Case Western Reserve emeriti faculty remain active during COVID-19

Contrary to popular belief, academic life and connection to the university does not need to end upon retirement. In fact, Case Western Reserve University emeriti faculty are living purpose-driven lives and engaging regularly with the university through a variety of events and opportunities.

Through the university’s Office of Emeriti Affairs—led by Kelly Rindfleisch Marcus—and Emeriti Academy, former faculty members are remaining heavily involved with the university through events and programs designed to bring emeriti faculty together as a community. These activities have skyrocketed during COVID-19 thanks to technological innovations such as Zoom.

“Before the pandemic and the introduction of meeting through Zoom, we only held two in-person meetings of the full membership each year,” said Rindfleisch Marcus. “Now we’re meeting two, sometimes three, times a week. Engagement has been tenfold, at least!”

The availability of technology to connect people has been especially important to older emeriti faculty who were cut-off from family, professional networks and friends in the last year.

The Emeriti Academy, in conjunction with [U]Tech, held several sessions to teach the retirees how to use Zoom to join, schedule and host meetings. Some even purchased their first laptops through the university’s discount programs. The [U]Tech Service Desk has provided a constant source of support.

“I retired in 2010 and had to renew everything I’d forgotten about using a computer and upgrade my thinking and abilities to also include Zoom,” said Marion Good, professor emerita of the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing and immediate past chair of the Emeriti Academy. “It was a tremendous boost to my morale to be able to learn these new skills. It was incredibly rewarding to again have that feeling of accomplishment.”

Not only did learning new skills allow emeriti faculty to interact more often with each other, but it also allowed them to remain in touch with family, friends, former coworkers, research associates and others. It has helped connect retirees from various departments and schools who never would have met otherwise.

“Before the pandemic, I was in my campus office regularly,” said Matt Sobel, professor emeritus of the Weatherhead School of Management. “After the pandemic, that shut down.”

Through the Emeriti Academy, Sobel has been able to reignite those relationships and reengage socially.

“The importance of the Academy has been even greater during the pandemic due to the physical isolation,” he said. “It has been, for me, an important social connection which I’ve benefited from in every conceivable way.”

An inclusive community who continue to learn throughout the year

Case Western Reserve emeriti faculty—which currently includes 477 members—are a diverse, nimble, multigenerational and interdisciplinary group who hail from all corners of the university. The Emeriti Academy was officially launched in the fall of 2016 and supports efforts to keep the former faculty engaged. Membership is automatic upon emeritus appointment by the Board of Trustees and university president.

With support from the academy, the Office of Emeriti Affairs provides online programming such as book clubs, lunch groups and physical and mental wellness programs. The office is now reintroducing more in-person events such as a “picnic” in November which included a luncheon and walk around Wade Lagoon.

Case Western Reserve emeriti also enjoy education benefits for themselves and family members; free, lifelong access to most campus parking lots; free access to campus athletic facilities and university libraries; computer services; office space; business cards; access to the software center and university employee discount program, and more—perks not all universities provide.

Above all, the Office of Emeriti Affairs and Emeriti Academy strive to continue to do what they do best, providing support to emeriti faculty through all the joys and difficulties of getting older.

“After a major operation, the thing that was so rewarding for me was the way everyone helped me recover,” said Jay Mann, professor emeritus of the Case School of Engineering and chair of the Emeriti Academy. “It’s been a real pleasure to know that I’m accepted for what I am, limitations and all,” he said.

In addition, members of the Emeriti Academy will continue to give back to CWRU. They support the university through the continuation of research and scholarly pursuits, including publications and external funding. They also facilitate the service of retired faculty to the university, community and society.

What’s next for emeriti?

As the needs and interests of emeriti continue to expand, Rindfleisch Marcus is focusing on two major initiatives during the coming year.

In an effort to spark discussion around the concept of age inclusivity, she is working to  secure membership for Case Western Reserve in the Age-Friendly University Global Network.

Rindfleisch Marcus is also initiating a pilot program to capture the memories and personal recollections of emeriti faculty via video. These video biographies will archive the career paths, scholarly histories and personal imprints on the university for posterity.

Perhaps more importantly, the group will continue to foster close relations with their peers and other members of the university community.

“When I look back on my own career in retrospect, I behaved as if I had a perpetual lifetime to make choices, but time is a critical resource,” Sobel said.

Now, in his retirement—and with the benefits of the Emeriti Academy—Sobel is enjoying greater flexibility and a fulfilling academic life, too.

“In my eyes, Case Western Reserve University, via the Office of Emeriti Affairs, is making a major effort to both involve the emeriti in the ongoing life of the university in diverse ways and also to enrich the lives of the emeriti,” he said.

Join the emeriti faculty on Friday, Dec. 10, at 2 p.m. for their fall event with keynote speaker, Professor Emeritus Richard (Dick) Baznik, CWRU university historian and author of Beyond the Fence: A Social History of Case Western Reserve University. Baznik will profile the Nobel Laureates who have ties to the university. Register for the Zoom link.