Visions and Voices
Plus RFA Add-on Event

On Friday, February 12, 2010, at 3:00 p.m., Howard Brody, M.D., will speak on "Professionalism, Electronic Records, and the Physician-Patient Relationship" in Mayer Auditorium on the Health Sciences Campus.  RFA members will meet at l:00 p.m. for sandwiches and coffee ($5.00 charge collected that day) in the foyer of the basement of Keith Hall (Mayer Auditorium).  Explore Hoyt Gallery display of faculty/staff/student art with Dr. Robert Tager (Family Medicine) who will tell about the founding of the gallery and the importance of the humanities in medicine.  Adjourn at 2:30 p.m. for the free USC Visions and Voices Brody lecture upstairs.  A limited block of seats has been set aside for the RFA.  Please reserve for the lecture and for light refreshments by Monday, February 8, to the Emeriti Center, 213-740-7122, or emeriti@usc.edu.  Courtesy parking for retirees with a Gold Card in Biggy Street parking lot; all others, $8.00.  Should you need additional details, please contact Dr. Kaaren Hoffman, kaaren@usc.edu or 310-541-4002.  See the Visions and Voices description here.

Men’s Basketball: USC versus Oregon

Come cheer for our USC Basketball Team as they play the University of Oregon on Thursday, February 25, 2010, at 7:30 p.m. at the Galen Center.  Tickets are $20 each.  Prior to the game, join other SRA and RFA members for an optional Pre-Game Dinner at the University Club starting at 5:00 p.m.  Dinner prices will include salad, entrée, dessert, and beverages.  Each person will pay their dinner bill by credit card or cash.  If you choose to attend the pre-game dinner, entrée choices and prices will be mailed to you along with the basketball tickets.  For tickets and/or pre-game dinner reservations, please call the Emeriti Center at (213) 740-7122.  Indicate the number of tickets desired.  If you'll attend the pre-game dinner, kindly indicate the number attending.  We have 40 basketball tickets, and requests will be first-come, first serve.  Make out your check to "USC SRA" for the number of basketball tickets desired ($20 each) and mail to:

Staff Retirement Association
USC Emeriti Center
3715 McClintock Avenue, GER 220
Los Angeles, CA  90089-0191

For questions, contact Jo Ochoa at (562) 862-0027 or joochoa@ca.rr.comat.

Third RFA "Sherry Hour" Scheduled

The RFA will hold its third Sherry Hour on Friday, February 26, 2010, from 3:00 to 4:45 p.m. in the Intellectual Commons at Doheny Memorial Library.  Guest speaker will be Warren Bennis of the USC Marshall School of Business and author of Leadership.  RSVP to emeriti@usc.edu or 213-740-7122 no later than Monday, February 22, 2010.  Check here for complete details.  NOTE:There is NO CHARGE for this event.

Provost Honors 2009 Faculty Retirees

On November 19, 2009, Provost C. L. Max Nikias hosted the annual recognition luncheon honoring faculty retiring in 2008–2009 in Town and Gown on the University Park Campus.  Representing Provost Nikias was Michael B. Preston, Vice Provost for Strategic Initiatives.  Master of Ceremonies was Natalie Cohen, President of the USC Retired Faculty Association.  Also addressing honorees was Alex Capron, President of the Faculty.  Honorees were presented by John Orr, RFA President-Elect.  Also at the recognition luncheon, Emeriti Center Executive Director Janette C. Brown presented the 2009 Paul E. Hadley Facuty Award for Service to USC to Dr. Nancy E. Warner, Professor Emerita of Pathology.

Front Row (Left to Right): Larry Greiner, Michael B. Preston, Laura Wachsman,
Catherine Burke, Hazel Lord, Peter Stone;
Middle Row (Left to Right): Sidney Russak, Bob Douglas, Leon Teng,
Jack F. Conley, Stefan Bughi;
Back Row (Left to Right): Ron F. Blackwelder, John Rolph, Thomas V. Berne,
Alan Shapiro, Myron Dembo, Roger Sherwood.
Click here to see a list of all USC faculty members retiring in 2008–2009.

Visions and Voices

Visions and Voices, USC's Arts and Humanities Initiative established in 2006 by Provost Max Nikias, is hosting nearly three dozen programs during the 2009–2010 academic year.  Some are open only to USC students or the USC community, with most events open to the public.  Tickets may be required for non-students, and admission prices vary; sometimes advance reservations are required.  A recent program featured Michael Tilson Thomas sharing his experiences as a USC student prior to conducting the USC Symphony Orchestra in a splendid performance of Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony.

You can visit the Vision and Voices website for details about event reservations and admission and to sign up for the e-mail list to receive updated event information: www.usc.edu/visionsandvoices.

The RFA hopes to secure a limited block of tickets for some of these events in the spring.  Information about these RFA programs will be e-mailed to you in the next couple months.

Recommended Reading on Successful Aging

Helen Dennis, keynote speaker at the 2008 Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) conference in Los Angeles, has provided USC retirees with a list of recommended books on successful aging, brain health, etc.  The list is available at colleaguesforlife.blogspot.com.

Q&A About Retiring from USC

The USC Emeriti Center, in conjunction with the USC Benefits Office, has produced a list of “Commonly Asked Questions” for pre-retirees and retirees alike.  Thirty-two frequently asked questions (FAQs) and the answers to them are divided into seven categories: the retirement process, retiree privileges, finances, health issues, Social Security, Medicare, and information about the USC retiree community.  This Web page also features links to the resources discussed.

USC Retirement Savings Program Web Page

The USC Benefits Office has created a series of Web pages providing information about the newly-instituted Retirement Savings Program.  Among the features are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), forms for enrolling in the new program, and a resource library of videos and brochures.  Check out this page by clicking here.

Changing Your USC Password

You may have been asked recently to change the password for your USC computer account.  If you have attempted to do so, you already may have discovered that you can no longer use your nine-digit Social Security Number.  Instead, you must use your unique ten-digit university identification number.  Didn't know you had one?  Everyone now does, including retirees.  If you don't know your university ID number, you may obtain yours by contacting Maricela Hinojosa, Budget Analyst for the Emeriti Center, at (213) 740-8169 or by e-mail to marih@usc.edu.  With your ten-digit ID number in hand, you can change your password at this ITS webpage.  To view a video tutorial demonstrating how to change your password, click here.  For more information and a step-by-step set of instructions, click here.

New Way to Access USC Resources from Off-Campus

VPN Client is no longer required to access restricted databases and other site-licensed resources from off-campus computers.  Click here for a PDF tutorial on how to access e-resources using the new “proxy server.”  You may go directly to the remote-access portal by clicking here, then use your USC username and password to enter.

February Birthdays

Are you celebrating a birthday this month?  Want to see who else is?  Click here to see RFA members who are also celebrating birthdays this month.

About Retiring from USC

Thinking of retirement?  The USC Emeriti Center has prepared a checklist, “Steps to Retirement,” that walks you through the process beginning five years before your actual intended date of retirement until the BIG DAY itself.  To view this document online, click here or on the document title at the left margin.  For information about resources for retired USC faculty members, click here or at the left on “USC Resources for Retired Faculty” and on the Emeriti Center’s “Directory of Retiree Privileges.”  See also the newly-created “Q&A About Retiring from USC.”

About Us

Established in 1949, the Retired Faculty Association (RFA) of the University of Southern California represents a constituency of well over 900 of whom 646 are active members.  Activities of the RFA and programs that it sponsors or co-sponsors are published in the USC Retiree Community Newsletter, jointly published by the USC Emeriti Center, the Emeriti Center College, the Staff Retirement Association, and the RFA.  Additional information is provided via electronic mail sent frequently to members and other interested parties.  The RFA Board of Directors meets monthly (except in the month of July ) on the second Friday of each month.  To join the RFA or renew your current membership, click here, fill out the membership form, and mail it along with a check for your annual dues (currently $20.00) to the address on the form.  For more information about the RFA, click on "About the RFA" at the left.  To contact the RFA directly, telephone the USC Emeriti Center at (213) 740-8921 or send an e-mail message to RFA President Natalie Cohen at rfa@usc.edu.

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Last modified: 5 February 2010