October 6, 2008

Minutes of ASEF Executive Council Meeting
Monday, October 6, 2008, 12:00 noon

Present

Drs. Dalinka, Schleyer, Steinberg, MacGregor, Kefalides, Hess, Meadows, Downes, Asbury, and FAPD support staff person Rachael Berget.

ASEF Fall Emeriti Dinner

Dr. Meadows said that she had talked to Julian Pugh about ordering food for 50 people for the reception and the dinner.  She recommended a caterer she has used in the past, "Feast Your Eyes Catering", to Julian for this event.  When asked about the possibility of additional people showing up for the complimentary reception, Dr. Meadows said that we could easily call the caterer up to several days before the event and increase the count for the reception. Dr. MacGregor suggested that Council members talk up the Emeriti dinner in their departmental meetings.  He said that ASEF Council members should encourage people to come to the reception because it's free.  He asked Rachael to send out the announcement again and to print out the invitation flyer and post it throughout the School of Medicine and CHOP.  He also suggested that the announcement be sent to Chairs' secretaries.

Post-Baccalaureate Program

Council Members discussed how to get more ASEF members to volunteer for this program.  Dr. Steinberg said that Dr. Saunders wants more ASEF members involved.  Dr. Schleyer asked whether the Post-Bac program would also welcome basic scientists as mentors in this program.  Dr. MacGregor suggested that each Council member should think about someone who would be a good volunteer for this program and send that person's name to Dr. Saunders or to Rachael Berget.

ASEF Senior Faculty Survey

Dr. Steinberg reported on the responses to this survey.  He noted that the compiled survey data was sent to the Dean and department chairs.  Dr. MacGregor asked how the Council can develop some action plans based on the survey results.  Dr. Steinberg mentioned that he sent a memo to all senior faculty about the ASEF Senior Faculty Survey results and the availability of The Hitchhiker's Guide to Retirement on the ASEF website.  Dr. Steinberg also said that ASEF needs to work with HR to ensure that there are enough information sessions about retirement being offered to faculty members. Dr. Asbury commented that the retirement/estate planning sessions offered by Marcie Merz, J.D., are very helpful.  He said that every time he listens to her presentation at this session, he comes away having learned something new.  Dr. Kefalides suggested that ASEF should host the Vicki Mulhern/Hilary Lopez retirement planning twice a year.  Council members also discussed the possibility that the speaker for ASEF's spring program could be an expert on the topic of combining retirement health benefits with Medicare and any other federal or private health benefits.

Emeritus Status for Retired Research-Track Faculty

Dr. MacGregor said that Dr. Saunders has been approached by a retired Research Track faculty member about his/her  perception that it is unfair for Research-Track faculty to be denied emeritus status.  Rachael reported that conferral of Emeritus status upon faculty members will start being "minuted" in the Provost's Staff Conference (PSC) minutes in the near future, making it easier to keep track of new emeritus faculty.  ASEF Executive Council will return to this topic of discussion next month. Dr. Stan Schwartz has been appointed the new Chief of Medicine at Presbyterian Hospital, replacing Dr. Jack Ende, so he has to step down from the ASEF Executive Council.  Dr. Meadows suggested that the Executive Council should look at a list of faculty who have recently been made emeritus to see who would be a good person to replace Dr. Schwartz on the Executive Council.  Rachael Berget will prepare a list of faculty who have become emeritus over the past 3 years and send it to ASEF Executive Council members.  Each Executive Council member will then send the name of one person that they believe would make a good new Council member to Dr. Saunders.

ASEF/PASEF Retirement Community Survey

Rachael Berget reported that, to date, there have been approximately 195 responses to the ASEF/PASEF Retirement Community Survey.  She reported that response has been overwhelmingly positive to the question of the university developing a retirement community for faculty on, or near, campus.  Dr. MacGregor said that he thinks a panel of retired faculty talking about what they're doing would be really interesting.

Education Committee

Dr. Schleyer questioned how retired faculty members can renew their Pennkeys.  Pennkeys are good up until 5 years after retirement, after which they expire.  Dr. Schleyer also said that he believes that ASEF should do an electronic newsletter to inform people about topics such as how to renew a Pennkey. Dr. Steinberg reported that the Sayre Clinic only wants faculty volunteers who have malpractice insurance.  The West Chester Clinic will cover volunteers, but Sayre will not.  Dr. Schleyer said that it is his understanding that the Sayre Clinic is not working well, that it is not functioning.   Dr. MacGregor mentioned that Dr. McCarthy is writing a description of the community medical practice sites for the ASEF website.  Dr. Steinberg said that, at some sites, you can become an unpaid employee of the Public Health Service and, in so doing, be covered by their malpractice insurance.

ASEF Office Space

Kevin Mahoney told Dr. Asbury to talk to Earl Marsh (in the Office of the Health System Architect) about the potential space for ASEF.  Mr. Marsh has come up with a functional space on the 5th floor of the Maloney Building, in HUP.  The space has one room that is 336 square feet (with room for 6 carrels), has a conference room that will seat 16 people, a lounge of 240 square feet, a coat closet, and a small pantry.  The space is about 996 square feet with a circulation of about 440 square feet, for a total of approximately 1500 square feet.  Dr. Asbury stated that if any of the Executive Council members should see Dean Rubenstein or Kevin Mahoney, they should mention the space to them.  Dr. Asbury said that the Dean believes that ASEF is real resource to the School of Medicine

The next ASEF Executive Council meeting will be held on Monday, November 10, 2008, in Room 104 Stellar Chance.

Minutes prepared and respectfully submitted by,Rachael J. Berget, M.Ed.