing how the University’s management of IT has changed over the years noting that currently they rely on vendors who have much to say about services. Further, what is enabled varies across those vendors. Some vendors want services only for faculty, others say there can be a wider distribution of services but the University must pay more.
ITS has a web page which lists the services of ITS and who they are available for. (Fleagle supplied the following Web address after the meeting: https://its.uiowa.edu/support/article/1539)
Fleagle also noted that even if a service isn’t available from the University there may be other sources, e.g., LinkedIn learning is available through the IC Library.
However, he stressed, with companies like Microsoft which delivers e-mail, and Zoom, we have to live with their services.
Valde inquired on behalf of a colleague who went to help desk for research stored on her home computer and was told they couldn’t help emeriti. She asked what can we expect from the Help desk.
Fleagle responded that there is a lot of variability in this area based upon the type of service. The Help desk provides services campus-wide, for example, with login support to outlook, zoom, HR self-service, storage of docs, configuration.
However, some cases, it might be better to get services from the individual colleges.
Gardiner observed that she did receive good support from the COM.
Fleagle, in another unit a emeriti had information stored on a U computer but the application had expired so the college support wasn’t available.
Gilbert asked, if you are on a machine not purchased by the U are you less likely to get assistance?
Fleagle responded, if you can’t access your machine they are going to help, there are just some things they aren’t able to do. If your department provides the device we are going to help.
Cole stated that she believes giving the U number id number from the computer helps get service.
Rasmussen said bought computer with funds from a course and when she retired, IT said the computer didn’t belong to her and she had to return it. Valde, added that the University demanded return of deceased-partner’s computer, but they had difficulty locating it. IT demanded it anyway.
Fleagle commented that this didn’t sound reasonable.
Cobb asked if there could be a resource number to call to address these kinds of issues?
Fleagle said he knows there is variability and would like to share these problems and see if ITS can come up with some ideas on how to address these problems.
Valde noted that it is good to know policy up front so there isn’t so much variability.
Lenth said his primary concern is software, e.g., office and asked how can the worth of emeriti be demonstrated.
Fleagle responded that it’s up to the vendor, e.g., Microsoft. He also commented that there is a lot of pressure on IT to be cost effective and vendor strategy is part of that cost strategy.
Sorofman reminded that faculty help the University in outside activities after retirement and there are benefits to the University from that work.
Fleagle said he agrees and wants to help.
Hines thanked Fleagle and concluded that the Colleges should be approached about this area of support.
Approval of Minutes: December 5, 2022 –Valde moved and the minutes were approved unanimously.
New Emeritus Faculty
James Cremer CLAS
Sabine Golz CLAS
Alan Stolpem CCOM
Marcia Cordis CCOM
Amy An CBUS
Steve Varga CCOM
Deceased Emeritus Faculty
Ken Mobily CLAS 12/28/2022
Isidore Gormezano CLAS 1/05/2023
Kenneth Starck CLAS 1/08/2023
Gerald Solomons CCOM 1/11/2023
Stanley Thompson CCOM 1/15/2023
William Stanford CCOM 1/28/2023
Moment of Silence
Recommendation re: Request for Permissive Conferral of Emeritus Status
Two requests for Permissive Conferral of Emeritus Status were raised.
The first request related to a candidate who served on the CCOM faculty as an Assistant Professor from 1977-78 and as a Clinical Associate from 2008-2013. Subsequently the candidate retired from a full-time faculty position. However, the candidate continued to provide clinical services as a Visiting Associate Professor until December 2022. The review was hampered because the candidate’s 9 years of service as a Visiting Clinical Associate Professor was not made clear in the request documents. Consequently, the EFC suggests the CCOM be advised that, if a similar use of a Visiting Professor appointment arises in a future request for permissive conferral of emeritus status, the limitation on the CCOM's use of Adjunct Faculty to treat patients be better explained.
On the second request, in its discussion EFC assumed the issue was that the faculty member with 19 years of excellent service was not fully retiring, but was leaving the university to accept a full-time position at another academic institution. EFC members cited many examples of colleagues who left the university after a similarly long service and were automatically granted emeritus status. A long-term faculty member should not have to fully retire to qualify for emeritus status.
Gilbert moved approval of the first request and that the second candidate qualifies for an automatic grant of emeritus status, so the request for conferral of permissive emeritus status was unnecessary. The motion was adopted.
Reports from EFC Committees
Elections: Gilbert & Cole; Gilbert said they have reviewed the Council’s membership and are making contacts for the new board. They hope to complete the process by early March. She noted that 5 people are finishing their second term and will need replacement
Program: Anderson & Westefeld; Hines announced that Vice President Rod Lenertz will be present for the April meeting
Lecture Series: Gardinier, Gilbert & Scott-Conner: Scott-Connor announced that the next Lecture will be entitled: – Our Medical System Is Frayed: Why Did Humpty Dumpty Fall Off the Wall? Presented by Victoria Sharp, M.D., M.B.A., Professor Emeritus, Department of Urology, Acting Chief of Staff, Iowa City VA Healthcare System, Thu Feb 16, 4:00 – 5:00 pm in the Kollros Auditorium (101 Biology Building East)
She also said the March lecture will be on the 3rd Thursday (Walt Whitman info on site). April Dr. Gerald Weiss possibly on vaccinology
Webpage: Lenth, Sorofman: Lenth said they continue to explore how to list emeriti activities
Reports from Liaisons to University Committees
Campus Planning: Anderson: No report
Faculty Senate and Council: Gardinier & Rasmussen: Rasmussen said the last meeting Dec 6th (Notes to be sent)
FRIC: Shirazi & Sorofman: No report
Hancher & Art Museum: Valde; No report
Libraries: Lenth & Cole: No report
Parking & Transportation: Odgaard & Scott-Conner: No report
President’s Committee on Athletics: Hines: report attached
Recreational Services: Atchison – report attached
Research Council: Berman: Berman said there has been discussion about expanding the membership of the Council but judged to not be legally not possible.
Senior College: Mitros: Mitros reported that the Fall semester offered 10 courses and had 800 registrants. This was done through 4 in person, 4 zoom, and 2 hybrid formats. This Spring there are currently 985 registered and 13 courses planned, 5 zoom 7 hybrid, 1 in person only.
Mitros also said the Hybrid approach is posing technical challenges for some speakers who like to move during their presentation. They are looking for ways to improve this capability. It was observed that this resource is valuable to the University for its national reach.
Scott-Connor said the hybrid format seems problematic and suggested that programs be either Zoom or in person.
UIRA: Cobb: Cobb said the UIRA continues to Develop the working relationship with the University, e.g., how to publish Gray Hawk.
She reminded people to follow Gray Hawk for lecture information.
There was additional discussion of how routine communication between UIRA and EFC can be enabled. It was noted that the current liaison position is vacant. Chair Hines responded that neither liaison position is vacant. Deb Cobb is the UIRA liaison this year and she has reported on UIRA activities at every EFC meeting. Frank Mitros is the liaison to the Senior College, where he is a member of the governing committee, and he reports to EFC whenever there are activities about which EFC should be aware.
Gardiner noted that a committee was formed in 2021 of the 3 orgs to ensure coordination.
Atchison moved and Cobb seconded a motion to establish a liaison position on the EFC. Gardiner commented that the three orgs should meet. Due to time for the meeting expiring the motion was tabled to the next meeting.
Old Business: Discussion on Standards for EFC Recommendations on Requests for Permissive Grants of Emeritus Status. (Background materials available at https://emeritus-faculty.uiowa.edu/meetings-emeritus-faculty-council-and-association-emeritus-faculty/meeting-schedule-2022-23 -). Tabled until the next meeting
Adjourned at 11:05 – next meeting: March 6, 2023