Big Ten 2025 Conference
Diane Young, president, and Sally Kohlstedt, president-elect, represented UMRA at the 2025 Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA) Conference held in August at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
They were part of a group of 38 delegates and 7 guests from 14 of the 18 schools in the Big Ten. The conference featured speakers and breakout sessions on aging and the effective organization of retiree associations.
Minnesota will host the 2026 BTRA Conference. With Eric Hockert, UMRA past president, serving as conference chair, the steering committee has already been working on plans for more than a year.
News
UMRA hosted delegates from 14 of the 18 schools in the Big Ten for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association conference in July. It was described as “the perfect collaboration” by two delegates we invited to share a few of their key takeaways from the conference.
Developing communication skills is the focus of two programs needing volunteers this fall: the “Reader/Writer Program,” assisting students in Minneapolis Public Schools grades 7-12 to develop literacy skills; and “Partners in English,” engaging in conversation with adults for whom English is not their first language.
After being unexpectedly sidelined at the outset of her retirement, Pam Snopl now enjoys doing many of the things retirees get to do, including reconnecting in person with family and friends, going to museums and weekday Minnesota Twins games, reading, and writing.
UMRA member George Swan retired in 2021 after 30+ years at University Libraries, but still returns to campus to visit one or another of the libraries at least twice a week in his current role as a student/retiree.
UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees program is an annual competition for grants to support projects related to retirees’ research, instructional history, new scholarly or creative interests.
UMRA needs everyone to renew their membership for the coming year. Thank you if you’ve already renewed! If you haven’t, please renew right away.