Emeritus Council Minutes
December 3, 2001
Present: John Long (President), Jim Andrews, Sam Becker, Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Bob Engel, Al Hood, Richard Hoppin, Jean Reese, Hal Richerson, Robert Soper, Duane Spriestersbach, Keith Thayer, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison), Keith Guillory, Secretary
Absent: Margaret Keyes, Betty Mather
President Long announced that Betty Bang Mather has resigned from the council. Jean Reese will no longer serve on the Research and Artistic Work committee.
The minutes from the November 5, 2001 meeting were corrected to show that Jean Reese was absent. The minutes then were approved as corrected.
Exit Interview Project: Jim Andrews reported that members of the Executive Committee of the College of Medicine currently are formulating an acknowledgement letter to be sent to persons who resign from that college. They are also modifying the survey that is distributed to persons who resign. For the time being the College of Medicine is continuing to use its old interview procedures. Training of persons conducting interviews will begin early in 2002. Until that time the Emeritus Faculty Council will continue to conduct exit interviews of persons resigning from the College of Medicine.
Research Council Report: Joe Cannon’s report of the Research Council Meeting of November 9, 2001 was received with thanks to the author. It was noted that the quotation from Vice-President Skorton that, “There is no intention to fill any of the (“high-level”) administrative positions…..,” is not accurate. A search now is underway for a Dean of the College of Medicine and for a Director of University Hospitals.
List-Serve: Dale Bentz noted that the names of James Harris and David Vernon have been removed from the list-serve. Nine incorrect addresses also have been removed from the list. Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark reminded the members of the council that it is possible to update the e-mail addresses that appear in the University Directory. (To update your e-mail address, send an e-mail note to its-information@uiowa.edu with the new information. Be sure to clearly identify yourself by name and university ID number. You may also update your e-mail address by calling the ITS Customer Information Desk at (319) 384-0800, or stop in at their office at 100 Lindquist Center South, between the hours of Monday--Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.)
Exit Interviews (2): Jim Andrews announced that the book has been closed on exit interviews for this past year. Fifty-eight resignees were given an opportunity to participate in an exit interview. Thirty-eight were interviewed, seven declined, and thirteen did not respond. For the current year there have been 17 resignations. Ten persons have been interviewed, two have declined, and five interviews are pending, including four in the College of Medicine.
Research and Artistic Work: Keith Guillory reported on the committee’s meeting with Assistant V.P. for Research, Brian Harvey. Mr. Harvey provided the committee with a list of agencies and foundations which could be potential sources of funding. We are seeking funding to provide financial assistance to emeritus faculty so that they can continue to remain active in research. Guillory has sent letters of inquiry to three of these agencies but has not yet received replies from them.
Retirees College: Al Hood informed the council that four different courses will be offered four times a month on Fridays, in four locations, and in four successive months beginning in February. Fees will be $30 per course and the time the courses will be offered is variable. Enrollment limits will depend on the classroom size, but will probably be 100. A brochure announcing the schedule is being prepared and will be distributed by the Alumni Office. A person has contacted the committee offering to contribute to the University of Iowa Foundation to support the Retirees College. Hood asked for additional volunteers to assist the committee and to replace David Vernon. He also asked for recommendations for courses to be offered in the future.
Retirees Handbook: Dale Bentz reported that Mary Jo Small has agreed to assist with the Retirees Handbook. He said that his committee will be examining the comprehensive benefits certificate entitled, “Chip I, II, III Retiree Program” recently distributed by Wellmark to see whether information in the Retirees Handbook is consistent with the 2001 benefits certificate. At Lee Anna Clark’s suggestion, he will ask whether Richard Saunders of the Human Resources Office can put the information contained in that document on-line.
The council revisited the previously tabled discussion on who should initiate and who should revise the final report on exit interviews. This issue was tabled again until the September meeting.
New Business: Jim Andrews brought up the question of whether the report on exit interviews should contain only data collected, or whether it should contain recommendations for future action and conclusions drawn from the data. It was agreed that the Council will revisit this question when the final report is discussed again in September.
Andrews recommended that the council should sponsor an annual session in October at which Chip I, Chip II, and Chip III options for retirees can be discussed by a knowledgeable panel. Dale Benz agreed to contact the University of Iowa Retirees’ Association to see if they would be interested in cosponsoring such a program. It was also suggested that widows and widowers of retirees should be invited to attend the sessions.
President Long inquired about the Center for Teaching program of mini-grants. This program will provide funds only for current faculty who are active in teaching.
Sam Becker quoted from correspondence received from David Ricketts of the Parking and Transportation office. Mr. Ricketts supports the current policy of continuing to provide free on-campus parking for emeritus faculty.
A question was raised concerning whether Old Capitol will be available for the annual meeting of the emeritus faculty that is scheduled for June 17, 2002. Bob Soper will confer with Margaret Keyes at the Old Capitol Museum to determine whether the building will be available for meetings at that time.
Future meetings of the council will be held the first Monday of the month at 9:30 AM in Room B5, Jessup Hall.
Respectfully submitted, Keith Guillory, Secretary.
Emeritus Council Meeting
November 5, 2001
Present: John Long (President), Jim Andrews, Sam Becker ( Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Bob Engel, Al Hood, Margaret Keyes, Hal Richerson, Bob Soper, Keith Thayer, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison)
Absent: Keith Guillory, Dick Hoppin, Betty Bang Mather, Duane Spriestersbach, David Vernon
The October minutes were approved as corrected. (Richard Stevenson is no longer a member of the council, Robert Engel is no longer serving on the Annual Meeting Committee, and Skorton is spelled with a k.)
Joe Cannon’s report on the Research Council was accepted without discussion.
Jim Andrews discussed the exit interview project as it has been carried out to this point. He reported that he and Associate Provost Clark attended a meeting of the Executive Committee of the College of Medicine to discuss their and our exit interview procedures and results. The Medical College committee interviewed only a small number of the faculty members who resigned from the college, largely because those assigned to do the interviews did not carry through. None of the Executive Committee members seemed surprised at their results or bothered by the fact that interviewers and respondents are from the same college. The report of those results only goes to the dean of the college. Although Executive Committee members agreed that the dean was unlikely to do much, if anything, with the unsurprising and difficult to address results of their exit interviews, they nevertheless seemed committed to continuing the interviews.
At a later date, Jim, Lee Anna, and Hal Richerson met with two members of the Medical College Executive Committee to discuss the two parallel exit interview projects and possible ways of reducing any unnecessary duplication between them. They were told that the medical school project was just started again last year, after an eight-year gap. They use no written survey form, but each interviewer does use a written summary form for each interviewer to complete. The form, and presumably the interview, cover nine topics and each of the nine topics is ranked by the respondent in terms of its importance in the resignation decision. The group agreed that the provost’s exit interview form will be augmented with items that are important for the College of Medicine, that these forms will be used by College of Medicine interviewers, and that their annual report to the Dean of Medicine also will be sent to the Provost’s Office. It was agreed that in the future members of the Emeritus Council will interview faculty members who resign from the College of Medicine only in exceptional circumstances when requested by that college’s Executive Committee.
Andrews suggested that the university’s exit interview project procedures need to be thought through more carefully, as we would do for a research project, that is, we need to clarify their purpose. He also suggested that it might be advisable for the group involved in interviewing to make a report, independent of the one prepared by Associate Provost Clark, that included not only the results of the interviews but also conclusions and recommendations. A council member made the suggestion that writing two independent reports was inefficient, that it would be more efficient for the interviewing group to review a draft of Lee Anna’s report and make suggestions for additions and/or revisions.
There followed a discussion of Jim Andrews’ paper titled “The Counter-Offer Conundrum” that was distributed with the agenda. Council members disagreed on whether there is a problem in the university with counter-offer procedures. No motion relevant to the issue was made.
Lee Anna Clark suggested that, rather than having two reports, either she or the committee draft the first report, the other revise it, etc. to attempt to have one report with which all are in agreement. Members of the council approved that suggestion, though it is not yet clear whether the Associate Provost for Faculty or the Committee on Exit Interviews will do the initial report.
Completing his report, Andrews informed the council that there were 58 faculty members who resigned last year and were offered the opportunity to participate in an exit interview; 38 were interviewed, 7 declined interviews, we had no response from 11, and 2 interviews are still pending. This year to date, there have been 12 resignations, 9 of those resigning have been interviewed, 2 declined, and 1 is pending. Andrews was again commended for his outstanding work on this project.
Dale Bentz reported that there are 151 subscribers to the Emeriti listserv. The suggestion was made that we might need a method for keeping e-mail addresses current, since many people frequently change addresses, and that a web site could be developed through which members could change their address in our listserv. No action will be taken on this until we see whether there is a problem with e-mail address reliability.
Bob Engel reported that the Faculty Council is making modifications to the procedures dealing with unacceptable performance, sexual harassment, and consensual relations. The committee is getting faculty comments on these issues and will report back to the council. Jim Clifton suggested that Oleanna is a wonderful drama about how sexual harassment can creep into an institution. A tape of the play, or a film—if one exists—could be a useful part of the orientation of new faculty members.
Al Hood reported that the Retirees’ College committee did a survey of university retirees to assess interests in special short courses. The committee is made up of half emeriti and half UIRA members. Four courses have already been arranged for second semester; each will meet every Friday for four weeks:
February—Don Gurnett, Astronomy of the Solar System
March-----Pam Trimpe, Understanding Modern Art
April------Dick Caplan, Sherlock Holmes
May-------Tom Davis (of music, not basketball fame), Music Theory
Al noted that the Alumni Association will provide funds for brochures and will advertise these courses. Hood and his committee were highly commended for getting this project off the ground.
Al Hood and Hal Richerson also reported on the recent meeting at the Senior Center re: a Seniors’ College developed by a conglomerate (our groups, Senior Center, Kirkwood, Center on Aging, and city representatives). This would follow a different model than we are following for the four courses above, with those interested paying $25 to $50 a year to be eligible to take any of the courses. This was not a productive meeting and it is unclear whether anything will come of this group’s efforts.
Dale Bentz reported on the Retirees’ Handbook. A secretary in Human Services will maintain the on-line copy of the Handbook, making the changes requested by our committee. All suggestions for changes in the Handbook should be sent to Bentz.
Dale also reported on the UI Retirees’ Association. He said that Gordon Strayer is resigning as editor of the Gray Hawk.
The Council approved the request of the chair of the new Department of Radiation Oncology that Fredrick Doornbos’ emeritus rank be shifted from Radiology to Radiation Oncology and that Frank Cheng have emeritus rank in both Radiology and Radiation Oncology.
Sam Becker made the very sad announcement that Emeritus Council member David Vernon would be taken off his respirator later that day, that his family members had been notified and were on their way to town. Council members agreed that they wanted to make a contribution at the appropriate time.
Sam Becker, Secretary pro tem
Emeritus Council Minutes
October 1, 2001
Present: John Long (President), Jim Andrews, Sam Becker, Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Bob Engel, Richard Hoppin, Margaret Keyes, Betty Mather, Hal Richerson, Robert Soper, Duane Spriestersbach, Keith Thayer, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison), Keith Guillory, Secretary
Absent: Al Hood, Jean Reese, David Vernon
President Long introduced new council member Margaret Keyes and invited her to examine the committee roster to determine on which committees she would like to serve.
Committee Assignments: It was announced that Robert Soper will chair the Annual Meeting Committee. Hal Richerson and Al Hood will act as co-liaisons with the interagency committee for Senior College. Richard Stevenson, who is no longer on the council, has agreed to continue serving on the Retirees Handbook Committee, and Nancy Foster, Assistant Manager at Staff Benefits, has agreed to serve in an advisory capacity to that committee.
The minutes of the September 10, 2001 meeting were approved as distributed.
Exit Interview Project: Jim Andrews reported that the committee was notified of 66 University of Iowa faculty members who resigned during the period from fall, 2000 to the present. Out of this group, 43 have been contacted, 43 interviews have been completed, seven have declined to be interviewed, and eight have failed to respond to repeated attempts to contact them and no further attempts are contemplated. In the future the reporting period for resignations will be July 1 to June 30.
Research and Artistic Work: Keith Guillory has contacted Assistant V.P. for Research, Brian Harvey, to set up a meeting with the committee to explore external funding sources (foundations, granting agencies) that might provide assistance to emeritus faculty wishing to continue to pursue research and artistic work. Unfortunately, prospects for matching funds from the University are rather dim in light of the recent announcement by Vice-President David Skorton that he is immediately suspending all calls for proposals from faculty for funding of grants for CIFRE, Collaborative Interdisciplinary Projects, Iowa Informatics Initiative, Iowa Research Experiences for Undergraduates, Social Sciences Initiative, or Biosciences Initiative Pilot Grants. These grant programs for active faculty would have totaled $1.1 million this year had it not been for the University’s budget problems.
Senior College: An interagency committee has been formed and will be meeting shortly. A steering committee also has been established, but it also has not yet met. Persons at Kirkwood Community College have expressed an interest in participating in the activities of the Senior College.
Retirees Handbook: Dale Bentz reported that fyi will announce the availability of the retirees handbook and also will direct interested persons to the Web page, http://www.uiowa.edu/hr/benefits/retirement/index.html, where the handbook has been posted. Staff Benefits will make the handbook available at their office and the Provost’s office will continue to offer handbooks to persons electing phased and early retirement.
New Business: Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark reported on the recently concluded meeting of members of the council who participated in exit interviews with faculty who resigned in 2000-2001. Six of the areas which were part of the resignation questionnaire served as the basis for discussion, which went smoothly, and provided the Provost’s office with considerable input into reasons faculty were leaving the University. A summary of comments from that meeting will be provided to persons who participated in the interview process. Jim Andrews was commended for the outstanding job he did in organizing the interviews. Council members were invited to attend a training session for persons who will participate in exit interviews for the next fiscal year. The session will be held soon. An agreement has been reached with the College of Medicine which has revived its own exit interview process. The agreement should ensure that there is no duplication with interviews undertaken by this committee. The resignation questionnaire will be revised to address specific questions related to the College of Medicine. Persons from the College of Medicine will participate in the training course to be offered for members of this council, or they will attend a separate course.
It was announced that the new definition of “emeritus” previously adopted by this council is now in the University of Iowa’s Operations Manual.
A Mac computer in the Governance Center, 380 IMU, is no longer functional and will be replaced.
The next meeting of the council will be on November 5 at 10-11:30 a.m. in W401 Pappajohn Business Building. Beginning with December 3, subsequent meetings will be at 9:30-11:00 a.m. in B5, Jessup Hall.
Respectfully submitted, Keith Guillory, Secretary.
Emeritus Council Minutes
September 10, 2001
Present: Bob Engel (Acting Chair), Sam Becker, Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Al Hood, Richard Hoppin, Betty Mather, Hal Richerson, Bob Soper, Keith Thayer, David Vernon, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison), Keith Guillory, Secretary
Absent: Jim Andrews, J.P. Long, Jean Reese, Margaret Keyes, Duane Spriestersbach, Richard Stevenson (Resigned from the Council).
Chairman Engel introduced Keith Thayer, a new member of the council representing the College of Dentistry. He announced that Richard Stevenson has resigned from the Council.
The minutes of the July meeting were approved as distributed.
Emeriti Listserve: Dale Bentz reported that the listserve is up and running. There are now more than 160 names on the Email address list.
Exit Interview Project: Hal Richerson distributed Jim Andrews’ report on the progress of the council’s work on exit interviews. As of September 6, there were 66 faculty resignations. Forty-three interviews have been completed; six persons declined to participate; six have not responded and eleven persons have not yet been contacted. The College of Medicine has resumed conducting exit interviews after a seven-year hiatus. Their interview process has a somewhat different focus and format than the council’s. The consensus was that an attempt should be made to coordinate the interviews to avoid overlap. Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark will contact persons who have participated in the council’s interview process to set up a time for a meeting at which results of the interviews will be discussed. She will also distribute information concerning the format of the meeting.
Research and Artistic Work: Keith Guillory reported that the results of the survey of emeritus faculty and their participation in research and creative work have been tabulated. Fifty-five responses were received. Forty-six respondents indicated that they still are active in research and/or creative work. Seventeen indicated they needed some assistance to be more productive. The most frequent requirement was for secretarial assistance with the preparation of journal articles and manuscripts. The second most frequent requirement was for office and studio space. Some respondents requested help with various specialized computer applications such as statistical analysis, computer imaging, and writing music using a computer. The remainder of the requests were for miscellaneous office supplies, telephone, Xeroxing, etc. It is estimated that the anticipated needs of emeriti who wish to continue to be active in research and creative work can be met with an annual budget of $100,000. The committee will explore with Assistant V.P. for Research, Brian Harvey, potential sources (foundations, granting agencies) of funding that might be tapped. Sam Becker announced that a newsletter originating in the office of the Vice President for Research will feature an article discussing research activities of three emeritus faculty members.
Senior College: The name of this committee (formerly Retirees College) has been changed. Al Hood reported that the ten members of the committee have met and are seeking additional members who can identify potential speakers for the courses and seminars. Plans are to offer two four-week courses in the spring semester and half a dozen courses in subsequent semesters. A survey will be conducted at the October 9th meeting of retirees to solicit ideas for programs. The Alumni Office and the Center for Aging are enthusiastic about the college and have offered their support.
Retirees Handbook: Dale Bentz reported that the handbook has been distributed. While there were a few complaints about the handbook, in general, it was well received. Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark said that her office could make the handbook available to persons who inform her of their intent to take retirement (early, phased, or regular). It was suggested that for persons merely considering retirement that some provision can be made to provide supplies of the handbook to Staff Benefits. As soon as the handbook is online at our web site, an announcement will be published in F.Y.I. Corrections and additions to the online version can be made expeditiously.
Committee Assignments: Al Hood is now chair of the Senior College Committee. Sam Becker and Hal Richerson will no longer serve on that committee, but Richerson will serve as liaison to the larger interagency committee for the Senior College. After October 9th Dale Bentz will replace Jim Clifton as our liaison with UIRA. It was suggested that Nancy Foster, Assistant Manager at Staff Benefits be requested to serve as liaison in that office for the Retirees Handbook Committee.
New Business: Dale Bentz reported that several requests have been obtained from retirees requesting that the university waive the $5 per month fee for Email and internet access. The cost to provide this service for retired faculty would be $10,020 per year. Since free Email access is available on a number of internet sites, and since $5 per month is a modest fee to pay for both internet access and Email, it was felt that this matter should not be pursued further. Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark said that if members of the council require this service to perform their committee duties she will arrange for it.
The matter of a detailed agreement between a faculty member beginning phased retirement and his department was discussed. It was agreed that this is a matter that should be left to the discretion of individual departments, and that the council has no role to play in this.
Some concern was expressed that there is no mechanism for updating the history of the university on a regular basis. It was suggested that this might be a matter for discussion at the Faculty Senate.
Respectfully submitted, Keith Guillory, Secretary.
Emeritus Council Minutes
Monday, July 2, 2001
Present: John Long (President), Jim Andrews, Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Bob Engel, Al Hood, Richard Hoppin, Betty Mather, Jean Reese, Hal Richerson, Duane Spriestersbach, Richard Stevenson, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison), Keith Guillory, Secretary
Absent: Sam Becker, Margaret Keyes, Robert Soper, David Vernon
Members of the council, including new members, Al Hood (Education), Richard Hoppin (Liberal Arts), and Hal Richerson (Medicine), introduced themselves.
Jim Clifton presented the slate of nominees for council offices. Nominations included Vice President, Bob Engel and Secretary, Keith Guillory. There being no further nominations, the candidates were elected by acclamation.
The minutes of the June meeting were approved as corrected.
Annual meeting: John Long congratulated the members of the council on the success of the annual meeting held on June 19. The attendance was similar to last year’s, approximately 45-50 persons. The entertainment was superb and the speaker was excellent. It was suggested that there may be adequate funds in the budget to permit the council to host a buffet type luncheon at next year’s meeting. It was also suggested that, in addition to the mail notification, Email notices should be sent out to members of the emeritus faculty via the listserve 1-2 weeks prior to the meeting.
Exit Interview Project: Jim Andrews reported that 60 persons have submitted resignations this year. Most have been interviewed, but 4 persons have declined interviews and 5 have been difficult to reach. Another 22 interviews are pending. New members of the council were urged to volunteer to conduct exit interviews. A training session will be conducted for the volunteers later this summer. Persons who have conducted interviews will meet with Associate Provost Lee Anna Clark at some time prior to October. The reporting period for resignations is July 1 to June 30, but persons conducting interviews are requested to include information from interviews with persons resigning after June 30 at that meeting, although data from these persons will not be included in the official resignation list that will be sent to the Board of Regents this year. There was some discussion concerning redundancy with exit interviews conduced by the College of Medicine, and Lee Anna Clark will discuss this issue further with her contact in that college.
Retirees Handbook: Dale Bentz reported that the handbook has now been completed and will be distributed by the Staff Benefits office. Copies will be available at the emeritus office in the Governance Center, Room 380 IMU. The handbook will also be available (as an Adobe Acrobat, PDF, file) on the Staff Benefits website, with a link from the Emeritus Faculty Council webpage.
Retirees College: Jim Clifton and Sam Becker met with Bill Oglesby and with Vince Nelson, Executive Director of the Alumni Association. They were assured of assistance from the Alumni Association in collecting fees for courses and in handling publicity once matters such as venue and schedule were worked out. A possible locale for lectures is the auditorium at Oakdale Hall. It was pointed out that the Center for Learning in Retirement might be a competing (or possibly a cooperating) program.
Faculty Council: There have been no meetings of the council since June.
Definition of Emeritus Faculty: Changes have not yet appeared in the University Operations Manual. Lee Anna Clark will check to see that the changes are made.
Meetings: The Big Ten Retirees Association Meeting is scheduled for this summer at the University of Wisconsin. Al Hood has agreed to serve as our representative at that meeting.
Early Retirement Policy: There are some potential legal problems with the University’s early retirement program, and it is likely that the program will be discontinued. Persons who intend to take early retirement likely will need to announce their decision by June 30, 2002, with retirement permitted until June 2004. The Board of Regents will decide on the policy’s fate at an upcoming meeting.
Address Sheet: An amended address sheet for council members was circulated. Included on the address sheet are Jan Swartzendruber who serves as Secretary and Deb Tiemans, who is the contact person for our webpage.
Committee Roster: Joseph Cannon was reappointed as the emeritus representative on the Research Council. Bob Engel will continue to serve as our representative on the Faculty Senate and Council, with Jim Andrews serving as the alternate. The Teaching and Service Committee has been inactive and will be disbanded pending a specific need for its revival. Keith Guillory will chair the Research and Artistic Work Committee, with members to include Duane Spriestersbach, Jean Reese, and Larry Gelfand (if he is willing to serve). Sam Becker will continue to chair the Elections Committee, with members: Jean Reese, Richard Stevenson, and Dale Bentz.
The Annual Meeting Committee will be chaired by Bob Engel and include members Robert Soper and Betty Mather. Jim Andrews will continue to be the person who makes assignments for exit interviews. He will be assisted by Hal Richerson. Dale Bentz will continue to serve as the contact person for the Emeriti Listserve. The Retirees Handbook Committee will be chaired by Dale Bentz, with members: Betty Mather, Sam Becker, Robert Soper and Richard Stevenson. The Retirees College Committee will be chaired by Sam Becker with members Al Hood and Hal Richerson. Jim Clifton will continue to serve as the council’s liaison with UIRA. Keith Guillory will be the contact person for communications with Deb Tiemens, who is in charge of our web page.
There will be no August meeting of the council. Meetings for the remainder of the year will be on the first Monday of each month, except for the September meeting, which will be held September 10. For that meeting, the meeting time is 10-11:30 a.m.
Respectfully submitted, Keith Guillory, Secretary.
Minutes of the June 18, 2001 AEF Annual Meeting
Minutes of Annual Meeting
June 18, 2001 Senate Chamber, Old Capitol
Call to order and opening remarks:
President Sam Becker began the meeting at 10 a.m. in the Senate Chamber of Old Capitol. Sam thanked the many individuals who made this meeting possible.
Ann Smothers, Director of Old Capitol Museum, welcomed The Association and expressed her pleasure that we had chosen Old Capitol for the annual meeting. She briefly reviewed several aspects of the building and history that make this building a gem.
Distribution and approval of June 2000 Annual Meeting minutes:
Minutes from Annual Meeting, year 2000, were approved.
Performance by colleagues:
Betty Bang Mather, flute
Himie Voxman, clarinet
Richard Caplan, keyboard
Address, followed by questions from the floor:
The Honorable Richard Myers, Johnson County Representative to the General Assembly of Iowa and Minority Leader of the House of Representatives, discussed the joys and frustrations of serving in the legislature. He illustrated the difficulty convincing some that funding the university should be an extremely high priority. He invited personnel of the university to make their desires and hopes known to him. He is proud to represent the district that includes The University of Iowa.
Second Year in Review - A report summarizing activities of the Emeritus Faculty was presented by President Becker. He noted these accomplishments:
- Retirees Handbook
- Exit interview project
- Representation on Faculty Council and Senate
- Representation on Research Council
- Refined definition of emeritus faculty status in University's Operations manual
- Assisted Human Resources department with orientation sessions for faculty and staff contemplating retirement
- Emeritus web page
- Emeritus listserv
- Mr. Becker mentioned these projects that are being worked on:
- Aid for emeriti continuing scholarly or artistic work
Retirees college
Retirees have volunteered to assist the state in getting more equitable Medicare payments for Iowans.
Discussion, questions, suggestions from the floor:
Several suggestions were noted, including the need for better communication. These will be reviewed at the August meeting of EFC.
Comments by Associate Provost, Lee Anna Clark:
Professor Clark expressed her happiness/appreciation for the establishment of an organization representing retired faculty. Her data concerning faculty leaving the university are now much more complete since EFC began conducting exit interviews.
Jim Clifton reported results of the recent election for Emeritus Faculty Council members. He noted that the vote in some colleges was very close. Newly elected members of the Council include Keith Guillory, Pharmacy; Al Hood, Education; Richard Hoppin, Liberal Arts; Margaret Keyes, Liberal Arts; Hal Richerson, Medicine; Keith Thayer, Dentistry and David Vernon, Law.
Passing of the gavel (Gift from Bob Kremenak)
President Sam Becker passed the gavel to the new President J. P. Long and stated that he wished him well.
Comments by President John P. Long
President Long expressed his hope that the Council can continue to function at the same high level that we have seen in the past. He stated that it appears that the Emeritus Faculty Association will continue to accomplish the original charge from university administration, namely, answering the questions of what the university can do to help retired faculty and what retired faculty can do to help the university, and then trying to see that those answers are acted upon. He thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and urged all to keep in touch.
No-host lunch, River Room Cafeteria, Meeting Room 1.
Emeritus Council Minutes
February 5, 2001
Present: Sam Becker (President), Jim Andrews,, Dale Bentz, Jim Clifton, Bob Engel, Bea Furner, Larry Gelfand, Keith Guillory, Betty Mather, Dick Stevenson, Lea Anna Clark (Liaison), David Vernon, Secretary
Absent:, George N. Bedell, Bob Kremenak, J.P. Long, Jean Reese, Bob Soper, D.C. Spriestersbach
The minutes of the January 8 meeting were approved as amended.
The draft of the Retirees Handbook was discussed. The Committee was commended for having done an excellent job. The importance of keeping the Handbook current was stressed and various methods for accomplishing that purpose considered. (Report from Bentz)
Vernon and Furner discussed the possible development of an education program taught in part by emeritus faculty and, perhaps, by some other retirees. A proposal containing alternatives available and possible funding sources will be prepared by Vernon so that the Council can discuss whether it wishes to spearhead the new program.
A report from the Research Committee noted the problem of a dearth of office space for emeritus faculty who wish to continue their research programs after retirement. Availability of office space varies among academic units. It is possible that the University will be able to identify some office space for those who need it, although location may be a problem.
Relationship with faculty council: As part of a report on the last Faculty Council Meeting, we were informed that the Faculty Council had welcomed the idea of having a member of our group attend Faculty Council meetings as a non-voting participant. (Andrews)
Definition of Emeritus Faculty Members: A revised draft was presented by the Committee and approved by the Emeritus Council. It will be forwarded as our recommendation to the Faculty Council, which we anticipate will be the start of a review process that will end with the approval of the Board of Regents. (Furner)
It was agreed to delay the March meeting until March 12.
Respectfully submitted, David H. Vernon, Secretary
Emeritus Council Minutes
January 8, 2001
Present: Sam Becker (President), Jim Andrews, George N. Bedell, Dale Bentz, Bea Furner, Larry Gelfand, Keith Guillory, Bob Kremenak, J.P. Long (Chairing meeting), Betty Mather, Jean Reese, Bob Soper, D.C. Spriestersbach, Dick Stevenson, Lee Anna Clark (Liaison), Dave Vernon
Jane Holland of the University Worklife Services Program described the various components of the Program and suggested ways in which emeritus faculty members might utilize the services.
The penultimate report of the Committee seeking to define emeritus/emerita faculty members was sent back to the Committee for what everyone hoped would be a final draft presented at the February meeting of the Council. (Furner)
The Committee Drafting a Proposal for a UI retirees college did not meet until after the January meeting of the Council. A report will be made at the February meeting. (Vernon)
The Retirees Handbook will be ready for discussion the February meeting of the Council. (Bentz)
The Council discussed the progress of the program to interview faculty members who resign from the University.
The meeting ended shortly after 10:30 a.m.
David H. Vernon, Secretary