|
|
|
|
Emeritus faculty (from left) Kenneth Janda, Christina Enroth-Cugell, James C. Erickson III and Louis Allred gather at the most recent meeting of the Northwestern Emeriti Organization. |
|
photo by Jim Ziv |
They're not part of an interdisciplinary program or an off-campus social club.
The faculty members belong to the Northwestern Emeriti Organization (NEO), an organization created three years ago with support of the Office of the Provost.
The group is composed of emeritus faculty and now numbers more than 500 members.
Established "to further the social and professional life of its emeritus community," the NEO members renew acquaintances and talk about what is happening at the University. At the first meeting of the academic year in October, more than two dozen members attended the bimonthly luncheon.
The insights of NEO members on University issues are sometimes shared with the Office of the Provost, said Kenneth Janda, Payson S. Wild Professor Emeritus of Political Science and the current president of NEO.
He said, "The experience and knowledge of our members provides the Provost with an additional viewpoint on faculty issues that the University can consider when addressing some academic issues."
For example NEO members can give first-hand reports on how well the University's health benefit programs are working.
Some of the members still spend time at their former campus office or laboratory, continue research, keep current on developments in their field and are active in retirement. They also stay in touch by using e-mail and library privileges provided by the University and also receive copies of the Observer.
NEO also maintains contact with the University at three dinners every year. The evening meetings, with invited spouses, partners or friends, feature a program of learning or entertainment by a member of the Northwestern community -- scholars, teachers, performers. At the October dinner, the featured guests were John Wright, professor emeritus of classics, and his wife, Ellen, lecturer in the Writing Program. They played banjo and guitar while discussing bluegrass music, which they have done in performances across the country.
Last year's programs featured presentations by President Henry S. Bienen; Lawrence Revsine, John & Norma Darling Professor of Accounting Information and Management; and Lawrence Marshall, professor of law.
In addition to emeritus faculty -- those awarded that title by the Board of Trustees -- NEO membership is open to retired professional staff who performed a core academic function and were treated as faculty in matters such as a search and appointment process. Retired senior administrative staff members are also eligible and are invited to become members by a two-thirds vote of the NEO executive council.
The Feinberg School of Medicine, with the largest number of faculty at Northwestern, has the largest representation on NEO with more 288 members, followed by the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences with 103. More than 300 faculty members were full professors at their retirement.
More faculty members are now eligible to join the organization. Twenty-seven faculty members who retired last year received emeritus status and were recognized at the June commencement ceremony.
Officers serving with Janda for the current year are Julia Weertman, Walter P. Murphy Professor Emeritus of Materials Science and Engineering, as vice president and Louis Allred, professor emeritus of chemistry, as secretary-treasurer, a position he has held since the group was formed. Allred, who also served as interim provost at Northwest-ern in 1995, was instrumental in forming the organization three years ago.
The NEO executive council is composed of the three officers, the immediate past president and four other members, elected for two-year terms. The Provost is an ex-officio member of the executive council.
Emeritus faculty members serving on the executive council are Christina Enroth-Cugell, professor emeritus of biomedical engineering; Jay Hillman, professor emeritus of law; James Aagaard, professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering; William Stevens, professor emeritus of chemical engineering; and James C. Erickson III, professor emeritus of anesthesiology and president of NEO last year.
Gilbert Krulee, professor emeritus of linguistics, served as the first president of NEO.
More information on the NEO is available at www.northwestern.edu/provost/neo.
Members of the University community interested in joining the NEO can contact Janda at k-janda@northwestern.edu or at (847) 869-1747.