Sherry Hours periodically convene members of the Retired Faculty Association and the Staff Retirement Association (and their spouses/partners) to hear distinguished members of the USC faculty explore themes related to their research or artistic productivity.  The events have been highly interactive. Their themes cut across University disciplines.

The RFA’s Programs and Events Committee actively seeks suggestions for future events. Suggestions should be communicated to co-chair Jack Crossley (<crossley@usc.edu>)

• The University is legally obligated to conform to the licenses from publishers and vendors which stipulate that access  to electronic resources is available only to current USC faculty, students and staff. The definition of “current faculty” includes emeritus/a faculty and other retired faculty members who have been “recalled to service,” (i.e.,those who are engaged in continued research without compensation).

• Retired faculty members seeking to be “recalled to service” should notify the Emeriti Center. The Center will seek needed approvals from the appropriate deans’ offices, and subsequently from the Office of the Provost. When approvals are granted, the Emeriti Center will take the necessary steps to establish access.

The RFA Ombudsman/Advocacy Committee intends to monitor these procedures to assure they are effective in supporting retiree’s continued research activities.

Meanwhile, the RFA is encouraging  members who have not been granted emeritus/a status and who are engaged in research to take the steps described above. The RFA wants to be assured that procedures will not prove cumbersome and that they will be implemented in a timely fashion.

RFA has no other source of income. It relies on members to financially support the wide range of activities that the association undertakes  on behalf of retired faculty members–advocacy, social and cultural programs, activities that advance the University’s mission, and sponsorship of the Caldwell Scholarship Program for USC students who come from neighborhood high schools.

All dues will apply to the 2012-2013 year, which begins on July 1.

Members are also being invited to expand their support of RFA by making additional contributions. They are asked to direct their contributions to one or more of the following: The RFA operating fund, the Robert Biller Endowment Fund, and/or the Caldwell Scholarship Program.

The Emeriti Center will apply cutting-edge developments in inductive wire (“hearing loop”) technology. This technology allows persons to use their own individually-configured hearing aids to listen to a program’s words and music at an extraordinarily high level of sound quality.

Hearing loop technology is not new. It has enjoyed widespread, successful use in northern Europe, in the United Kingdom, and in many regions of the United States. What is new is the rapidly growing availability in American hearing aids of telecoil programs, often marketed as “telephone boosters,” which allow hard-of-hearing persons to use loop technology. Currently, about two-thirds of American hearing aids contain telecoils. The American Academy of Audiology predicts that, in the relatively near future, telecoils will be installed in almost all hearing aids.

John Orr, Past President of the Retired Faculty Association, and Robert Scales, retired Dean of USC’s School of Theater, are leading the initiative. Orr, who has himself experienced hearing loss, has installed hearing loop technology in his own home, and he speaks enthusiastically about its current use in a variety of Los Angeles venues. Scales keeps abreast of advances in assisted hearing systems that are employed by theaters and auditoriums. He is applying this knowledge to the design of systems that will be adopted by the Emeriti Center.

The Emeriti Center, cooperating with the Staff Retirement Association and the Retired Faculty Association, is taking steps to assure that hearing loop technology will also be available in the new University Club. “The University Club is an important gathering place for retired members of USC’s faculty and staff,” says Janette Brown, Executive Director of the Emeriti Center. “We want to make sure that this space adequately serves members of the USC community who have experienced hearing loss.”

This commitment to USC’s neighborhood is also expressed by the Retired Faculty Association’s annual contribution to the University’s Good Neighbors Program. During 2010-2011, RFA contributed $2,000 to this program. “We want to be responsible citizens in this part of our city,” says John Orr, RFA’s 2010-2011 President. “That is why our budget supports Caldwell Scholars and Good Neighbors activities.”

Thomas Sayles, Senior Vice President for University Relations, recently acknowledged RFA’s contribution to the Good Neighbors Program. “This is a tremendous vote of confidence in USC’s outstanding community programs,” he wrote. “We warmly applaud your generosity, as well as your continued commitment to the University.”

• As to off-campus access to electronic content, the University is legally obligated to conform to the licenses from publishers and vendors which stipulate that such access is available only to current USC faculty, students and staff. The definition of “current faculty” includes emeritus/a faculty and other retired faculty members who have been “recalled to service,” (i.e.,those who are engaged in continued research without compensation).

• Retired faculty members seeking to be “recalled to service” should notify the Emeriti Center. The Center will seek needed approvals from the appropriate deans’ offices, and subsequently from the Office of the Provost. When approvals are granted, the Emeriti Center will take the necessary steps to establish access.

The RFA Ombudsman/Advocacy Committee intends to monitor these procedures to assure they are effective in supporting retiree’s continued research activities.

Meanwhile, the RFA is encouraging  members who have not been granted emeritus/a status and who are engaged in research to take the steps described above. The RFA wants to be assured that procedures will not prove cumbersome and that they will be implemented in a timely fashion.

The USC Stress, Emotion, and Aging Lab (SEAL) is looking for volunteers for a research study examining the relationship between memory, mood, and thinking.  If you are between the ages of 18-30 years old or 60 years and above you may be eligible to participate.  The study takes place at the University of Southern California (USC), University Park Campus.  Volunteers will participate in one session, lasting no more than 90 minutes.

Participation in this research study is voluntary. If you are interested in being a volunteer or want more information, please call (213) 740-8015 or email USC.knightlab@gmail.com

A second study, The Aging Brain, will focus on the relationship between the aging of blood vessels, brain structure, and memory function, especially in persons who have a history of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes mellitus, stroke, or coronary artery disease. Kathy Martelli, the project’s coordinator (562-401-8453), is looking for English-speaking volunteers over 70 years of age. The study’s initial evaluation will require three 2-hour testing sessions. Research for The Aging Brain project will  occur at the USC Keck School of Medicine/Health Sciences campus and at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey, California. The study is sponsored by the National Institute on Aging.

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Phoebe Liebig is a long-time member of the RFA Board. For the past three years, she has served as co-chair of the Programs and Events Committee, which has developed RFA’s very successful Sherry Hour series. The series brings together members of the Retired Faculty Association and of the Staff Retirement Association (and their spouses/partners) to hear and to respond to presentations by members of the USC faculty. The Programs and Events Committee has also organized retiree social events that have been coordinated with selected Visions and Voices presentations.

Liebig has been a strong supporter of the University’s Caldwell Neighborhood Scholars Program–co-sponsored by the Retired Faculty Association and the USC Office of Financial Aid. She has been an active member of RFA’s Scholarship Committee.

Phoebe Liebig is a retired member of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology faculty.

At its November 14, 2011, the Board of the Retired Faculty Association elected William Petak, a retired member of the School of Policy, Planning, and Development faculty, to replace Phoebe Liebig as RFA’s Vice President/President Elect.

Our major activities include:

• Advocacy for retired faculty concerns and interests as vital members of the Trojan Family
• Caldwell Scholarship funding for neighborhood high school students to attend USC
• Sherry Hours: a speakers series to stimulate conviviality and lifelong learning
• Intergenerational Global Affairs Forum: monthly student-retiree on-campus discussion group on global issues

Along with the Emeriti Center and the Staff Retirement Association, the Retired Faculty Association sponsors a number of joint activities. Information about these activities is published in the USC Retiree Community Newsletter. Information also is provided via e-mail to RFA members and other interested parties.

The Retired Faculty Association actively supports and participates in committees and programs  of the USC Emeriti Center.

To join the RFA or renew your current membership and support RFA activities, click RFA Membership/Renewal Form.

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