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PURA History: 2010-2011

YEAR IN REVIEW

Officers and Advisor
President: Christian J. Johannsen
Vice President: Charles O. Rutledge
Secretary/Treasurer: Patricia J. Lawson
Historian: Mary Alice Nebold
Advisor: Robin G. Bellinger (resigned 1/11)
              Robert A. Ford (appointed 2/11)

Committee Chairpersons
Benefits: Martha O. Chiscon
Campus and Community: Sue Hume Graham
Communications: Richard C. Nelson
Endowment: Betty M. Nelson
Hospitality: E. Suzanne Hiser
Kickoff Luncheon: Sarah A. Johnson and Ann C. Pickett
Program: Eldon E. Ortman and Reuben Peterson
Retiree Seminar: W. Scott Rumble
Trips and Tours: James R. Marciniak

Activities

Annual Meeting 
Provost Timothy D. Sands, executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, was the featured speaker at the annual transition meeting on June 1, 2011.

Award Recipients
* Arthur G. Hansen Recognition Award: The Hansen Award was not presented in 2010.

* Betty M. Nelson Special Recognition Award: The Nelson Award was presented to Roy A. Johnson for his participation and leadership in multiple PURA activities. When he was presented the award, he was described as the "Man for All Seasons" because of his highest quality of service to PURA.

Benefits
The Senior Supplemental Health and Prescription Plan was negotiated for the sixth year with UnitedHealthcare (formerly PacifiCare) for 2011. Other benefits made available by the University for official Purdue retirees include their eligibility to retain their Purdue e-mail account or apply to activate one, free flu shots and "A" parking passes.

Big Ten Retirees Association Conference
Christian J. Johannsen, Charles O. Rutledge, and Martha O. Chiscon represented PURA at the meeting of the Big Ten Retirees Association held on the campus of Indiana University on Aug. 20-22, 2010.
 
By-law Changes 
Proposed changes in the by-laws, last amended in 2002, were passed by the PURA membership at the Aug. 2, 2010, luncheon meeting.
     
Changes included the addition of four standing committees. Former ad  hoc committees Campus and Community, Fall Kickoff Luncheon, and Retiree Seminar and the new Endowment committee are named in Article VI, Section 6.1, (a).

Other modifications were written solely for clarification. These include:
* Name or title changes: executive committee to executive board - Article IV, Section 4.3 (a) and Section 5.2, 5.3, and 5.4; and annual planning meeting to annual transition meeting - Article IV, Section 4.3 (e);
*Added responsibilities: past president shall serve as chair of nominating committee - Article IV, Section 4.2 (c); and historian shall be responsible for updating the Procedures and Policies Manual as needed - Article IV, Section 4.2 (e).
* Improved descriptions: responsibilities of nominating committee - Article VI, Section 6.1 (c) election process - Article IV, Section 4.3, (a-f) responsibilities of officers - Article IV, Section 4.2 (a-e)

Rearrangement of some articles and sections of bylaws were modified to enhance orderliness.

Calendar of Events
PURA events continue to be placed on the University Calendar and can now be accessed through a link on the Purdue Web page. An annual calendar was prepared for use by the Board.

Campus and Community Tours
During the fall semester, 111 retirees enjoyed tours of Pao Hall of Visual and Performing Arts, the Agriculture Beef Cattle Unit, and Subaru of Indiana Automotive Plant.  Forty-seven (47) participated in tours of the PRIME Lab and Hansen Life Sciences Research - Cancer Research
Center in the spring semester. That totaled nearly 160 retirees who became more familiar with their campus and community facilities.

Endowments
* PURA Activities and Opportunities Fund (PAO): The PURA PAO was established through the Purdue Foundation with the monies from the penalty for unmet performance guarantees from UnitedHealthcare (formerly PacifiCare). Currently the PAO has a book value of $136,000. Earnings generated by the endowment will benefit Purdue retirees. Brochures, first distributed in 2009, describe the PAO Fund in detail.

* PURA Jischke Purdue Opportunity Award (POA): The PURA POA was established to honor President Martin C. and Patty Jischke at his retirement. Gifts received in December 2010 completed the amount of $20,000 required before a scholarship could be awarded. The Purdue Opportunity Award is granted to students who have high financial need, personal hardship(s), and/or other extenuating circumstances. One award is designated for each of Indiana's 92 counties.

Handbook
The updated tri-fold handbook for retirees was sent to members with the PURA Newsletter in 2009. 5,000 copies were produced to cover distribution through 2011.
 
Kickoff Luncheon
260 Purdue retirees and friends attended the luncheon at University Plaza on Aug. 30, 2010. Vice provost for engagement Vic Lechtenberg was the featured speaker.

Newsletter
The "PURA Newsletter" was sent to all Purdue retirees in July and November 2010, and January and March 2011. The new website has produced great results and is constantly being upgraded.

Pre-Retirement Meetings
PURA representatives continue to participate in pre-retirement meetings each semester at the invitation of the Office of Human Resources.
  
Procedures and Policies Manual
The updated "Procedures and Policies Manual" was distributed to each officer and committee chair, and a copy was placed in the archives. The Manual includes the changes described above in "By-Law Changes."

Programs
A wide variety of topics presented by engaging speakers enticed many retirees to attend the monthly meetings held at MCL. A listing of program titles and the presenters has been placed with the archival materials.

Retirees' Giving to Purdue
Based on the previous year, the number of gifts decreased about 3% in 2010, but the dollars given leveled at about $3.4 million.

Retiree Seminar
One hundred seventy-nine (179) attended the seventh annual conference focusing on topics of interest to retirees on April 27, 2011, at University Plaza. Topics included nutrition in the golden years, physical activity (not a kid's game anymore), medication safety, replacing agility with ingenuity, and combating electronic scams.

Spring Fling
New cards about planning for retirement and green tote bags provided by Fidelity Investments were handed out at the May 19, 2011, Spring Fling on Memorial Mall. PURA again sponsored the collection for Food Finders Bank.

Trips and Tours
In collaboration with Imperial Travel and Top Notch Travel, the Trips and Tours Committee arranged for Purdue retirees to travel as a group to many interesting destinations including the Amtrak Chicago Architectural
Cruise, the Tall Ships at Chicago's Navy Pier, French Lick Resort and Casino, Conner Prairie, Shoppers' Delight to Nashville and Edinburg, and the Indianapolis Dinner/ Theatre evening. Approximately 200 enjoyed these trips.

United Way
In 2010 Purdue retirees were again designated as Pacesetters for the United Way Campaign. Their gifts, totaling $95,218.94, far surpassed the $88,000 goal.

Comprehensive reports regarding PURA activities and accomplishments during the year, June 2010 through May 2011, are filed in the Purdue University Library Archives and Special Collections. A guide to the PURA records can be accessed on the library’s website at http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol . The direct link to the inventory from that website is http://www.lib.purdue.edu/spcol/fa/pdf/pura.pdf.

May 2011
Mary Alice Nebold, Historian