UC Riverside Retirees' Association Report
October 2023 Report
Submitted by Andy Plumley, Riverside CUCRA Representative
Fundraising / Scholarships /Budget
The UCR Retirees' Association will again be participating in a campus-wide Giving Tuesday campaign in the month of November. This campaign will seek donations for our UCRRA Undergraduate Scholarship Endowment. We are currently accepting student applications for this scholarship, which will be awarded by the end of fall quarter. Scholarship requirements include recipients being a child, grandchild, or close relative to a UCR staff member or retiree and express a financial need. Last year we received over 50 applications and were able to award four scholarships.
As we have reached normal operations for in-person activities, programs, and travel, we are developing a budget to account for these new costs. This will include requesting increased funding from the campus central budget, which has not increased in the past decade and therefore has not kept up with increased campus costs. This request will include our UCR Emeriti Association partners and include highlighting the contributions both organizations provide the campus, both in giving and time.
We continue to work closely with Development in discussing our fund-raising goals, setting the appropriate size of our endowment fund and establishing the correct fund to provide us flexibility in how we manage our operations. There have been new staffing and organizational changes, requiring establishing new contacts.
By-Laws
UCRRA finalized our Bylaws update to better reflect how we are currently operating. These changes were approved by the membership in April. The Bylaw changes removed term limits and revised duties so that recruitment for board positions would be easier. Since the Bylaw approval, we have launched our nominating recruitment for 2023-2024 board members and currently have a full slate of nominations. The new Bylaws also revised our standing committees in terms of composition, duties, and the appointment process.
Retirement Center
As shared last spring, the UCR campus has been reviewing departmental space needs at a campus-wide level, which been driven by an increase in hybrid work schedules post-Covid. This review has allowed for UCRRA, UCREA and the Retirement Center to formally request on-campus physical space. As of yet, we have not received any formal response to our request. The issue of physical space for the Retirement Center has been in discussion for several years, with agreement of the need but no action. With our UCREQ partners, we are therefore planning to take a more aggressive approach. We will be meeting with leadership this quarter to hopefully obtain firm commitments of a location and a timeline.
Membership
UCRRA membership is 356, which is an increase of 3.5% from last fall, and with over 72% being lifetime members. We have a new board position that is responsible for UCRRA communications and outreach, which will provide for a more comprehensive approach to engaging current and future retirees. This will include a refresh of marketing materials along with event signage promoting giving to our scholarship endowment. The campus is also planning on more in-person events for retirement and benefits, and we will be present at those events.
Events and Activities
Events and activities sponsored by UCRRA, UCREA and the Retirement Center Director include:
- Quarterly Luncheons:
- The Spring Luncheon and Business Meeting was held Holiday Luncheon was held in May 2023 in person. The featured speaker was Professor Emeritus of Geology Wilfred Elders and he spoke on "Green Energy and White Gold in California." We also held our business meeting, where we elected our Board of Directors for 2023-2024.
- The Fall Luncheon was held in September 2023 in person, and featured John Corona, retired Martin Luther King High School teacher and program advisor. He presented on "King High Remembers: Archiving of Veterans Life Stories."
- In December 2023, we will have our Holiday Luncheon in person. The featured speakers will be bee experts Barbara Baer-Imhoof and Boris Baer. In addition, we will have a special holiday performance from the Kindergarten Academy at the UCR Center for Early Childhood Education.
- In November 2023, there will be the Annual Reception Honoring UCR Retirees and Emeriti, featuring Chancellor Kim Wilcox. This event is open to all retirees and emeriti.
- Retiree recognition at the Spring and Fall quarter Staff Assembly General Meetings.
- Other programs and activities:
- Dickson Lecture Series:
- May 2023 - In partnership with Osher, UCR Professor Emeritus Juan Felipe Herrera of the Creative Writing department and US Poet Laurette presents "HANDFUL OF GRAVEL."
- October 2023 - Presentation by Professor Emeritus of the Theatre Department Eric Barr, "Thinking Like An Actor."
- Interpretive Walks:
- Spring 2023: Tours of the Cheech Marin Center for Chicano Art & Culture of the Riverside Art Museum
- Fall 2023: Tour of the College of Engineering's Center for Environmental Research and Technology.
- Tech-Tips HEART Program:
- May 2023: Tips on Using Transportation Apps
- June 2023: Best Practices Using GPS and Mobile Devices
- November 2023: How to Listen to Podcasts
- December 2023: How to Find Lost Items Using Tracking Devices
- Mystery Book Club:
- Spring 2023: P.D. James, Cover Her Face, and Camilla Trinchieri, Murder in Chianti
- Fall 2023: Val McDermid, Skeleton Road, Elizabeth George, This Body of Death, and Quijano Xiaolong, Quijano, Becoming Inspector Chen.
- Retirement Center sponsored programs included Long Term Care options, UC Retiree Travel, and the Riverside County Master Gardeners.
- Dickson Lecture Series: