UCIEA Executive Committee Meeting December 4, 2006 – Minutes

Present: David Easton, Julian Feldman, Eldon Foltz, Jeri Frederick, Barbara Hamkalo, Ann Heiney, Judd Hubert, Pamela Lawrence, Peggy Maradudin, Sam McCulloch, Ronald Miller, Lyman Porter, Marianne Schnaubelt, Myron Simon, Ann Stephens, and Jerome Tobis.

Minutes: of November 13 approved as written and distributed.

Important Business: Our Vice Chair, Barbara Hamkalo, volunteered to take minutes of future meetings for which a tape recorder will hopefully be available from the Academic Senate Office.

As discussed in November (as recorded in the minutes under Treasurer's Report) the UCIEA jointly with the UCIRA hopes to be able to employ an assistant for both organizations, and Miller included this in a budget request submitted to the Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor. There was considerable discussion whether this individual should report to Jeri Frederick, Director of the Retiree Relations Center, or to the Chairs of the UCIEA and the UCIRA, or both. Easton and Tobis made a plea for a clear job description (which Miller has requested of Frederick) and for a decision of reporting relationships. The Executive Committee was provided today with descriptions of the responsibilities of the Retiree Relations Center Director (a 50% position) and of the student assistant (who works five hours per week). Recall that there was a consensus at a meeting last year at China Garden (attended by Julian Feldman, Jeri Frederick, Kivie Moldave, and Ann Stephens) to see if student assistance under Ms. Frederick and to the UCIEA would meet our needs (and recognizing if not, that we would wish to hire an assistant to replace Audrey Wicks). It is now clear that the needs of both the UCIEA and the UCIRA could best be met by a part-time assistant who would provide continuity from year-to-year. Both Marianne Schnaubelt and Jeri Frederick know of Retirees who might possibly be interested in the position. We await approval of the budget.

Discussion arose -- in considering with whom the UCIEA might discuss academic matters affecting our campus -- concerning the purpose of the UCIEA. Stephens expressed a view that had been expressed in the past by Feldman and Porter that such matters could be expressed by individual members of the Executive Committee, but that it was not the purpose of our Association to provide advice on such matters. Building on the Tobis caution that we be more than self-serving, Miller felt the UCIEA could reasonably provide even unsolicited advice because of our substantial collective academic experience and hopefully good judgment (perhaps even wisdom) as well as having the time to deliberate the appropriate choice amongst options that might be available for the problem under consideration.

Academic Senate Liaison: Miller has written the chair of the Senate again requesting a representative to attend our meetings.

Treasurer's Report: In Krassner's absence today, Miller reported that he had submitted a request to the Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor for a substantial increase in the support so kindly provided annually by the EVC-Provost, and Hamkalo reported that she had requested of the Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor support for the spring meeting of CUCEA that we have been asked to host. Mike Arias has assured us that our budget requests will receive favorable consideration. We hope to simplify payment of our financial commitments by an independent checking account for which Krassner is seeking approval.

The committee to consider future financial and other needs of the Emeritae/i Association requested last month by Ken Dumars (with membership to include Hamkalo, Krassner, Miller, and Schnaubelt and chairman Dumars) is to meet after the first of the year.

Newsletter Report: Jeri Frederick reported that the newsletter is to be distributed today after further review by Editor Quilligan and members of the Editorial Committee (Easton, Hamkalo, Heiney, Moldave, Simon, and Swett). She provided a draft of the newsletter to those in attendance. In Quilligan's absence, Miller reported that Quilligan had requested the Chancellor write his vision of a values-committed institution for the next newsletter. Submissions for the winter newsletter are requested at this time. Ms Frederick will assist us in requesting an obituary of Dennis Clark, and Miller will request one for Walter Donlan of the Department of Classics.

Program Committee: Heiney and Stephens reminded us that the holiday party will be held on December 12 (from 4 to 6 p.m.) at the home of Julian Feldman, the meeting with the Chancellor on January 12 (from 3:30 to 6 p.m) at the University Club, and the annual meeting of the Association on Tuesday, June 5 (from 1 to 3 p.m.) in Room C at the University Club (speaker and topic to be determined). Subjects and speakers for the winter and spring meetings are also under consideration.

Awards Committee: Miller reminded the Executive Committee that if we had wished to make recommendations regarding the Panunzio Award or the Dickson Professorship we should have done so, and that we should soon solicit nominees for the mentorship award. A Chairperson and members are needed.

Bylaws: As previously noted, the bylaws were last revised in April of 1999 and would benefit from review. The Bylaws were distributed to the Executive Committee in October, but comments are awaited. Relative to the discussion above concerning the purpose of the UCI Emeritae/i Association, the Bylaws list two purposes (in addition to five that are primarily self-directed) as follows: "(6) To support the University in its goals for community enlightenment and societal advancement; (7) to perform such other acts as may be necessary or expedient for the administration of the organization's affairs and the attainment of its goals". Does "the organization" refer to the University or to the UCIEA (or to which should it refer) ?

Report of Council on Faculty Welfare of Academic Senate and its Emeritae/i Affairs Subcommittee: Feldman reported the University-wide Council has been told that the Mercer consulting firm retained by the Office of the President and the Regents has compared UC total salary and benefits with 19 other universities and believe we are reasonably "well-off", whereas comparison with other universities in California might not be so favorable. Health benefits could be in jeopardy in the future. The UCI Council on Faculty Welfare deals with matters of academic freedom, diversity and welfare of faculty and emeritae/i, but the only subcommittee is that of emeritae/i affairs. Consideration was given to forming additional committees, but since there is a separate Senate Committee on Diversity, it was decided simply to increase membership to allow representation of other important interests. The Council has also been concerned with the stewardship of electronic information.  

The survey (of benefits provided emeritae/i by UCI Schools and Departments) designed by Simon, Feldman, and Iannucci is of considerable interest to CUCEA, and hopefully may be completed by the April 26 meeting we are to host on our campus. The senior and retirees housing survey (by Feldman, Mary Watson, and focus groups) is also to be analyzed and reported.

CUCEA (Treasurer Porter, Joint Benefits Feldman, Representative Miller, Alternates Hamkalo and Moldave, RRCtr Dir Frederick): We are to submit a budget request to the Assistant EVC so that we may host the statewide meeting on April 26, 2007. Hamkalo has provided information to allow Ms. Frederick to submit the request to the Assistant EVC who wishes to consider it along with the budget request we submitted last month for the UCIEA.

History Committee: We hope that Ken Dumars may continue the work previously initiated by Gottschalk, Tobis, Hubert, McCulloch, and Fagin.

Ethics Committee: Tobis will request a meeting with Feldman, Hoffer, Lawrence, Miller, Moldave, and Swett.

Osher Lifelong Learning Institute: Maradudin submitted both for our newsletter and for the Executive Committee a list of courses of possible interest to emeritae/i.

University Fora: McCulloch submitted a list of meetings scheduled for the winner quarter.

Retiree Relations Center: Lyman Porter recalled that the name of the Center to serve both retirees and emeritae/i had been the Retirement Relations Center. Jeri Frederick reported that the name was changed to the "Retiree Relations Center" because of the number of telephone calls from individuals wishing to learn how to retire from UCI employment. Miller asked if the term "Relations" had significance, and if not, recommended the name of the Center might be changed to the "UCI Emeritae/i and Retirees Center" or to the "UCI Retirees and Emeritae/i Center". McCulloch preferred the former name (giving preference to alphabetical order), and Miller suggested that the latter name might recognize the substantially larger population of retirees than emeritae/i. He will write Gina Merriott and Michael Arias to this effect.

Director Frederick reaffirmed the UCI commitment to development of a Center like those at Berkeley and UCLA, directed respectively by Eddie Murphy and Shelley Glaser. Our Director's salary is paid by the University, and annual funding is requested through Human Resources which ultimately reports to Wendell Brase, Vice Chancellor of Administrative and Business Services.

Retirees Association Liaison: Marianne Schnaubelt reported plans to survey retirees regarding their interests (for example in programs and speakers), hope for a newsletter and also for a web site that might facilitate retirees volunteering at the University and/or for the community. Just as for the UCIEA, a part-time assistant would be highly desirable.

Web Site: Miller will request updating of the information on the web site.

Old business: We are very fortunate that Hamkalo has volunteered to take notes of our meetings, but we still have need for volunteers for Web-site Manager, and for Chairs and Members of Awards, Bylaws, History, and Membership Committees.

Ms. Frederick brought a new draft of stationery for the UCIEA. Easton may wish to suggest further changes in the font.

New business:

Jerry Tobis requested we reconsider the time of convening and the limitation of our meetings to an hour and one quarter. On this occasion the group agreed to continue starting at 9:15 a.m. (usually on the first Monday of the month) but to generally end at 10:45 (a compromise between the 1 3/4 hours of last year and the 1 1/4 hour decision this year).

Miller noted the search continues for a Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs-Dean, School of Medicine and that search committees have been informed for Dean of Biological Sciences and for Dean of the School of Law.

Judd Hubert raised concern regarding the adequacy of funding of the multiple credential program for teachers. He noted that many of the instructors have only masters degrees whereas in single-credential graduate programs our teachers have Ph.D.'s. He quipped the old adage, "if you can't teach, teach teachers". It was noted that California requires more than a bachelor's degree for teaching in primary and secondary education. Hence the need for graduate education and teaching credentials whereas in many states a bachelor's degree is sufficient. Myron Simon (whose own title was Professor of English and Education) provided a historical perspective by noting an early vote of the UCI faculty not to support a school or department of teacher education but that the multiple credential program became a department eight or nine years ago. Julian Feldman recommended that the problem might best be addressed by the Senate Council on Educational Policy or the Graduate Council, and Miller recommended that Hubert and Simon might bring the matter to attention of the appropriate Senate committee (perhaps checking first with Carol Gardner as to which committee would have responsibility).

Deferred Business:

Revision of Bylaws and reconsideration of purposes/goals of the UCIEA

Revision of UCIEA brochure

Finalization of Budget and hopefully search for a UCIEA-UCIRA assistant

Independent checking account

Plans for winter and spring educational and/or social meetings

Plans for April CUCEA meeting

Formation of Awards Committee and solicitation of nominations for mentorship award.

Review of benefits and housing surveys

Completion of the history of the UCIEA

Recommendation of name of the UCI Emeritae/i and Retirees Center

Support of space and equipment requests for the E&RRC

Minutes drafted by Ronald B. Miller and distributed December 10, 2006