The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
President Kaler addressed UMRA's 2018 Annual Meeting
As we all know, President Eric Kaler announced in July that he will retire from his post on July 1, 2019, one year before his term is scheduled to end. He will remain in the role of president emeritus for one year after he steps down to continue his work on the U’s $4 billion Driven campaign. “I look forward then to a sabbatical before assuming my faculty position in our spectacular Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science,” he said in a statement announcing his decision. Kaler received his Ph.D. in chemical engineering from the department in 1982.
UMRA was very fortunate to have President Kaler as the keynote speaker for our 2018 Annual Meeting in the Campus Club West Wing on May 22. In his remarks, the president outlined major challenges facing the University, beginning with the difficulties presented by the Minnesota Legislature’s inability to address key priorities of the University. Although $79 million in funding for the U was included in the bonding bill passed by the Legislature and signed by Governor Dayton (on May 30), “We asked for $200 million,” Kaler noted. The funding issues combined with a new era in the Regents’ approach to University leadership present unique concerns, he said.
The president outlined the University’s efforts to respond to sexual misconduct issues, citing an unprecedented request by faculty to implement campus-wide training programs to help them address these issues. And he noted that in his role with the NCAA he helped craft guidelines to reduce the frequency of the “one and done” phenomenon of basketball players putting in one year as a college athlete merely to qualify for the NBA draft.
Kaler also provided updates on the University’s strategic plan and ambitious $4 billion capital campaign. In combination with the wonderful buffet and elegant West Wing surroundings, many felt UMRA’s 2018 Annual Meeting was one to remember.
—Jerry Rinehart, UMRA president, 2018–19
May Luncheon At a Glance
Tue, May 22 2018, 4pm
West Wing, Campus Club, Fourth Floor, Coffman Memorial Union
MAY
AFTERNOON RECEPTION
AND ANNUAL MEETING
Tuesday, May 22, 2018
4–6 p.m.
Featured Speaker
Dr. Eric Kaler, president
University of Minnesota
Location
West Wing
Campus Club, Fourth Floor
Coffman Memorial Union
Menu
Buffet featuring festive and hearty appetizers, fresh fruit platter, coffee and tea plus a cash bar.
Reservations ARE required.
Deadline: Thursday, May 17
Prepayment of $30 per person.
Annual prepayers, please make reservations.
Reserve and Pay Online
Or, send your check payable to UMRA to:
UMRA Reservations
c/o Judy Leahy Grimes
1937 Palace Ave., St. Paul MN
55105-1728
Or, contact Judy before the deadline at
651-698-4387
[email protected]
Please honor the reservation deadline; to cancel, please call by Thursday, May 17.
Parking
$6 maximum in University ramps with UMRA’s discount coupon. No reservations for this event.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.