THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP

CU RETIRED FACULTY ASSOCIATION

(CURFA)

January 2011

In General

During its 55+year history, CURFA has acted on behalf of faculty retirees and their spouses in the protection and expansion of retiree benefits, the continued participation of retirees in the life of the University, and the maintenance of contacts among and activities for retired faculty. The annual CURFA Directory facilitates contacts among retirees from all of the CU campuses.

Representation

An all-university group, CURFA is dedicated to maintaining productive relations with all the CU campuses, as well as the central administration. Through representation on important university committees and commissions, (such as the Faculty Council, the Boulder Faculty Assembly, and the University Benefits Committee) CURFA speaks on behalf of retirees and promotes retiree support and benefits.

First Year Retirees

CURFA extends a complimentary first year CURFA membership to all new retirees who are encouraged to participate and continue as an active member. Retirees, who are from a non-Boulder campus, will also find activities available through their campus retiree groups, which complement the work of CURFA. Membership in a non-Boulder campus retiree group, if dues are required, entitles the retiree to complimentary membership in CURFA

Website

CURFA’s website is maintained at http://www.colorado.edu/RetiredFaculty/. In addition to information about CURFA activities and its membership, the website also contains links to other events, groups, and volunteer activities in the University and the broader community that might be of interest to retired faculty.

General Meetings

General meetings are held in the spring and fall on the Boulder campus. A business meeting is followed by social time in the lobby and then a luncheon buffet followed by a speaker or other presentation. It’s a great time to renew friendships and catch up on the activities of colleagues.

The purpose of the business meeting is to act upon issues relating to the governance of CURFA, to monitor and address issues relating to the University, the interests of the retired faculty community and hear the reports of the members of the Board. A highlight of the business meeting has been the report from a HSC retired professor who reports on changes, and proposed changes, to university benefits and federal programs affecting retirement benefits such as Medicare. The CURFA Ombudsperson, who works through the CU Ombudsman’s Office and who is available to all members of CURFA to work out claims and issues with the University and others, may report on issues related to retirement and the University that have been brought to her attention. Administrators frequently address political and financial issues that affect the University. In addition, reports are given by CURFA liaisons from the Denver, Health Sciences and Colorado Springs campuses and various university committees.

The luncheon speakers at the general meetings include current and retired faculty who speak on topics of general interest that relate to their professional areas, and members of the broader community who speak about current issues or happenings. The speakers’ topics are broad and interesting. For example: the film,” Hillmon’s Bones”, was produced and directed by Associate Professor of Film Studies and Chair of the Film Studies Program at Boulder, Ernesto Acevedo-Munoz. It documents a joint project, to identify Hillmon’s bones, of Professor of Law and Wolf-Nichol Fellow Marianne (Mimi) Wesson and Professor of Anthropology Dennis Van Gerven, both of Boulder; Astrobiologist Bruce Jakosky, spoke on the possibility of extraterrestrial life; CU History Professor Fred Anderson discussed his book, The Dominion of War: Empire and Liberty in North America 1500-2000, Tim Bour, Executive Director of the Boulder Innovation Center, discussed the Boulder Innovation Center’s CU Tech Transfer commercialization process; Albert A. Bartlett, Emeritus Professor of Physics, presented Photos From The Early History Of The University Of Colorado; Tom Duncan & Spencer Havlick, Members of Boulder-Cuba Sister City Organization and members of CURFA, presented A Pictorial Review and Discussion of Today’s Havana and Eastern Cuba.

Tea Time

“Tea Time” is a series of presentations that brings CURFA members together for learning, discussion, entertainment, refreshment, and good times with colleagues. They are held in the spring and fall in the beautiful chapel at The Academy in Boulder. Speakers may be current or retired faculty who speak about their areas of expertise, whether academic or advocational or musical organizations from the University and elsewhere Recent speakers include: Lee Krauth, retired English professor, speaking about Mark Twain and his love/hate relationship with success in “Courting and Cursing the Bitch Goddess”; Singers from the Boulder Chorale presented selections from their current concert programs; Distinguished Professor Henry Claman of the CU Health Sciences Center presented slides of the oldest cave paintings in Europe and explained their importance for human history; The CU Undergraduate Jazz Trio presented a program of swing music and classic jazz from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s; Tom Duncan, a member of CUFRA, presented “Advertisements that Made Us Laugh, Cry, and Buy’; The Chinook Wind Quintet a graduate woodwind quintet in residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder presented an afternoon of music arranged for wind quintets. The schedules for the General Meeting and the Tea Time Talks can be found on the CURFA website: http://www.colorado.edu/RetiredFaculty/.

The Retirement Handbook

In response to frequent inquiries from bewildered faculty members about the many issues involved in the retirement process, CURFA has produced A Guide to Faculty Retirement at the University of Colorado. Written by a team of five CURFA members representing all of the CU campuses, the committee was headed by past president Carl Kisslinger. The first section of the guide provides information on system-wide University policies, procedures, and benefits. Separate sections review campus-specific issues. The handbook also provides contact information for more detailed assistance. A second section provides insight into “life after retirement,” based on the actual experiences of CURFA members and other CU retirees. The handbook is distributed to prospective retirees on all campuses from the campus payroll and benefits or faculty affairs offices, as well as the Boulder ombudsperson’s office. It is also available to current CURFA members and it is available on the CURFA website. Retirees are advised to plan their retirement programs well in advance of their projected retirement date. This handbook will help in making decisions about such options as regular or phased retirement.

The Graduate Student Award Program

CURFA has established an endowment through the CU Foundation in honor of Karl Kisslinger that provides research awards for outstanding graduate students at all CU campuses. CURFA members have contributed funds to create this endowment of more than $55,000 which supports two or more $1,500 graduate student research awards each year.

The awards are announced in the spring for the following academic year. Award winners are also invited to attend the general meeting to report on their research.

Research Grants for Retiree Research

CURFA, with funding from the President of the University, has established up to five awards of $500.00 each to assist in new and/or on-going research and creative work by retired faculty members from any one of CU’s campuses. Criteria for selection include: creativity, significance, originality, and the feasibility of the proposed work, supplemented by the proposer’s scholarly record.

Newsletter and Directory

The CURFA Newsletter each semester reports on CURFA events and programs. A particularly important section is “Staying in Touch” where retired CU faculty send notes about their activities. It’s fascinating to see how active our colleagues continue to be in their “retirements.” The CURFA Directory is published in January and includes the names and contact information for all CURFA members and most CU retirees.

Volunteer and Social Opportunities

Elected and appointed officers of the CU Retired Faculty Association monitor university activities and policies on behalf of the retired faculty. CURFA officers meet as needed with the Chancellor and about issues and policies. A member of the Chancellor’s staff is designated as the CURFA liaison.

CURFA provides a number of social opportunities such as the General Membership Meeting and Tea Time activities and one or more book clubs. The opportunities to tutor students are also provided. CURFA also encourages and supports local campus meetings in Colorado Spring and Denver. Officers and Executive Board members may attend as liaisons.