The Rejuvenator - February 2008
Newsletter of the UWG Association of Retired Faculty and Staff, Issue 8
February 2008
2008 Retiree Reunion: We have our date and location set for our annual Retiree Reunion, honoring this year's group of retiring faculty and staff from UWG. It will be at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 12. Mark your calendars now and expect an invitation as we get closer to the even. Last year we had a great turnout at Martha Munro, and we thought we might want to try a larger venue this year. So we will be in the Lower Level of Z-6 with access to the outdoor patio area. So far our list of retirees for this year's event includes: Jan Ruskell (Library), Marc LaFountain (Sociology), Ann Phillips (Student Development), Ann Shirey (Financial Aid) and Anita Haynes (Student Services). We look forward to seeing you all there, retirement medallions and all.
Planning Meeting: We will have an ARFS planning meeting at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, February 22 in the dining room of the Alumni House to begin the planning of our annual reunion. We are trying to get more of you retirees interested in our group. Please try to join our small steering committee and share any ideas of how we can improve our event based on your recollections of previous reunions. Also, volunteer to lend a hand with some of the organizational tasks for planning this event.
ARFS Website: Thank you for checking out our website, which is chocked full of items of interest for you. This site is designed to keep retired faculty and staff up-to-date on events, activities and perks that are available to retirees from YWG. Feel free to give us any feedback or suggestions you may have.
Trips: We are still looking for some individuals who love to travel and are willing to take a leadership role in helping our group plan some trips. We can start out with some local day trips such as a visit to the High Museum, Georgia Aquarium, etc. We might negotiate group discounts and take a university bus to keep costs low and make the trip more convenient. Later, we might even strive to do an overnight trip. If you are interested in taking charge of this, please e-mail Glenn at gnovak@westga.edu. Let's get the bus rolling!
Alumni and Retiree Travel Opportunities: The University of West Georgia National Alumni Association in partnership with Gustafson Travel is planning tours to New Zealand/Australia and Egypt in 2008. They also have details posted on their 2009 cruise to South America (Chile, Argentina and Uruguay). For detailed information and to make your reservation, contact Gustafson Travel.
Re-cap of Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) Pledge Drive: Ann Richards worked very hard to organize a successful UWG volunteer effort and led around 12 of us down to GPB in Atlanta to participate in a telephone fundraising drive in December. Our group raised a lot of money!
John Ferling: Dr. John Ferling, UWG Professor of History Emeritus, will be featured on "John Adams," a one-hour National Public Radio program sometime this spring. He will discuss Adams as a lawyer, diplomat, politician and president. So you won't miss the broadcast, we will send out an e-mail when we learn the exact date and time. So here's another reason to sign up for the ARFS listserv. If you need help, let us know.
To sign up for our listserv, just follow the procedure listed below:
*Go to the following website called “Join or leave a List”
http://www.westga.edu/warchives/subunsub2.html
*Complete only the first 3 fields (boxes)
In the first box labeled “List to Join or Leave,” type in UWG-ARFS
In the second box, type in your complete email address.
In the third box, type in your first and last names.
*Leave the defaults on the rest of the page as is unless you want to change it. *Click on “Join the list.” You’ll get a message stating “A confirmation request is being sent under separate cover.”
Then, wait for your e-mail confirmation and follow the instructions provided.
If you have trouble, you can call the ITS Helpdesk at 678-839-6587.
Friday Happy Hours: The Friday afternoon happy hours sponsored by the University Club continue this term and run from 5-7 p.m. Join former and current faculty and staff members for refreshments and socializing at the following locations and on the dates listed:
• February 29 - Alumni House
• March 14 - The Mansion
• March 28 - Alumni House
• April 11 - Shakespeare Tavern
• April 25 - Annual Spring Picnic with the faculty/staff rock band
For all events held at the Alumni House, the UWG Foundation will supply beverages (wine and beer). Donations of $5 are requested to pay for snacks. Watch your e-mail for additional information.
Upcoming Events:
Play: The Exonerated. Feb. 20-23, 7:30 p.m.. Feb. 24, 2:30 p.m. TCPA.
UWG Opera Workshop: March 6 and 8, 8:15 p.m. TCPA.
UWG Jazz Ensemble: March 13, 8:15 p.m. TCPA.
Big Night of Student Research: April 3, 7:00 p.m. TCPA.
Play: Scapin. April 16-19. 7:30 p.m. April 20, 2:30 p.m. TCPA.
Retiree Benefits: For those of you who don't have Internet access available at home, we thought we'd highlight some of the "benefits" available to retired faculty and staff:
Ingram Library Usage: Retirees may borrow books and other materials from the library. All that is needed is a valid UWG ID or a Guest Borrower ID. Apply for the Guest Borrower ID at the library's circulation desk. Call 678-839-6502 if you have any questions.
UWG Bookstore Discount: Retirees may obtain a 20% discount on any of their in-store purchases by showing their faculty/staff retiree ID card to the cashier at the checkout. ID cards can be made at the student center.
UWG Campus Center Memberships: The center offers an indoor track, cardiovascular machines and weights in the fitness center, aerobic rooms, basketball courts, and a climbing wall. All retirees are eligible to join. Memberships may be purchased at the Campus Center Administration Office or contact Linda Picklesimer at 678-839-5500. Current Faculty and Staff Directory: A copy of the current academic year's faculty and staff directory will be mailed each Fall to every retiree as a convenience to reach various offices or personnel on campus. Retirees who grant permission will also be listed in a special section of each year's directory.
UWG Parking Services: Retirees may obtain a courtesy "G" parking hanger tag allowing him or her to park in any student or faculty parking area (white and green curbs) on campus and obtain a UWG gate card. Contact UWG Parking Services.
Information/Announcements to Share: If you have any news to share with our members, our listserv is a perfect way to share it. Just follow the directions in this newsletter to sign up. As a member of the listserv, you can both send and receive announcements posted to it. In the "to" field, the address to type is simply UWG-ARFS@westga.edu.