RFSA Newsletters are published occasionally, two or three times a year,  as needed to communicate information of interest to our membership. These newsletters are archived on our web site, http://www.txstate.edu/rfsa/

Constitution and Bylaws Draft / April 2008 Meeting

The Organizing Committee has prepared a Draft Constitution and Bylaws as the first step in making the transition from an ad hoc to a permanent organizational structure for the Retired Faculty and Staff Association. The draft is published on our web site at http://www.txstate.edu/rfsa/bylawsdraft.html. Comments and suggestions are welcome and may be sent to Marianne Reese at mr11@txstate.edu between now and March 5.

Our Committee will take its final action on the draft on March 12 and will offer the document to the membership for ratification at our first annual spring meeting on Monday, April 7, at 9:00 in the 1910 Room at the Price Senior Center, 222 West San Antonio Street. Details regarding the agenda for that meeting will be announced in the near future.

2007 Retirees

Staff: Anders, Mr. Donald R. (Academic Affairs); Balles, Mrs. Janie (Finance & Support); Beall, Ms. Charlene G. (Finance & Support); Campesi, Ms. Paola A. (Finance & Support); Chagoya, Mr. Johnny (Finance & Support); Cook, Ms. Jeanette E. (Student Affairs); Cortez, Ms. Amelia Z. (Finance & Support); De La Luz Saenz, Mrs. Maria (Finance & Support); DeBerardino, Mr. Marc A. (Finance & Support); Fischer, Ms. Betty Katherine (Finance & Support); Fleming, Mrs. Martha B. (Academic Affairs); Helmcamp, Mrs. Jennifer M. (Student Affairs); Henderson, Mr. Allen L. (Finance & Support); Ilse, Mrs. Barbara A. (Information Tech); Johnson, Ms.  Kelley W. (Academic Affairs); Kane, Dr. Ruth A. (Academic Affairs); Kavecki, Ms. Billie W. (Finance & Support); Loyd, Mr. John T. (Information Tech); Murdock, Ms. Patricia G. (University Advancement); Pascoe, Mrs. Barbara J. (Academic Affairs); Pendleton, Mr. Horace J. (Finance & Support); Phelps, Mr.  Harry L. (Information Tech); Seablom, Mr. Gordon T. (Finance & Support); Silcocks, Ms. Marlene R. (Academic Affairs).

Emeriti Faculty: Beck, Dr. John J. (EAPS); Blanchard, Dr. Lydia A. (English); Flammang, Dr. Robert A. (Finance and Economics); Greer, Ms. Carole (Art & Design); Merryman, Dr. Sandra S. (Psychology); Michalk, Dr. Victor (Physics); Ratliff, Dr. Ernest F., Jr. (Math); Renfro, Dr. Paula C. (Journalism & Mass Communications); Stuessy, Dr. Joe (Music); Thompson, Dr. Glenda Sue (Family & Consumer Sciences).

Retired Faculty: Coleman, Dr. Margaret C. (Curriculum & Instruction); Haddix, Dr. F. Furman (Computer Science.); Love, Mr. Marvin Dan (Communication Studies); Pevoto, Dr. Barbara (Occupational Education).

Want to Locate a Retiree?  Try the Campus Phone Directory

When one retires from the University, communication ceases quickly. One's name immediately disappears from email distribution lists, rosters, and the Texas State People Search on the internet. That suits some retirees fine, but others would like to maintain some connection.

When the UPPS on Retiree Benefits was revised last year, the Retired Faculty and Staff Association was instrumental in securing the addition of several new provisions in the policy to facilitate communication with retirees (see http://www.txstate.edu/effective/UPPS/upps-04-04-53.html, particularly paragraphs "k" and "m" of section 3.02).

One of the first of these recommendations to be implemented was the inclusion, for the first time, of all retirees in the 2007-2008 Faculty-Staff Directory. A printed copy is a bit hard to come by, but you can easily print your own or, more easily and less expensively, download the PDF file and use it electronically. Just follow these steps:

(1) Go to the Texas State website at http://www.txstate.edu/.
(2) Scroll down the left-hand margin and click on"CatsWeb."
(3) Scroll down and click on "Campus Phone Directory."
(4) Enter your Username (aka NetID) and Password (if your NetID has expired, see the next subtopic).
(5) Select "Open" or "Save to Disk" and click "OK."
(6) Once the Phone Book is displayed in Adobe Acrobat, use "Find" from the "Edit" menu to search for the person you want to locate.

The information available on individual retirees in the Phone Book will vary, but most entries contain address, phone number, and NetID (i.e., the Texas State email address).

Has Your NetID Expired?  It Is Easy to Reactivate

Retention of one's NetID or Username is one of the most valuable retiree benefits.  It not only provides access to the University's excellent Exchange email system but also to a number of other important resources such as the Phone Book described above,  numerous online data bases and other services at Alkek Library, and computer assistance from Technology Resources' Help Desk. The NetID is also the key to the planned inclusion of retirees in the People Search on the University's website.

NetIDs are retained by retirees during their life time, but become inactive if not used for ninety days or if the password is not changed when required by Technology Resources.

Reactivation of an inactive NetID is relatively easy:

1) Call (512-245-4357) or email (helpdesk@txstate.edu) the Help Desk, providing your name and your University ID number (or SSN if you do not have a new ID card), to request a new password.

2) When received, your new password should be changed to something you can easily remember. Simply follow the directions at https://catsweb.txstate.edu/app/password. Once activated, one can send or receive email by logging on to BobcatMail on your browser of choice or, if you have Microsoft Office, more efficiently by using Outlook on the PC or Entourage on the Mac.

If you prefer to use Yahoo, HotMail, Centurytel or some other Internet Service Provider for your email, log on to the Email Toolkit at https://cr.txstate.edu/toolkit/, click on the "set forward" icon, and enter the email address where you would like your University mail to be forwarded.  This will assure that you will receive information relevant to retirees and will keep your NetID active.

In Memoriam

Deaths of retirees, spouses, and friends with sources for obituaries are noted regularly on our website at http://www.txstate.edu/rfsa/memoriam.html. The Texas State Student Foundation will host the annual Bobcat Pause Memorial Service on March 25, 2008, at 6:00 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center to honor and remember all alumni, students, faculty, staff, and friends who died during the past year. For details see http://sfoundation.dos.txstate.edu/events/bp/service.html.

About RFSA

Q. Who is eligible to become a member of the Retired Faculty and Staff Association?
A. Retired members of the Texas State faculty, administrative officers (unclassified) and staff, and spouses or partners of deceased Texas State retirees. Faculty and staff who have retired from other universities may apply for Associate Membership.

Q. How does one become a member of the Retired Faculty and Staff Association?
A. Download the membership form from our web site and mail it to University Advancement.

Q. How much are the annual dues?
A. Nothing. Tax-deductible donations are accepted to defray expenses.

Q. Why join RFSA?
A. The organization helps advance retiree interests and perpetuate the memory of retiree contributions.
    See our purpose statement at http://www.txstate.edu/rfsa/purpose.html