URVC helps the University to “Elevate Extraordinary”
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and recruiting retiree volunteers to help address those needs.
With the University’s announcement of its Elevate Extraordinary 2030 strategic roadmap, the URVC Leadership Council reviewed its portfolio of service projects to highlight their alignment with the “Strategic Imperatives” embedded in this campaign.
“While this is the Volunteer Center’s ‘ordinary’ work, it is clear there is, in fact, something extraordinary about it that deserves to be recognized and elevated,” said URVC Leadership Council chair Jerry Rinehart.
UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVE #1. Prepare students to be fully engaged and active in our state, nation, and world
Supporting education at all levels is a priority for the Volunteer Center. The Reader/Writer program pairs writing-proficient volunteers with public school adolescents seeking to improve their competency and confidence in writing.
At the undergraduate level, UMRA’s Silver Gopher Service Corps provides teams of volunteers to assist University Admissions and retention staff with on-campus recruitment and new student welcome activities. The Volunteer Center also recruits volunteers who are trained to serve as panelists in Academic Integrity Matters, an initiative using restorative justice principles to educate students on the impacts of academic dishonesty and approaches to repairing community harm.
In partnership with the University’s International Student and Scholar Services program, the Volunteer Center helped create the Global Gopher Experiences mentorship program to welcome new international students to the University and the international community.
The Volunteer Center has also developed a postdoctoral mentorship program to support postdocs requesting assistance in academic writing, research presentations, and career development.
UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVE #3. Serve communities through knowledge creation and exchange in the arts, health, healthcare, and the economy
Among the Volunteer Center’s most popular projects are opportunities for retirees to volunteer for University health and medical research in areas as varied as sleep disorder and Parkinson’s disease to low vision and hearing impairment. Other projects include supporting Rarig Center, Ted Mann Theater, and Northrop Auditorium events, and volunteering as musicians at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
UNIVERSITY IMPERATIVE #4. Advance [University] excellence to lead in the discovery and application of sustainable solutions, improving environmental, human, plant, and animal health
Volunteer Center priorities include food security and environmental sustainability. Partnerships with Neighborhood House, Every Meal, and Second Harvest Heartland support the most needy and diverse members of our broader community. Great River Greening uses science-based best practices to restore and sustainably manage more than 10,000 acres of land each year, including natural lands, farm and agricultural lands, community and urban lands.
Over the past four decades, the Volunteer Center has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to address community needs and enhance their own post-work experience.
Go to urvc.umn.edu or call 612-625-8016 to learn more, including how to volunteer for these or any of the programs currently offered.
—Peggy Mann Rinehart
News
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to help address those needs.
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of the volunteers who do the work of the organization. I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
You don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to drink coffee. It’s the conversation that matters. It’s a new, experimental effort being organized by the wizards of UMRA; a meet-up of members who live in the same zip code.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
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: