UCIEA Executive Committee Meeting Minutes of April 3, 2006

 

Present: Justin Call, David Easton, Eldon Foltz, Richard Frank, Jeri Frederick, Barbara Hamkalo, Mark Hoffer, Judd Hubert, Anita Iannucci, Stuart Krassner, Peggy Maradudin, Sam McCulloch, Ronald Miller, Kivie Moldave, Robert Montgomery, Lorie Reed, Myron Simon.

 

Call to order: Meeting was called to order by Chair Kivie Moldave at 9:15 a.m.

 

Minutes: The minutes of March 6 were approved as written, but subsequently it was noted that David Easton (who was present on March 6) was not listed amongst the attendees.  Apologies.

 

Treasurer's report: We now have $1507.21 in the Foundation Account and owe $187 to the University Club for the meeting at which Michael Clark spoke.  The Academic Affairs allocation from the EVC finances staff support for the Association which is currently in the form of a student assistant coordinated by our Retirement Relations Center Director.

 

 In October 2004 there were 271 emeritae/i on our mailing list and 108 paid dues to be compared with 85 who paid dues in 2005 and 23 as of February 2006.  Since Chairman Moldave's letter to the deans has not provided names of individuals to retire in June, it was recommended that the letter be addressed to all department chairs.  However, Reed stated that by August of each year, Academic Affairs has a list of retirees that could serve as the basis of letters inviting participation in the UCIEA.  She has outlined this process in the notebook recently initiated to guide future officers.

 

Program committee: Frederick had received some notes from Julian Feldman who was out of town.  Feldman had requested that someone contact Dr. Mosqueda to see if she might participate as well as recommend a medical student for the panel discussion that is to be held on May 19 on "How to Talk with Your Doctor" from 2:00 to 3:30 at the UClub.  Barbara Hamkalo volunteered and Dr. Mosqueda is able to participate.  Confirmed are also Andrew Reikes and Pam Lawrence.  Ron Miller volunteered to participate.   There will be a $5.00 charge at the door.

 

The annual meeting of the UCIEA is to be held in June with speaker, date, and location yet to be announced.  Barbara Hamkalo offered to check into a possible speaker in the area of the campus stem cell work.

 

Newsletter: A suggestion was made that our newsletter might be combined with that of the Retirees.  Reed and Miller felt there might be occasions (for example, major changes in benefits for both groups) where a joint newsletter might be appropriate, but in general Easton and Miller felt the issues of importance to each group were sufficiently distinct as to warrant continuing separate newsletters.  However Easton recommended that a copy of our newsletter be made available to the retirees should they wish to select an article or column for their own newsletter.

 

At the March meeting, David Easton recommended revival of the editorial board, and Moldave has recommended that Hamkalo, Heiney, Easton, Moldave, Simon, and -- when not traveling -- Swett serve in this capacity.

 

The plans for a single spring newsletter are in full swing with an article from Laura Mosqueda, a summary of his talk by Michael Clark, a column on the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute by Maradudin, hopefully a summary of Frank LaFerla's talk on Alzheimer's disease, a review of Rene Hubert's memoirs, a column by the Chair, an obituary, hopefully a statement by Sharon Salinger regarding the recommendation she, Spence Olin, and others wish to make for mentoring and/or teaching by emeritae/i, and a request for dues and contributions.  It was recommended by Miller that our newsletter might also announce the University Club fora, and any special OLLI meetings or courses that might be of particular interest to emeritae/i.  The Bio Sci-Humanities meeting on stem cells is to be held on April 26 at 7 p.m. in Humanities Instructional Building 100.

 

Emeriti committee on faculty welfare: Feldman could not be present but reported by memorandum on the University Committee on Faculty Welfare meeting of March 17: Academic Council Chair Brunk was relieved of his position.  A Regents' Advisory Group endorsed elimination of the rebate of Medicare Part B premiums (approximately $90 a month for a single beneficiary, $200 for a couple).  The Office of the President plans a 5%cap for both active and retired faculty to increases in University coverage of increases in health plan costs.  The University Committee on Faculty Welfare is concerned that cuts in retiree health benefits may have an impact on early retirement and workforce productivity.  The UCFW has written the Academic Council expressing concerns about the management slotting for Chancellor's with chancellors of smaller campuses being considered second-class.  The duties of departing System Vice President Mullinix have been assigned to Bruce Darling (human resources), L. Hershman (legislature, budget, facilities, external debt, and parking), and Acting Provost R. Hume (information technology and technology transfer).  The UCFW will discuss the difference in parking guidelines of the UCFW and the UCOP.

 

 Survey of benefits provided emeritae/i by various departments at UCI:  Simon asked us what issues we wish to stress, e.g., copyright issues (do lecture notes and syllabi belong to the University or to the faculty member?), medical benefits, etc..  He stated that Feldman wishes the identified issues to be considered by the Senate as well as the emeritae/i with recommendations to be made to meetings of the Division.  Simon went on to say that when he came in 1969 he was much impressed by faculty input to the Administration, but he believes it has waned, and Easton recommended this be the subject of a future meeting of the Executive Committee.

 

Anita Iannucci of the Center for Statistical Computing, (UCI, Irvine, CA 92697-5105; Zot 5105;  949-824-1682) revised the questionnaire prepared by Myron Simon to ascertain the range of benefits provided by different departments to emeritae/i, and the benefits desired by emeritae/i.  She asked that each of us answer the four-page questionnaire and write in comments for further revision prior to distribution of the survey.  She recommended a pre-survey notice, the survey, and follow up mailings and phone calls.  Time did not permit us to complete this pilot project, and Miller recommended each of us do so following the meeting and return the survey and comments to Dr. Iannucci. 

 

Nominating committee (Easton, Hamkalo, Krassner, Miller, Moldave, Porter, and Tobis): The committee (save for Porter and Tobis who could not be present) met prior to the Executive Committee meeting, and recommended a proposed slate for the annual UCIEA meeting in June (where additional nominations may be made) including Miller as chair, Hamkalo as vice chair, Krassner as treasurer. We need to recruit a secretary.  We hope that Julian Feldman will continue to be the program chair.  We hope that Ted Quilligan will serve as editor of the newsletter (with an editorial board of Easton, Hamkalo, Heiney, Moldave, Simon, and Swett).  We presume Feldman, Simon, and Tobis will continue as the emeritae/i subcommittee of the UCI Council on Faculty Welfare.  Individuals who might be considered for the Executive Committee include Myron Bander, Greg Benford, Arnold Binder, Rowland Davis, Ev Fleischer, Pam Lawrence, Alex Maradudin, Nat Rynn, Krishna Tewari, and Lauri Thrupp.  Easton recommended a letter be sent to all retiring faculty with a list to be compiled by Lorie Reed and Jeri Frederick.

 

Awards committee (Easton, Foltz, McCulloch, Moldave, Porter, Reed, and Tobis): Moldave reported the Panunzio decision is to be made this month.  Chair Reed reported the committee awaits further nominees for the mentorship award and that the committee is to select an outstanding emerita/us.

 

Ethics committee (Feldman, Hoffer, Miller, Moldave, Swett, and Tobis): In Tobis' absence Miller reported that the as-yet undiscussed proposal that emeritae/i might serve in an advisory capacity regarding prevention or at least amelioration of the sorts of problems that have led to the several School of Medicine scandals could be complicated by the need for any official University activities or discussions to be made available to the public promptly upon request.  The Committee has yet to meet.

 

 Retirement Relations Center:   Frederick reported that she has arranged with the University Club  a 25% discount for retirees and emeritae/i for lunch on Mondays.  Although David Tomcheck is retiring as Associate Vice Chancellor for Administrative and Business Services we are fortunate that he will continue to assist the campus in key areas such as the University Club.

 

On April 13 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Kim R. Hubbard, an attorney for 27 years and a specialist in elder law for the last 16 years will talk on, "Scams, Schemes, Frauds, and Betrayals of Trust: Financial Elder Abuse".  There is no charge for attendance. Director Frederick reported that it is had been suggested to her that space in Biological Sciences Administration might become available with the Dean's move to Natural Sciences II.  It would be a great opportunity to create a physical Center for the RRC.  Hamkalo recommended that an estimate of the required amount of space and equipment be provided Moldave for the endorsement of the UCIEA.   With this, he, in turn would write a letter to Gail Brooks, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources and to Michael Gottfredson, EVC and Provost, in support of space allocation for the RRC. Frederick also noted that parking for all UCI Emeriti/Retirees is to be at a 50% discount for all permits and daily rates, although implementation has been somewhat difficult on the side of the Parking office.  It was suggested that special ID cards be created for UCI Emeriti/Retirees so that one would be able to show this at any parking kiosk as well as the University Club for easier identification.

 

New and Unfinished business: Moldave has requested liaison to us by a member of the Senate Cabinet.  He believes Pauline Yahr, Chair of Faculty Welfare, may be the individual.  Reed reported there are two librarians who are considered emeritae/i, but this may be a UCI award rather than one by the President of the University.  Further information is to be obtained prior to our invitation to a library emerita/us to join our Executive Committee.

 

 

Minutes prepared by Ronald B. Miller, M.D., Vice Chair and Secretary with the assistance of Reed, Moldave, and Frederick.