President's Message
By Ann Craig, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and
President, UCSD Emeriti Association
Retired faculty and staff at UC San Diego are proud to participate in very strong Emeriti and Retirement Associations – in fact, among the strongest in the UC system. I believe that our strength reflects the engagement of faculty and staff who built a very distinguished university in our scant 50 year history. Pride in our achievements and those of colleagues still actively employed, and pleasure in each other’s company, keep us connected even in retirement.
Emeriti can give back to the campus and contribute toward educational opportunities of current students. With services being cut, offices reorganized, and staff workload increasing, emeriti can think creatively about how we can give back. I invite your help this year as the Association works in three priority areas: community-building, active reinvestment in UC San Diego, and membership growth and service.
Community-building: As active faculty our collegial communities coincided with departments and research groups both on and off-campus. In retirement, we can unleash our catholic interest in the work of colleagues across the campus. The Association creates conversations across departmental and disciplinary boundaries. Our monthly programs allow us to dabble or delve into the latest research instruments, ambitious collaborations, and, quite simply, fascinating discoveries being pursued at UCSD.
Vice President Rick Nelesen and the Program Committee are in charge of our calendar for 2011-12. I hope you will participate in our monthly meetings and bring friends.
Our community efforts also involve keeping a watchful eye on retirement benefits and pensions. Through Past President Dick Attiyeh’s continued service on CUCEA, we intend to stay connected to the benefits debates.
Active reinvestment in UCSD: As individual emeriti, we have all created our own niches and give back to the university in many different ways. As a group, the EA is reinvesting in the campus through our Emeriti Mentoring Program with the Chancellor’s Scholars. Emeriti Mentors apply the wisdom of seniority toward helping the very best first generation students in the freshman class to make a successful transition to UCSD.
This program is especially important as across the campus, first year students are plunged from high schools with small classes and supportive teachers who know their names, into large lecture halls and anonymity. For any student it is powerfully encouraging to have a well-placed word of personalized encouragement, facilitated networking with other faculty and the opportunity to become visible. Research shows that mentoring helps with retention and academic success. Please consider volunteering as a mentor and contact Mel Green or Len Johnson, co-chairs.
There are many other ways in which undergraduates could profit from individualized teaching which departments may not find manageable with budget cuts and faculty workload. These are niches where emeriti can make valued contributions. For example, students in many disciplines are served by having team project experiences, research or internship opportunities, and global seminars. Perhaps you can help your department provide these experiences.
Membership: To continue to grow and increase the vitality of our organization, the EA must be responsive to our membership. I invite you to communicate with me, or our Director Suzan Cioffi, or other members of our Executive Board to let us know how you think the EA can make the strongest contribution to the campus and its members. In the meantime, I urge you to keep your membership current, and to invite colleagues to join us.
I look forward to working with you to maintain a vibrant Emeriti Association.
