University of Southern California
Retired Faculty Association
Board of Directors' Meeting Minutes
June 12, 2009
Agenda Item 1: Opening the Meeting
The University of Southern California Retired Faculty Association Board of Directors meeting was called to order by Steb Chandor, immediate Past President, in the absence of the president, Dagmar Halamka. The meeting began at 10:00 a.m. on June 12, 2009, in Room 224 of the Andrus Gerontology Center, University Park Campus. Members present were Natalie Cohen, Art Donovan, Jack Wills, Bob Coffey, Milli Milgrom, Kaaren Hoffman, Jeanne Church, Bob Church, Carole Gustin, Bob Biller, Bob Stallings, Jim Halls, Ruberta Weaver, Larry Greiner, John Orr, Steb Chandor, Jack Sanders, Janette Brown, and Bob Baker. Guests present were RFA members Charlotte Furth, Carol Wuenschell, David Lopez-Lee, and Victor Marshand Webb.
Steb Chandor asked Janette Brown to introduce the Emeriti Center staff members. They were Gloria Reyes, Maricela Hinojosa, Vanessa Portello, Lauren Howell, and Remy Crespo. Following that, Chandor presented the agenda for the meeting. Bob Biller asked to have a follow-up of the dues letters in Agenda Item 5. The amended agenda was approved. Jack Sanders spoke about the provisional minutes for the May 8, 2009, Board meeting, saying that he had received significant corrections too late to incorporate in the provisional minutes. He suggested that the provisional minutes be revised and presented to the Board at the August meeting. The Board approved this proposal.
Steb Chandor reviewed the treasurer's report in the absence of Bill Petak, Board treasurer. Petak had sent out the report to the Board members electronically, and it is attached to these minutes as Appendix 1C. According to the report, the financial health of the RFA is robust. In terms of support, the Caldwell Scholarship Fund is the major effort of the RFA. The report was approved by the Board as written.
Jack Sanders passed out three proposed birthday cards for the Board members to select the card to be used in the Birthday Card Program. This was necessary because the vendor was not able to supply the card chosen by the Board at the April meeting.
Agenda Item 2: Goals and Plans for 2009–2010
Natalie Cohen spoke to the issue of Goals and Plans for the RFA for the coming year, summarized in a document she presented to the Board at the May meeting. She called for volunteers to sign up for two standing committees, Communications and Programs and Events. The latter committee provides programs that benefit RFA members. Both committees must coordinate their activities with other concerned groups, e.g., the Emeriti Center, the Emeriti Center College, and the Staff Retirement Association. Bob Biller asked Bob Coffey if the new RFA brochure will have an application form for retirees to sign up for the RFA and if it will have entry spaces for spouse/partners. Coffey responded that it will. Janette Brown said this was helpful as this information can get in to the database. Dual membership of RFA and spouse/partners must be resolved.
Agenda Item 3: Constitution and Bylaws Update
Art Donovan said that the Constitution is structural and the Bylaws are operational. It is important that any revision should reflect this principle. Steb Chandor said that the documents should embody how the Board operates at present. John Orr questioned the need for having a constitution as they are difficult to change but bylaws are easier to work with. Both Bob Biller and Steb Chandor responded similarly in favor of a simple constitution and that it would connect with the university. These are the directions that should be given to Art Donovan in his revision of the constitution. Steb Chandor made a motion to ask the Board members if the Board needs a constitution. The motion was seconded and passed. The Board members were polled on the motion, and there was a simple majority against having a constitution. Following the vote, Bob Coffey and others felt that the Board did not give sufficient thought to the motion and that further discussion is merited. There will be further discussion at the next Board meeting. The discussion gave suggestions to Art Donovan for his work on the constitutional revision.
David Lopez-Lee questioned the engagement of the RFA. He felt that most members feel disengaged. To end this, members should be engaged. It would not be difficult as there is a large unused pool for engagement in the RFA. Jack Wills responded that opportunities exist for engagement. He gave as an example the Intergenerational Forum. More, he said that there may be a communication problem as a cause for the feeling of disengagement. Janette Brown said that retiree engagement is a problem across the U.S., according to the results of the AROHE survey. Bob Biller called attention to Brown's successful changes in the Emeriti Center College-hosted endowed lectures. The lectures are now in a panel format that promotes audience engagement.
Agenda Item 4: Meeting Space, When and Where
Janette Brown reported that the request to partition GERO 224 was denied by the Provost. She said that there is space for Board meetings in the Roybal Center on the first floor of the Gerontology building if needed. Room 219 might become available. Brown will keep up on these prospects. She said that, if it becomes necessary, there might be space in the Tutor Engineering building across the street.
Agenda Item 5: Updates on Committees and Activities
Brain Fitness Program — Dr. Elizabeth Zelinski, Professor of Gerontology and Psychology, addressed the Board. She had been invited to talk to the Board about brain fitness programs. She had in mind an alternative program to the brain fitness programs which she said are much like gyms. She said that there is much evidence to support the findings that computer activities, like action video games, improve vision, contrast sensitivity, reasoning, and mental rotation in participants. She is planning a 10-hour research project this fall that is computer-related and requires a great commitment on the part of older subjects and administrators. The purpose would be to determine if memory training takes place with computer activities. She is applying to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation for funding. She asked the Board to approve such a study. It was suggested that Institutional Review Board approval may be necessary in order to engage in this project. Professor Zelinski thought such approval was not needed because of the study's nature.
5a. Bob Biller presented the dues follow up letter that is to be sent to RFA members who did not respond to the first dues-asking letter. The letter is a slightly modified version of the letter written by Frances Feldman. Charlotte Furth asked if there were any perquisites available to RFA members. Janette Brown said that there were and that they are covered in other published materials. Kaaren Hoffman said that the letter should ask for support, not dues. Jeanne Church suggested that the third paragraph should be the first paragraph. There was general approval of this suggestion. Biller moved that the revised letter be endorsed. The motion was seconded and passed.
5b. Bob Coffey said that he had received 35 responses from South Bay RFA members to attend a reception at his home on June 20, 2009. He will report on the reception at the August Board meeting.
5c. Bob Stallings gave a brief demonstration of the RFA website. He showed several pages from the RFA and USC websites. He was asked how many hits there have been on the RFA website. There is no hit count, so it is not known how many visit the site.
5d. Widows/Widowers Outreach — No Report
5e. Kaaren Hoffman reported that she is planning a meeting of the Caldwell scholars and the Board. She will be calling the scholars to determine the best time and date for it.
5f. Steb Chandor has been attending the University Senate meetings. He reported that many important issues are being discussed. He and Art Donovan will attend meetings.
5g. New Committees, Liaisons — Natalie Cohen reported on this in Agenda Item 2.
Agenda Item 6: Announcements/Updates
Emeriti Center Developments — Janette Brown reported that the new format for the Retiree Community Newsletter will be continued. The park bench between the Gerontology building and Parking Structure A has been approved. She reported that Bob Scales is working on the database and that Suzanne Scales is in the hospital. Brown appealed to the Board to sign cards to lobby the State against closing the Caregiver Resource Center.
Staff Retirement Association Developments — Jeanne Church reported that John Hisserich is the new president of the SRA. Church is already working on the Joint SRA-RFA holiday party for next December. There was a round of applause for Carole Gustin who will retire as president of the SRA and rotate off of the RFA Board as an ex officio member.
Agenda Item 7: RFA Actions to report to the Emeriti Center Staff
Bob Biller will send the revised dues follow-up letter to the Emeriti Center staff for printing and distribution. He will confer with Gloria Reyes and Remy Crespo, Emeriti Center staff, on this.
Agenda Item 8: New Business
None
Agenda Item 9: Adjournment
There being no further business, the Board meeting was adjourned at 12:00 p.m. Immediately following, there was a luncheon with the Board for newly retired faculty.
The next meeting of the Board will be at 10:00 a.m. on August 14, 2009, in GER 224.
These minutes were taken and transcribed by Jack Sanders, RFA Board Secretary.