Northwestern Emeriti Organization
—The Northwestern Emeriti Organization (NEO) was founded in 2001 with support of the Office of the Provost to further the social and professional life of its emeritus community and to continue benefiting from their abilities and knowledge in the University. (NEO maintains contact with the Big Ten Retirement Association and the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education.)
Activities
Bimonthly Luncheons
NEO members gather for lunch at 12:30 PM on the first Wednesday in even-numbered months. For the foreseeable future, these lunches will be held at the Zhivago Restaurant, 9925 Gross Point Road in Skokie (847-982-1400).
Thrice-Yearly Dinners
Each academic quarter features a dinner or luncheon at the Zhivago Restaurant for NEO members and invited spouses, partners, or friends followed by a program of learning or entertainment, usually by a member of Northwestern's rich community of scholars, teachers, and performers. Program for 2011-12:
- October 19, 2011 (dinner, 6:00 p.m.)
- Joel Mokyr, Robert H. Strotz Professor of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Economics and History
- "Knowledge, Technology, and the Great Miracle of Modern Economic Growth"
- March 15, 2012 (lunch, 12:30 p.m.)
- Chad Mirkin, Professor of Chemistry, Materials Science and Engineering, and Biomedical Engineering
- "Innovation in Nanotechnology: Separating Hype From Real Opportunity"
- May 1, 2012 (dinner, 6:00 p.m.)
- Ric Ashley, Associate Professor, Music Theory and Cognition
- "Studying Music in the Era of Cognitive Science"
Membership
The Provost's website contains a Statement on Appointment to Emeritus Status.
Briefly, faculty members who retire at age 55 or later after at least ten years of continuous service on the Northwestern faculty are eligible for appointment to emeritus status. However, the appointments require the recommendation of the school dean, endorsement by the Provost, and approval of the Board of Trustees. See the statement for more information.
In 2011, twenty faculty members were appointed to emeritus status. NEO now has more than 570 members. About 70% of NEO members still live in Illinois, and one-third of those in Evanston. (See graphs of NEO members as of 2010.)
Membership in NEO, moreover, extends as well to retired professional staff who performed a core academic function (e.g., librarians) and retired senior administrative staff subject to a vote by NEO's Executive Council. (See NEO's Charter for more information.)
Governance
As specified in its Charter, NEO's administrative functions are discharged by an elected President, a Vice-President, and a Secretary-Treasurer. NEO is governed by an Executive Council consisting of the three administrative officers, the immediate past President, and six other council members elected to staggered two-year terms. (See the current and past NEO officers.)
For 2011-12, NEO's President is Bob Coen; Vice-President is Gerry Baumann; and Secretary-Treasurer is Louis Allred. The Executive Council consists of Buckley Crist, Rebecca Dixon, and Ed Wilson (serving terms for 2010-12), and Elmer Lewis, Pat Spear, and Malcolm Vye (serving terms for 2011-13). Jim Holland serves on the Executive Council as immediate Past President. The Provost is a member ex-officio.