Help Is There If You Want It! he Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) gathers, disseminates, and fosters transformative practices and programs for all stages of faculty and staff retirement. AROHE comprises about 120 member organizations in the US and Canada consisting of some 100,000 individuals who have moved on from academic employment. By pooling the successful experiences of these constituents, AROHE has helped develop a vibrant culture of optimal aging within this critically important cohort of the population. We have become the first stop for college and university administrations, retiree organizations, and individuals seeking to discover and implement effective practices at all stages of faculty and staff retirement. Unique value to the higher education community is provided in three main ways: through research on retirement; through our dissemination of best ideas, practices, and programs; and through our nurturing of innovative academic retirement through consultation and active mentoring. We promote the sharing of innovative and effective practices identified in retirement organizations across the country. One of the most effective times of sharing has been at our biennial conferences. The next, labeled Transforming Retirement: ReWriting Life’s Next Chapter, will take place at the University of Washington, August 14-16, 2016. Our third function is to provide consultation and counseling. We have provided Start-Up Kits for neophyte retirement organizations as well as experienced and expert consultants and mentors to provosts, HR departments, and development offices. Demographics clearly indicate that the numbers of persons retiring in the next decade or so will increase dramatically from recent and current levels. It would appear imperative that universities have well developed and transparent retirement policies and that discussion with employees begin five years or more before prospective retirement, in order to consider and evaluate the psychological as well as the financial transition that is forthcoming for an employee. AROHE has a national board of directors consisting of 13 members, who also are identified with their home institution. It is my privilege to serve as a representative of Portland State University and RAPS. I hope you will call on me to assist both in any way I can. Reach me at wtlem@aol.com or (520) 603-6007. --Bill Lemman 6 T
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc4NTAz