Revival of JOIE
The past year saw the revival of the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays (JOIE), sponsored by UMRA. The open-access journal was established in 2013 as a venue for publishing articles on a variety of scholarly, artistic, educational, and civic issues written by members of the University community, both retired and employed.
Seventeen submissions were published by the end of 2015. But in the following four years, only five additional articles were added, and the journal was placed on hiatus in 2020.
In early 2021, I volunteered to serve as editor-in-chief and JOIE was reopened for article submission. Other steps taken so far in the revival include:
- working with University Digital Conservancy (UDC) staff to update the JOIE collection page, adding downloadable instructions for authors
- recruiting new members to the editorial committee, now consisting of five talented UMRA volunteers
- writing announcements to promote the renewed journal, both within UMRA and other University venues, including U of M Brief and the P&A Senate Newsletter
- preparing a JOIE operating “toolkit,” now archived on the UMRA website
- regularly updating the UMRA board and Communication & Outreach Committee
With eight new articles published in JOIE as of February 2022, the total collection is now up to 30. Please contact me at [email protected] if you have an article you would like to submit for publication.
—Kristine M. Bettin, JOIE editor-in-chief
News
Spend eight nights in Madrid and Barcelona in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend four nights in Québec City in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: