OSURA Benefits for only $15
Carlene Hamilton
OSURA Communications
By the time you retire, you will have made a significant investment of your time and talent while employed at Ohio State. Just being a part of the university will have had a major effect on you—the academic environment, the skills and abilities you used, your salary and perks, and the relationships you developed with your colleagues will have become part of who you are.
Your connection with the university will continue upon retirement—the degree and type of connection depends on you. As you collect the returns on your investment through your pension, we encourage you to also draw upon other resources.
In the early ‘80s, a group of former Ohio State faculty and staff that was concerned about the on-going welfare of retirees founded The Ohio State University Retirees Association (OSURA). This organization provides a place for retired persons to turn for counsel and assistance, continuing relationships, social interaction, information on retirement and other benefits, and university updates.
Over the last quarter century, OSURA has offered a myriad of services and continues to do so: monitoring benefits provided by STRS, OPERS, and Ohio State; sponsoring conferences, seminars, and meetings on topics of interest to retirees; holding social and travel activities; communicating through a monthly newsletter and a web site; and publishing information (e.g., long-term care insurance, selecting continuing care centers, etc.) are a few.
In his column for the June 2009 issue of the OSURA Newsletter, President Thomas A. Wilke summed up some of OSURA’s accomplishments during the past year. Here is an excerpt:
“This year, there was a full roster of 24 trips, the summer picnic, holiday party, tax seminar, Tertulia Breakfast, and the Lunch Bunch. The Coping with Change Conference spawned a special follow-up seminar on 403(b) investments, and the Estate Planning seminar was new. Special Interest Groups alone attracted about 575 attendees. All together, these activities drew about 2,500 attendees.”
To read the OSURA Newsletter and Wilke’s column, visit hr.osu.edu/osura/newsletter.
Annual dues are $15, or a one-time life membership is also available for $170. A one-year membership without dues is given to all university retirees and their spouses during the first year of retirement.
There are more than 3,000 members of OSURA throughout the United States. Members include retired faculty and staff as well as their spouses.
OSURA held its annual meeting at the Faculty Club on June 9. Gene Smith, athletic director and associate vice president, spoke to the group on “Building Leaders for Tomorrow.” Judith A. McMahon, who served as the association’s office manager from 1993 until her retirement this year, received its Outstanding Service Award.