March 2008 Board Minutes

March 2008 Board Minutes Wick Alumni Center

Members Present: Delivee Wright (assistant secretary), Max Clegg, Bob Diffendal, Jack Goebel, Herb Howe, Kay Rockwell, Rose Marie Tondl, Jim McShane, Walter Mientka.
Lowell Moser presided at the meeting; president Fuller is out of town.

The minutes and treasurer’s report presented at the February board meeting were accepted; both documents have been posted on the Emeriti Assn. website.

The proposal that Emeriti in the greater Lincoln area be notified of upcoming membership meetings via e-mail rather than the present arrangement of mailing a postcard was discussed. The cost of mailing the postcard is a factor in considering a change. A question was asked as to the number of Emeriti who do not have access to the internet. It was decided that the secretary continue to submit information to the UNL printing/copying center through the current semester (March and April meetings), with a possible change to be discussed later.

New business:

The proposed survey of Emeriti in an effort to identify factors in a continuing trend of lower attendance at membership meetings was discussed. Kay Rockwell distributed a detailed document listing alternatives to several considerations which would be covered in a survey:

--Who would receive the survey, i.e., all Emeriti on the membership roster…all residing within a 50-mile radius of Lincoln?

--Ways to distribute a survey: paper survey form sent with dues renewal notices, web-based, or a telephone survey with board members calling a given number of Emeriti.

--Group discussion: assumption that the board is searching for “new ideas” to energize Emeriti meetings. Possible group formats: newly designated Emeriti (under 5 years of membership), 5-10 year members, 11-plus year members. Other parameters might include female Emeriti, spouses.

--Information desired by the board. (Ideas generated by back-and-forth e-mail discussion since the February membership meeting, when the motion to conduct a survey was approved).

---Day of the week for scheduling monthly meetings.

---Meeting location.

---Most convenient time of day.

---luncheon alternatives: buffet (paid by attendees), light luncheon provided by East Campus Union, Emeriti Assn. subsidize individual luncheon costs. Need for refreshments?

---Individual need for transportation to meetings.

---Gauge interest in and appeal of program topics and Emeriti activities.

---Circumstances which prevent attendance at membership meetings.

---Members’ evaluation of the website.

The estimated cost of conducting such a survey and followup action needs to be calculated.

The board needs to decide when the survey would be conducted (what season of the year) and enlist Emeriti board or regular members to design a survey instrument, collect pertinent data, summarize and interpret the data and report the results.

After considerable discussion, it was decided that a survey instrument would be developed and offered to Emeriti in attendance the NU Retirees luncheon hosted by President J.B. Milliken May 22 at the Embassy Suites in Lincoln. Emeriti seated at various tables would be offered the survey form to complete and leave at the conclusion of the event. An ad hoc committee composed of Kay, Rose Marie Tondl, Dan Lutz and Herb Howe will follow through in developing a survey instrument for board approval and to be introduced at the luncheon.

The next item of business was the situation in which the University of Nebraska Foundation is now mandating its approval of payment of grant funding to Emeriti applicants for either research projects of medical expense subsidies. Discussion was led by Jim McShane, chair of the Maude Wisherd Committee. The Foundation is now insisting on receiving a copy of the application as well as a letter from the Emeriti Association confirming approval of payment to an applicant for either research or health-related funding.

After considerable discussion, it was moved by Rockwell, seconded by Goebel, that representatives of the board meet with appropriate officials of the Foundation to discuss this situation. Carried. Note: On March 5, Vice President Moser asked Jack Goebel to contact Jim McShane and Herb Howe and arrange a meeting with them and the Foundation officials.

McShane, also the Emeriti Association’s representative to the Faculty Senate, said the president of the Senate is becoming involved in discussions and decisions related to Emeriti policy. A summary of McShane’s report to the board is filed as an addendum to the minutes. Click HERE to view.

Committee reports:

Membership Committee – Mel Thornton, chair; not present, no report given.

Website Committee—Jim Kendrick, chair; not present, no report given.

Member Relations Committee: R. Gene White, chair, not present. Summary of committee meeting on February 19 handed out.

Committee member Barbara Wright-Chollet was asked to check with Delivee Wright regarding guidelines used to determine when a member would receive recognition from the club.

“Coffee on Us” program: Efforts will continue to urge new members to attend these gatherings. The coffee gathering is deemed as an effective tool to urge new members to be active in the Association.

Discussion of Emeriti benefits list. A call to the UNL Athletics ticket office disclosed that a faculty member must have maintained his or her football tickets for a minimum of 10 years before becoming eligible to purchase football tickets after retiring. Jack Goebel, Irv Omtvedt and Herb Howe are requested to meet with UNL Athletic Director Tom Osborne regarding this issue. There also is a strong feeling that “A-list” individuals at UNL, (without academic ranking), be included at some level regarding benefits. A meeting with the Provost will be sought on this issue.

The committee is following up on a request to obtain Emeriti parking permits for use on “A” parking lots on East Campus.

The Emeriti Assn. membership meeting on March 18, at the East Campus Union, will feature Paul Royster, UNL Libraries, who will present a program on “The Digital Commons,”—digital resources that are available and how Emeriti can access and add to the Digital Commons Library Archives.

There being no further unfinished or new business, the meeting was adjourned.

Submitted By: Dan B. Lutz, Secretary