- UCIEA Executive Committee Meeting September 11, 2006 -- Minutes

I. Members present: David Easton, Julian Feldman, Dick Frank, Jeri Frederick, Barbara Hamkalo, Judd Hubert, Stuart Krassner, Pam Lawrence, Sam McCulloch, Ron Miller, Lyman Porter, Ted Quilligan, and Myron Simon.  Members who indicated they could not be present: Ann Heiney, Mark Hoffer, Peggy Maradudin, and Jerry Tobis. 

New members not present today include: Rui de Figueredo and Gil Geis.

II Minutes of the May 1 and June 14, 2006 meetings were approved with the recommendation that the first qualification for the award for outstanding academic or career mentoring and counseling (in the 3rd paragraph of the minutes of the annual meeting of June 14, 2006) be changed from "the recipient be an active emerita/us or retired faculty" to "the recipient be a current faculty member, emerita/us, or retired faculty’.

III.  Important or urgent business:  We need volunteers for Secretary and both to chair and be members of the Awards, Bylaws, and History committees. Miller recommended that we should discuss the most important business first at each of our meetings. He also recommended that we have an educational session at each meeting, a suggestion that seemed to have consensus but for which volunteers will be required.

The duration of our meetings the past two years (9:15 to 11:00 a.m.) was of concern to a number of members, and the consensus is that our meetings should be 9:15 to 10:30 and remain on the first Monday of each month, and deferred for a week if the first Monday is a holiday. Unfortunately we could not accommodate Mark Hoffer who would prefer a different day or at least a later time to start.

            David Easton had recommended at a previous meeting that we discuss Myron Simon's concern that faculty input to the Administration may have waned over recent years. Miller commented that the July meeting at Vanderbilt seemed to reverse this trend for faculty, but perhaps not for emeritae/i input. Simon recalled an academic planning committee which -- amongst other things -- recommended how FTEs should be assigned and was concerned that it might no longer be in existence. Hamkalo reported that it remains an administrative committee which the deans attend every two years and make such recommendations.

IV.  Treasurer's report: Stuart Krassner presented a ledger, activity, and fund balance statement from the UCI Foundation which he and the Executive Committee found difficult to interpret. Feldman and Porter were of the understanding that no other campuses have to go through their Foundations, and it is apparently time-consuming and we hope unnecessary to first seek approval of the Foundation for the payment of expenses, and then have a check issued by Human Resources. Since we are apparently the only UC emeriti association that has to go through the Foundation like a support group to pay our expenses, etc we need to work with Carol Frizzell and Gay White, and Carol has raised a question of the need for liability insurance if we have a separate checking account.  We believe we should have an independent checking account (as at UCB and UCSB) that we could use without prior approval, at least up to some specified dollar amount.

We are uncertain whether our balance is $2060 or $3800. Krassner plans to talk with treasurers of other campuses, and we should continue to pursue the possibility of an independent checking account as recommended by Lorie Reed who conditions the recommendation by stating "but not if the price is either (a) loss of tax-exempt status... or (b) the necessity of filling out IRS paperwork...".  Richard Frank reported that a rather simple single page form from the IRS is necessary to obtain tax exemption as a 501-c-3 organization. We should be sure that our dues year is our fiscal year which presumably is the academic year. Lorie had informed us that nearly half of last year's dues were not submitted until June (perhaps because of the reminder in the Newsletter that was mailed in May rather than simply e-mailed as in December.  Lorie Reed reminds us of the costs for events: announcements and reminders, lunch, beverage, meals for guests, tip and tax, equipment such as microphone or projector, room costs, etc. And with regard to other expenses, she notes those for the student assistant, newsletters, CUCEA dues, travel to CUCEA, flowers for funerals, award plaques, etc.           

V.  Newsletter editor's report:  We should aim for three newsletters (October-November, January-February, and April-May). Chair Ted Quilligan would like to have the Chancellor answer questions from emeritae/i each year, and Miller noted that Jeri Frederick had arranged for us to meet with the Chancellor on Friday, January 12 from 3:30 to 5 p.m. For the meeting with the Chancellor last year Kivie Moldave had recommended we submit questions in advance, and this would be appropriate again this year and might serve as the basis of a column in the winter newsletter. Quilligan plans to meet with Jeri Frederick and the editorial board of David Easton, Barbara Hamkalo, Ann Heiney, Kivie Moldave, Myron Simon, and John Swett. Miller recommended that the editorial board review the goals listed on our prior newsletters and make recommendations to the Executive Committee.  For example, he recommended the fourth goal listed on the second page of the winter 2005-2006 newsletter (volume 13, number 1) be changed to read "to support the University in all its goals and to contribute to the welfare of the UCI faculty, students, staff, and the greater community" and that the final paragraph in that section, "Where do my voluntary UCI Emeritae/i association dues go ?", be changed to read "To facilitate achievement of our goals will involve expenses such as printing, postage, event location rental fees, the assistance of students. Your dues allow us to continue our efforts”. Miller had recommended in a memo last October that each issue announce McCulloch's University Fora, and OLLI courses of interest. David Easton had recommended we make our Newsletter available to Retirees, and Ted Quilligan may wish to see the Retirees' newsletters.

VI.  Program committee report: In Ann Heiney's absence Ann Stephens reported they had met and recommended the fall meeting (in November, date to be determined) again this year be a review of healthcare insurance including the income-adjusted premiums for Medicare Part B and the University benefits changes such as the elimination of the approximately $1000 Part B rebate (except for those who select an HMO) and the overall reduction in benefits to emeritae/i.

In the absence of an offer of an emerita/us to provide her or his home for the annual Holiday party, we should promptly reserve the University Club library for an afternoon in December.

The January 12 meeting with the Chancellor is to be held at the University Club library from 3:30 to 5 p.m.

We should select speakers and then dates for winter and spring meetings. Miller reported that Louis  Gottschalk recommended that we invite Rebecca Gladson, Associate Vice Chancellor and Campus Architect to speak on her "design-build" (Hamkalo states it is now called "align-build") concept for all stakeholders to plan new projects. Following the meeting, Jerry Tobis thought an interesting speaker either for one of our Executive Committee meetings or for a program for the Emeritae/i Association would be Frank Cancian, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Social Science. Miller recommended that when appointed, the new Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs-Dean, School of Medicine would be a speaker of interest, and he suggested that we ask Michael Gottfredson to speak on a topic of his choice ? In the CUCEA minutes of April 28, 2005, UCSD said their "Emeriti Association is planning additional events, possibly with UCI and other institutions nearby". Perhaps we should contact their Program Chair.

In November 2005 Julian Feldman recommended that we have meetings monthly, but this was not further discussed today.  Miller asked whether we should have an annual memorial meeting to honor deceased emeritae/i as does UCR. The Executive Committee thought this might be best done, as at present, by department chairs or deans.

Because this year's annual meeting of the UCI EA was held on a Wednesday (11:30 - 1:30 p.m.) Miller suggested we should secure a June 6th reservation at the University Club for our annual meeting. Because the push University Forum plans a luncheon-meeting that day, the consensus of our Executive Committee was to meet following the Forum (i.e., from 1:15 to 3:15).

VII.  Nominating and membership committee: Hamkalo recommended that we invite Emeritae/i (whether on the Executive Committee or not) to serve on a committee to encourage membership (whether on the Executive Committee or simply to attend our programs and meetings) appreciating encouragement by friends is most likely to be effective. The Executive Committee agreed this is an excellent recommendation, and also approved Miller's inviting Ron Wilson and librarians Judy Horn and Beverly Toy to join the Executive Committee.           .

        At UCLA, HR presents a form to all retirees to obtain permission to provide their names to the Emeriti and Retirees Associations. Miller is to recommend such a form to Gina Merriott. Lorie Reed plans to obtain a list for us of this year's retirees/ emeritae/i from the Academic Senate and from Academic Personnel. Last October Jeri stated her office was creating a database for all emeriti and retiree addresses and contact information. Because of the Information Privacy Act we can utilize such a list for UCIEA business, but we cannot release it to other organizations.

VIII.  Awards committee report: No report as we need to determine who is willing to chair, and who to serve ?

            Miller believes that department chairs and the Provost are to solicit letters of recommendations from the faculty for the Panunzio award, but perhaps we also should submit recommendations to the EVC-Provost ?

            In March of each year we should solicit nominees for the UCIEA Mentorship Award.

            Each spring we need to nominate an individual for the distinguished emerita/us award.

 IX.. Bylaws committee report: We need to appoint a committee.

X.  Council on faculty welfare of Academic Senate and Emeritae/i Affairs Subcommittee (Feldman, Miller, Newsom, Simon):

        Benefits survey: (Simon, Feldman, Porter, Iannucci): Feldman reports that the draft survey was pilot tested and improved, but that the $300 the UCIEA budgeted for survey design, pilot testing, and reformatting has been expended. Thus, to actually survey the faculty we need to make an additional allocation even if HR might generously pay the cost of mailing the summary ? We also need to review Bob Warner's report of 10 years ago regarding "what emeritae/i want".

Benefits concerns (In June, Miller sent members of the Executive Committee a link to the UCRP provided by Gail Brooks. Neither UC nor employees have had to contribute to the UCRP for 16 years, but contributions will be necessary "to keep the UC Retirement Plan healthy". Feldman was informed by Jerry Tobis that Howard Ryan and American Federation of Teachers have expressed serious concern regarding benefits for retirees as well as active staff and faculty.

        Senior and retirees housing: Feldman informed Miller that the EVC had provided $2500, of which $1100 had been expended by the time of our annual meeting in June. Feldman states Mary Watson has held focus groups on this subject, and he hopes to report to the Executive Committee next month. 

 XI.   Academic Senate liaison:

        Kivie Moldave had recommended to Ken Janda, last year's Senate Chair, that the liaison from the Senate to the UCIEA should be a Senate Cabinet member who would report to the Executive Cabinet of the Senate as well as to us. Pauline Yahr was thought to be an ideal individual for this purpose, but she is Chair of the Senate Council on Faculty Welfare and feels she cannot do both. I recently communicated with Martha Mecartney who states that both she and the Chair-elect (Tim Bradley) are so busy with Senate affairs that she asked what would be our second choice if Cabinet Members are not available. Thus, Miller believes we should be more explicit in our conception of the liaison. Indeed, caution was expressed by Ann Stephens, Lyman Porter, and Julian Feldman who feel there is insufficient discussion at our meetings that would be of interest to a Senate member for him or her to attend our meetings. Pam Lawrence wondered whether we should simply recommend invitation to a limited, but set time at our meetings, and Lyman and Julian recommended we simply invite liaison when we have issues worthy of discussion with the Senate. Miller indicated two such issues are (1) the UCIEA Ethics Committee which Julian had suggested he felt might best be a joint committee with the Senate and (2) the substantial duplication or overlap (with the danger of "silo effects" of compartmentalization) of committees, programs, offices and services at the Campus, the School of Medicine, and the Medical Center whose functions include: review, examination, investigation, oversight, compliance, conflict resolution, advice, and the mitigation of risk and vulnerability. Feldman recommended that Miller contact Alex Maradudin who for a number of years was liaison from the Academic Senate to the UCIEA for his advice as to the importance of such liaison and the practicality of it.

 XII.  CUCEA (Treasurer Porter, joint benefits Feldman, representative Miller, alternates Hamkalo and Moldave, RRCtr Dir Frederick): next mtg. Oct. 26

            Mercer Consulting's report "Impact of Retirement Programs on Workforce Behavior" was distributed by Louise Taylor, Chair of CUCEA, for comment. The CUCEA Chair is a member of the Compensation and Assets Strategy Task force (CBS) to advise Randy Scott (Executive Director of HR/B Policy and Program Design) and Judy Boyette (Associate Vice President for HR and Benefits) on plans before they go to unions, the office of the President, or the Regents.

XIII.  History committee (Gottschalk, Tobis, Hubert, McCulloch, Fagin): Time precluded discussion, but both David Easton and Judd Hubert have recovered old minutes and documents that may be helpful in completing our archives which Jeri Frederick reported have gaps between 1999 and 2002, especially between 2000 and 2002. Miller wondered whether the files been organized according to the archival organization recommended by our UCI librarian, Jackie Dooley, or according to the organization Kivie recommended that is in use at UCLA and CUCEA, but Jeri indicated they are in folders as created by Audrey Wicks with papers now organized within folders according to date. Previous CUCEA minutes state that UCLA archivist Norah Jones "offered to assist campus archivists organize their material" if those who volunteer to complete the UCIEA history feel further organization would be helpful. Indeed, we must ask,  Are the prior members willing to serve again ? Are there others willing to complete the writing of the history ?  Ideally we should have individuals who know the history, just as was true previously.

XIV.  Ethics committee (Tobis, Feldman, Hoffer, Miller, Moldave, Swett) report: No report given as the Chair was otherwise committed, but to review of the history of this not overwhelmingly popular committee, recall that Miller suggested because emeritae/i are invulnerable, experienced, knowledgeable, talented, created, tolerant, wise, rested and restless he recommended we review the ethical problems of the Medical Center and the School of Medicine.  However, when this recommendation was not favored, Jerry Tobis made a compromise motion "to consider future ethical issues on our Irvine and Orange campuses and how emeritae/i might help to prevent them or at least detect them early before harm to patients or research subjects.  Since that time Jerry has been unable to get the members appointed to the committee by Kivie willing to meet.  As noted above, Miller understood Feldman to suggest that this committee might work in conjunction with a like committee of the Senate, but Julian clarified his position as follows:. "I do think that the Senate should look into these matters [ethical lapses] and probably establish a committee -- temporary at first -- to recommend whether the Senate should get involved in this matter. I think that retired faculty interested in this subject should offer their services to this committee. I don't support a joint Senate-emeritae/i committee on this subject."

XV. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute announcements: None made in the absence of Peggy Maradudin who had a conflicting obligation.

XVI. University Forum announcements : Sam McCulloch stated that construction planned this academic year at the Faculty Club would preclude many meetings, particularly in the winter quarter, but that meetings are planned this fall (including an October 3 meeting on the November elections to be discussed by Mark Petraca) and again in the spring. He states there will be a meeting on June 6, the date we recommended for the Annual Meeting of the UCIEA, and there seemed to be consensus that our meeting, rather than a luncheon meeting, should follow the University Forum on that date.

XVII.   Retirement Relations Center Director Jeri Frederick reported that there was consideration of the possibility that the Retirement Relations Center be housed in the trailer complex that was recently vacated by Biological Sciences Administration. She deferred further consideration with the Executive Committee until this fall. We indicated that if it would be helpful for the UCIEA Executive Committee to write Gail Brooks, Assistant Vice-Chancellor for Human Resources, or Michael Gottfredson, EVC-Provost, with space and equipment requirements, the Chair is anxious to do so. We could circulate such a letter for approval by the Executive Committee without waiting for the October meeting.

XVIII.  Retiree's Association liaison's report: Jeri Frederick reported that the Association would hold elections in October, and we requested that she request they appoint a liaison to the UCIEA as it had been very helpful when Dennis Clark served in that capacity. In addition, she will request that their newsletters be sent to our newsletter editor, Ted Quilligan.

XIX.  Old business: Time precluded discussion of items Miller had placed on the agenda, including:

    Review of what emeritae/i want, a report by Robert Warner of 10 years ago (Moldave)

    Offer to the Search Committee for a Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs-Dean, School of Medicine of emeritae/i willing to meet with such candidates, not to judge them but to provide information upon request. There had been less than striking enthusiasm for Miller's recommendation that we offer to the Search Committee availability of emeritae/i  to meet with candidates [of the 19  of 26 Executive Committee members who responded, 16 were in favor (albeit three with qualifications), and 3 were opposed]. Some felt we should do so only if requested (and although Miller did not wish to advertise it, it had been recommended to us). The most common objection was that we did not have expertise in medicine, but that was not the point of the offer: Rather than judging the candidates, Miller felt we should provide answers to questions candidates might ask. Furthermore, the Executive Committee has several physicians members.  In any event, with several naysayers, Miller was reluctant to make the offer, but several of our members suggested that if some were willing, we should make the offer, and Miller did so.  The Chair of the Search Committee was appreciative, but we have heard nothing further.

    Dean Salinger's request for mentors for transitional students and for teachers: Miller had been absent at our meeting which the Dean attended, but understood she made the proposal, and perhaps it was written up in our newsletter.

    Notebook of responsibilities of officers and committee chairs: Initiated by Lorie Reed with the concurrence of Barbara Hamkalo that such a notebook would be helpful.

    Biobibliography call probably next in 2007.  Initially only eight were submitted last year, but more recently Jeri states 15 more have been received. I presume these are to be submitted to the CUCEA Bio -bib Committee and/or to Charles Berst of CUCEA and UCLA. 

XX.  New business : Again, time precluded discussion of the following matters:

  Edward A. Dickson Emeriti Professorship: Currently the awardees are Spencer C.Olin and Harold W.Moore. Miller understands that our campus is the only campus that has drawn on its endowment to fulfill the mission of the Dickson philanthropy.  I am told the EVC-Provost awards the professorships. Dickson was a Regent from 1913 to 1946, worked with Constantine Panunzio to improve retiree benefits, and was responsible for development of the UCLA campus.  His endowment was divided for the 10 campuses in 2003 (the endowment yields approximately $10,000 a year for each campus) to fund one or two Emeriti professorships annually for "service, research, or teaching".  Charles E. Hess states it can also be a salary stipend of an emeritus professor on recall. Should we make recommendations to the EVC-Provost or should we leave this to the Deans (who apparently have been consulted in the past). Did our Awards Committee make a recommendation last year ?

On July 1 there was a memorial to Warren L. Bostick, first Dean of the California College of Medicine, subsequently the UCI College of Medicine and most recently the UCI College of Health Sciences. The bridge between the School of Medicine and the main Campus has been named in Bostick's honor.

The UCI web site has been largely updated, and is to be updated periodically. This should probably be the responsibility of our Secretary. At least until recently, if one went to the UCI web site, one had to click on Academics and Research, then on Faculty, then on Academic Senate, and finally on UCIEA. It is easy if one goes to the web site of the Academic Senate. However, search on UCIEA, UCI Emeritae/i, UCI Emeriti, or Emeriti does not lead to our web site.

    Need to clarify the process for Emeritus status for retired faculty and librarians. Is the appointment for both made by the President or is the final decision that of the EVC-Provost ?

    Parking: three campuses have free parking, and the reduction in fees at Davis was thought to have accounted for a 30% increase in Emeriti members. We currently pay four dollars for half a day. UCSB and UCSD and ? have free parking: Why not us or at least the Executive Committee for attendance at our meetings ?

 In order to make our annual budget request we need reevaluation of our expenses and proposed functions. Clearly we should request an increase in annual support, probably through Mike Arias. Expenses may include the student assistant, the newsletter, announcement of programs and meetings, CUCEA dues, sending one of us three times a year to CUCEA meetings, recognition (for example, charity donation) of funerals of emeritae/i, awards, the benefits survey, the senior housing survey, etc.. We need also to recognize -- perhaps in the newsletter -- those who contribute more than their dues.

Minutes drafted by the Chair-?Secretary, Ronald B. Miller, M.D., and sent on September 12, 2006 for review and correction or comment by Executive Committee members present and for the edification of members who could not be present.