Lapsed membership?
If you didn’t renew your UMRA membership by September 15, you should have received an email telling you that your membership is lapsed. Don’t worry if you did get the lapse notice. You can restore your membership by simply paying your 2025–26 dues.
When your UMRA membership is in the lapsed status, you are still a member and will still get our mailings. But you will not be able to register for and attend in-person forums and other UMRA events requiring registration. And you won’t get reduced-rate parking in University public parking facilities on the Twin Cities campus, or other discounts available to UMRA members.
It will be a year before you’re dropped completely from our membership rolls.
You can pay your dues by logging in to the UMRA Member Portal at umra.wildapricot.org or by mailing a check to:
University of Minnesota Retirees Association
c/o Kristy Frost-Griep, treasurer
1305 Beechwood Place
St. Paul, MN 55116
Still not sure about your UMRA membership status? Look for the date in the upper right corner of the address label on your print newsletter. If it says 2026, you’re good. Thank you! If it says 2025, you need to renew—and we hope you will!
—Ron Matross, Membership and Communication Committee chair
News
Then there are the unexpected things that happen…
… like a box of family history from a cousin that was completely unexpected. Perhaps it is like an unexpected DNA match.
Belonging to a group, a pack, a tribe, or a community helps us to live longer and be happier. Virtually every study that examines factors contributing to longevity identifies social connections as a key factor. Social connections enhance happiness, too, according to “Everything is Better Together,” a large-scale study published recently.
The University of Minnesota Medicare insurance program will end December 31. To facilitate this change, the University has arranged for Via Benefits to assist with insurance selection and enrollment. Working with Via is free and optional; retirees can also go to an insurance broker or contact insurance companies directly.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2026 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five campuses within the U of M System are eligible to apply. Previous grant recipient Mark Bohnhorst, JD, is “deeply grateful” for the support provided by the program for his ongoing research about the Electoral College.
The University Board of Regents launched its fall meetings with the addition of four new interim regents appointed in August by Governor Tim Walz. The new members fill positions vacated by regents whose six-year terms expired earlier this year.
Meet UMRA member and quizmaster Dave Dorman. He has years of professional experience as a group facilitator, hosting conversations conducted in a civil atmosphere—something we need more of today!
The retirees who serve on the Leadership Council of the University Retirees Volunteer Center clearly believe that volunteering contributes to both individual and community health and well-being. In the words of one long-time volunteer, it “counters the isolated, siloed forces in today's society and fosters a sense that we are all in this together.”
There are many benefits to membership in UMRA, including discounted ticket prices for University Opera Theatre performances at the Ted Mann Concert Hall in Minneapolis.