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News & AnnouncementsVisit here OFTEN for a summary of News & Announcments specific to UI Retirees. Read the Gray Hawk Newsletter for full articles and more news. UIRA's Inaugural 2013-14 Travel Photo Contest (June, 2013)Camera enthusiasts, enter your prize (or best?) images in the UIRA's inaugural 2013-14 Travel Photo Contest. A few details: Eligibility? Current UIRA members, excluding UIRA officers. Entry fee? None. Entry categories? Three photos taken:
Prizes? Yes, plus top photos to be displayed on the UIRA website. Submission? Digital format. Judging criteria? Originality, Creativity, Photo Quality. Entry period? Each year—Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 Click here for complete details. Remember To Pay Your UIRA Dues for 2013-14 (June, 2013)From the UIRA bylaws: "The purpose of the University of Iowa Retirees Association is to facilitate support of the University of Iowa by retired faculty and staff members and to promote the interests and welfare of those retirees. We strive to help retired members of the University and their spouses, widows, widowers, or domestic partners (and associate members) to keep in touch with each other and with the social and intellectual life of the University." We stay connected to the University through our programming. We rely on our healthy and vibrant membership. Memberships expire on June 30th. Select Membership Form in the Navigation Panel to the left. May Newsletter Online: Summary of Announcements (May, 2013)The May 2013 UIRA Newsletter contained so much news and so many announcements that you should just read the newsletter! The titles are:
New UIRA Officers Nominated (April, 2013)The slate of UIRA officers for the coming year was published in the March Gray Hawk, as required by our bylaws. Since that issue, president-elect Larry Wilson has regretfully withdrawn his name. The bylaws allow for nominations from the floor, so the following slate of officers will be presented at the Annual Meeting on April 23:
Event Photos Now Available Online (April, 2013)Check UIRA's website. Go to www.uiowa.edu/~uira/ and click on “Photo Gallery” in the far left column. That will take you to a series of albums at a site called Shutterfly. Shutterfly serves as the host site for the UIRA albums. The main heading is UI Retirees Association. Click on the album/event you'd like to view. Or you can go from “Home” to ”Pictures & Videos” and see the albums one after another. (By the way, there are no videos on the UIRA site.) Here's a list of the album/events currently at the site:
Recent Website Changes (Feb, 2013)A few months ago at a UIRA Board meeting, someone commented—and I paraphrase: “We've got to become more active.” He was referring to our UIRA organization and members....That led to development of a brochure encapsulating the UIRA story. Once the brochure was designed and copies reproduced, someone suggested putting it on the UIRA website. You'll find it at UIRA's Homepage (www.uiowa.edu/~uira ). Click on “UIRA: A Quick Take—Printable Brochure.”...How about a Photo Gallery? ... Click here to read complete article. 2013 Charitable IRA Rollover (Feb, 2013)Congress recently extended legislation that allows seniors who are 70 ½ or older to make tax-free gifts directly from their IRAs to qualified charities through the end of 2013. This “charitable IRA rollover” provision was part of the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. It permits distributions of up to $100,000 from an IRA to a qualified charity in 2013. The IRA owner does not report the distribution as taxable income, nor does the owner claim a tax deduction for the gift. The effect will be a “tax wash”. The distribution to charity will count towards the owner’s annual required minimum distribution. Click here for more information about this legislation including who to contact. Nominate New UIRA Officers (Jan, 2013)Nancy Williams, our UIRA president, has appointed a Nominating Committee, below, to present a slate of officers at least 30 days before the April annual meeting. You are welcome to suggest names for the slate, or to nominate yourself. Click here for complete article. Volunteer to Preserve History (Jan, 2013)DIY History: Your chance to help preserve Iowa history: Printable Brochure Now Available (Jan, 2013)Ken Starck has added a wonderful printable brochure to the UIRA website. Select UIRA: A Quick Take Printable Brochure. Ken is also posting pictures from UIRA programs. Thanks, Ken! Register for Preventive Intervention Center Research (Nov, 2012)The University of Iowa College of Public Health, Preventive Intervention Center (PIC) researchers are currently inviting participants aged 18 and older to enroll in the Preventive Intervention Center Volunteer Research Registry. The purpose of the Registry is to collect basic information on specific areas of research interest which we may use to contact potential participants for future clinical studies. For more information and to enroll, please go directly to the online
Preventive Intervention Center website: www.picstudies.com
If you wish to enroll offline, please contact a PIC research staff
member at toll free: 1-800-887-6917 or local: 384-5048 Vote November 6 or Earlier (Oct, 2012)See www.johnson-county.com/auditor/voter/1211elec.htm On this website you can find information about voter registration, absentee ballots, early voting places, sample ballots for the 2012 election, redistricting changes, current precincts, links to websites for information and candidates, historic Johnson County voting results, and much more. Full Newsletter Article. Message from the President - Stay Connected (Sept 2012) If you haven't renewed your membership for 2012-2013, I encourage you to stay connected! The more of us there are, the louder the voice we have as retirees! The UIRA depends on your support in several ways. One, your dues represent our entire budget. Two, your participation on a voluntary basis is always welcome! In turn, we will work to merit your support. We'll continue to monitor UI health insurance updates, bring you useful information and, most especially, advocate on your behalf. The membership form is a link on our website. Even in retirement, the natural rhythm of the academic year stays with us. Fall, with cooler weather, colorful leaves, students on campus, and no place to park downtown, signals the beginning of another year. And President Elect Rick Walton and his committee are already hard at work planning interesting, informative, and fun programming for you this year. We'll communicate with you throughout the year by e-mail, the Gray Hawk newsletter, and through our website, http://www.uiowa.edu/~uira. The UIRA Board is a working board, and agendas and minutes of our meetings will be online this year, so you can follow what we're doing. We meet at 1:00 p.m. on the second Tuesday of the month in 427 Levitt Center. Feel free to attend if you like. Also, if you have ideas, suggestions or comments, e-mail me at nancy-williams@uiowa.edu. Board member Ken Starck and I attended the Big Ten Retirees meeting in Columbus, Ohio, in August (you'll see a report in this newsletter). The theme was membership and programming, and we've brought back some ideas that you'll hear more about during the year. Everyone agreed that our organizations are here to help you stay connected to the university, your community, and to each other. By now you've detected my theme for the year! And, finally, our thanks go to Ken Kuntz, now past president of the UIRA, for his hard work on our behalf last year. Well done, Ken! - Nancy Williams, UIRA President Message from the Past President - Thank You (Sept 2012)I thank all of you for permitting me to serve as your president in 2011-12. It’s been a pleasure becoming acquainted with many of you and I look forward to continuing to serve the UIRA as past president from now until next June. So many of our members graciously contribute to the successful work of the organization. Under the sensible and strong leadership of Nancy Williams, our organization is destined to prosper in the months ahead. I certainly look forward to working with her. - Ken Kuntz, Past President Volunteer at the Shelter House Deli (Sept 2012)Culinary Starts, a Shelter House culinary training and catering program, operates a deli in the University Services Building (USB) Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. They need a daily volunteer for each 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. shift to provide support during the lunch period. If you are interested, please e-mail Caitlin at volunteer@shelterhouseiowa.org or call her at 338-5416 ext. 241. Johnson County Added to Our Web Page (Sept 2012)Johnson County offers many services for senior and retirees. To help our UI Retirees Association members find those services, we have added a new category to the UIRA Resources web page titled “Johnson County”. To check it out and view other resources visit www.uiowa.edu/~uira and select Resources in the left navigation panel. Big Ten Retirees Association Meeting 1st Report (Sept 2012)UIRA President Nancy Williams and Board Member Ken Starck represented the University of Iowa Retirees Association at the 10th annual meeting of the Big Ten Retirees Associations Aug. 3-5, 2012, on the campus of Ohio State University. Ohio State University President E. Gordon Gee talked to the group with the idea that universities ought to “un-retire” retired faculty and staff members to tap into a valuable but wasted resource, so retirees can continue to contribute to the university and community. The theme for the meeting was Growth and Development of University Retirees Associations. Several topics were explored in depth: enhancing membership and programming, establishing and maintaining communication, and financial support. In our next few issues we will publish comments on the discussions. - From Ken Starck’s report Remember To Pay Your UIRA Dues for 2012-13 (June 2012)From the UIRA bylaws: "The purpose of the University of Iowa Retirees Association is to facilitate support of the University of Iowa by retired faculty and staff members and to promote the interests and welfare of those retirees. We strive to help retired members of the University and their spouses, widows, widowers, or domestic partners (and associate members) to keep in touch with each other and with the social and intellectual life of the University." As your soon-to-be past program chair, I've been pleased by how warmly and eagerly we are received, and how highly we are regarded as we stay connected to the University through our programming. We rely on our healthy and vibrant membership. Click Membership Form in the Navigation Panel to the left. Please fill out the entire form, including your current postal and e-mail addresses. - Nancy Williams Change in Long Term Care Insurance Provider (June 2012)The University Benefits office has announced that Genworth Financial Long Term Care Insurance is replacing John Hancock Insurance as the University's Long Term Care provider. The initial Genworth enrollment date will be announced when the final contract is signed (anticipated by June 30). To enroll with Genworth, those 65 or older will have to answer medical questions. This change resulted from John Hancock’s notification that it would no longer accept new applications from our faculty and staff effective January 1, 2012. If you are currently enrolled in John Hancock you may stay with John Hancock, though that insurer’s rates will be going up an average of 28%, effective November 1, 2012. If you choose to leave John Hancock, you will still retain accrued long term care benefits. You may contact John Hancock for information on your current coverage. Group Exercise Classes Available at CRWC (June 2012)A membership in the University of Iowa Recreational Services is available to us as retirees, and group exercise classes at the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center are also included in your membership. A membership provides access to all recreation facilities on campus, including the Campus Recreation & Wellness Center (CRWC), Field House, Hawkeye Tennis & Recreation Complex (HTRC), Fitness East and the Recreation Building. Once inside, most activities, including swimming, fitness, rock climbing, racquetball, basketball, volleyball, and Group Exercise classes are included with the membership. Beyond access to all recreation facilities on campus, members also receive discounts on program registration (including Lesson Programs, Rowing, Tennis Programs, Aquatics and Adventure Trips), and reduced tennis court fees. Also, a qualified UI Faculty/Staff member or UI Retiree may sponsor one adult at the same rate as the sponsoring member. The adult must reside in the same household as the sponsoring member. A yearly Membership is $310; 4 months membership is $155; monthly membership is $47 and daily drop-in fee is $7. For more information and other perks available to UI Retirees visit Perks and Discounts for Retirees on the navigation panel on the left. Annual Luncheon a Success (May 2012)Our annual UIRA luncheon and business meeting was attended by about 90 members and brought us some reports on our activities and status. We’ve had a wonderful variety of programs and co-sponsored the very successful Senior College courses. UIRA total membership is at 649, with 474 households. Click here for full report. UIRA Invited to A Voxman Celebration (May 19, 2012) A Voxman Celebration Help With Hosting (May 2012)Jean Hood is recruiting volunteer hosts and hostesses for our meetings next year. This year, a host or hostess has greeted people as they arrive and nametags have been available at each meeting. Monthly events and meetings held by the UIRA provide us the opportunity to meet new people and renew our associations with old friends. Now we need your help as host or hostess. E-mail Jean Hood at ajhood@q.com and she will compile a list of volunteers that can be called on to help. Honoring Your Wishes (May 2012)A Community-Wide Advance Care Planning Initiative is an effort here in Johnson County to bring meaningful advanced care planning to Iowa. We all know about the pieces of paper that the Iowa Bar has sanctioned for Living Will and Durable Power of Attorney designations. Click here for full details. Upcoming Elections (April 2012)Richard (Rick) Walton (Dentistry-Endodontics) has been nominated as President-elect, and Nancy Lynch (Pathology) and Kenneth Starck (Journalism) have been nominated as directors at large. They will join our present board, with Nancy Williams as the new President and Ken Kuntz as Past President. New officers and directors for 2012-13 will be elected by the membership at the UIRA Annual Meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday, April 25, at the University Club on Melrose Avenue. The new term begins in July. Our deep thanks to our outgoing board members: Past President Jean Hood, and Directors Lou Crist and Feather Lacy. We thank Feather for being willing to continue her work on our UIRA webpage. The Nominating Committee consisted of five members: Ruth Dawson, Chuck Dayton, Feather Lacy, Bill Oglesby, and Sara Wolfson (chair). We truly appreciate the willingness of the candidates to serve, and we enthusiastically thank the Nominating Committee for their efforts. Use Perks for Retirees (April 2012)Did you know that your HawkID remains active after
you become a UI retiree? Even if you do not use
the University email system, you may continue to use your STAR Registry (March 2011)The STAR Registry is a database of Iowans over age 50 who are interested
in volunteering for University of Iowa research studies (compensation
is generally provided). Older adults are typically under-represented
in scientific research, making study results less helpful to the
older population. Read more and sign up at Joint Committee on Retiree Health and Wellness. (March 2011)UIRA and the Emeritus Faculty Council have created a Joint Committee on Retiree Health and Wellness. We've been meeting with Richard Saunders to learn how we might contain rising costs of our health insurance. We're also meeting with Prof. Brian Kaskie, who is the principal researcher on a two-year study funded by TIAA-CREF that assessed trends and best practices in comprehensive retirement planning at institutions of higher education in the United States. "The Iowa Study on Promoting Healthy and Successful Aging within Academic Institutions" has focused on how a wide range of public and private colleges and universities across the country engage with and support aging employees as they prepare for retirement. Associate Membership (March 2011)Associate Membership (non-voting, non-office holding) is open to those who have present or previous ties to the University. Individuals may become members upon submission of the Membership Form and payment of dues of $10. Let Us Know If You Move, or Change E-mail or Phone No. (Nov 2011)Have you moved, or do you have a new e-mail address or phone number? The UIRA needs your help in keeping your postal and e-mail addresses and phone number current so we can keep you informed of program announcements and other relevant information. If you have moved or changed e-mail addresses or phone numbers, please notify the UIRA Membership Chair, Ruth Dawson, by regular mail at 2601 Hickory Trail, Iowa City, IA 52245 or by e-mail at rdawson@inav.net. |
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