OSURA - About

The Ohio State University Retirees Association aspires to become the most effective organization possible to help members attain optimum satisfaction in their retirement years.

OSURA provides a variety of services that enrich the lives of its members and benefit the University and the greater community.

• To provide a wide range of activities, including educational, informational, cultural, social, travel, and volunteer opportunities.
• To monitor and share information on benefits affecting health and lifestyle choices.
• To increase membership.
• To advance all modes of communication with its members, as well as the University and greater community, via the OSURA’s Newsletter, Membership Directory, website, and other appropriate avenues.
• To assist and serve The Ohio State University in accomplishing its mission and goals.
• To encourage and create opportunities for retirees to help other retirees.
• To develop further the OSURA’s endowments.
• To be an efficient retiree organization.

Article I –Name

   The Name of this organization is The Ohio State University Retirees Association, hereafter referred to as OSURA.

Article II – Affiliation 

   OSURA shall be considered a special interest society within, and an integral part of, The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Inc.  (hereafter referred to as the Alumni Association).  The Alumni Association is the official alumni organization of The Ohio State University (hereafter referred to as the University). 

Section 1: OSURA will promote and support the mission of the Alumni Association. 

Section 2: The Alumni Association’s commitment to OSURA is outlined in the Charter as agreed to by OSURA and the Alumni Association.                                                                                                                                 

Article III – Purpose    

The purpose of OSURA is to enhance the well-being of its members through educational and cultural programs and/or experiences that provide:

1. educational, social and recreational activities;
2. information of importance to the member’s status as a retiree of the University;
3. information about ways of maintaining and improving the member’s health condition and economic status and financial condition;
4. opportunities for members to maintain a relationship with and service to the University; and
5.  information assistance to a surviving spouse/partner or family in case of death.

Article IV – Membership and Donations

Section 1- Active Members

A retiree of the University or of an affiliated organization as recognized by the University shall become an Active Member by making a donation to OSURA at the minimum annual or at the minimum Lifetime membership level.

Section 2 – Associate Members

Retirees from places other than the University who have an interest in and can contribute to the purpose of OSURA can be eligible for an Associate Membership.  Also, individuals who are within one year of retirement from the University are eligible to become Associate Members.  Associate Members must be approved by the Membership Committee and must make a donation to OSURA at the minimum annual membership level to retain their memberships.  Associate Members do not have the right to vote or hold any position requiring membership on the Executive Board. The Executive Board will hereafter be referred to as the Board.

Section 3 – Spouses/Partners

1. The spouse or partner of an Active Member or of an Associate Member is automatically an Active Member or an Associate Member, respectively.
2. The surviving spouse/partner of an Active Member or Associate Member may continue membership.  If the Active Member maintained lifetime membership, lifetime membership shall carry over for the surviving spouse/partner.
3. The surviving spouse/partner of an Inactive Member is eligible to become an Active Member.

Section 4 –Membership Donations

The Board sets the level of minimum donation required for Active membership status.  Active members make either an annual donation to OSURA or a donation at the Lifetime membership level.

Section 5 – Inactive Members

Retirees of the University or of affiliated organization as recognized by the University, along with their spouses/partners, who are not current in their donation to OSURA, shall be classified as Inactive Members.  Inactive Members shall have none of the rights and privileges of Active Members.

Article V – Officers

Section 1 –The Officers

     The officers of OSURA shall consist of President, Vice President (who is also the President-Elect), Secretary, Treasurer and Immediate Past President, all of whom must be Active Members of OSURA.

Section 2 – Length of Term

     The Vice President / President-Elect, shall be elected by the membership for a one-year term as Vice President and shall serve the subsequent year as President.  The Secretary and the Treasurer shall be elected by the membership for a two-year term.  The Secretary shall be elected in the even-numbered years and the Treasurer shall be elected in the odd-numbered years.   The Immediate Past President shall serve a one-year term following the year of his or her presidency.  The terms of office shall begin on July 1.  All officers are eligible to serve additional terms.

Article VI – Duties of the Officers

Section 1:  President 

   The President shall preside at all general meetings of OSURA and of the  Board, appoint the chairpersons of all committees with the approval of the Board, serve as an ex officio member of all committees, with the exception of the Nominating Committee,  and perform duties as usually pertain to the office.

Section 2: Vice President

   In the absence or disability of the President, or at the request of the President, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President.  If the office of President becomes vacant, the Vice President shall become President for the unexpired term.  The Vice President is the President-Elect. The Vice President shall serve as an ex officio member of all committees and perform the duties as usually pertain to the office.

Section 3:  Secretary

   The Secretary shall send out notices of the Board and general membership meetings and keep minutes of these meetings.  The Secretary shall send reports of these meetings and the activities of OSURA to the Alumni Association. The Secretary shall have the custody of the names and addresses of those retirees who become Active or Associate Members of OSURA and shall notify the Alumni Association of any updates or changes that OSURA might receive. OSURA shall not release the membership list for political, personal or commercial purposes. 

Section 4: Treasurer    

   The Treasurer shall supervise all receipts and expenditures of OSURA in keeping with an appropriate system of control over the financial resources of the organization.    The Treasurer shall oversee the preparation and distribution of monthly financial reports.  The Treasurer shall obtain and record the information necessary for monthly financial reports to the Board and the Finance Committee. The Treasurer shall disburse funds subject to the approval of the Board and its established policies.  As requested, the Treasurer shall complete and submit annual financial forms to the Alumni Association.  Additionally, he or she shall complete and submit any documents that may be required by the Internal Revenue Service.

Section 5: Immediate Past President 

   The Immediate Past President shall work with the President to further the objectives of OSURA.  The Immediate Past President shall officiate at Board meetings in the absence of the President and the Vice President.

Article VII – The Board

Section 1:  Composition

   The Board, all of whom must be Active Members of OSURA, shall consist of:

1. the officers named in Article V;
2. the Historian(s);
3. the Chairpersons of the following Standing Committees: Benefits, Bylaws, Communications, Conference Planning, Cultural Arts, Finance, Friendship, Membership, Social, Special Interest Groups Coordinating and Travel.  A committee chairperson may designate another member of his or her committee to serve as the Board member representing the committee;
4. six members-at-large elected to the Board by the membership of OSURA;
5. ex officio members, without a Board vote include:

• active OSURA members, appointed by the president with approval of the Board including liaisons to the State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio, to the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System and to other organizations that impact university retirees:
• the President/CEO of the Alumni Association, or designee;
• the staff designee from the University Office of Human Resources responsible to work with OSURA.

        An individual may hold more than one membership position, but may have only one vote.

Section 2:  Duties of the Board

   The duties of the Board include:

1. to hold regular meetings (the President being empowered to call special meetings);
2. to receive and review secretarial and financial reports;
3. to develop policies for the planning and promotion of programs and activities;
4. to have general supervision of the affairs of OSURA between meetings of the membership, to fix the date, time and location of meetings, to make recommendations to the membership, and to perform such duties as are authorized by the membership. No action of the Board shall conflict with actions taken by the membership at a meeting of the membership;  
5. to elect a successor to any member of the Board who is unable to serve;
6. to appoint a Historian or Co-Historian(s) who shall serve an indefinite term.
7. to determine the minimum donation required for annual and lifetime membership.

        Section 3:   Challenges to the Actions of the Board

           Any action of the Board that is challenged in writing by at least twenty members must either be rescinded by the Board or submitted to the membership for a vote.  The returns shall be tabulated within six weeks.  Approval of the Board’s action requires the approval of the majority of the returns.

Section 4:  Quorum

     A majority of the members of the Board constitute a quorum for a Board meeting.

Article VIII – Meetings 

There shall be one Annual Meeting of the OSURA membership.  Other membership meetings may be called by the President or the Board.  Twenty-five active members constitute a quorum for all meetings of the membership.

Article IX – Committees

Section 1:  Standing Committees

             The Standing Committees are:  Benefits, Bylaws, Communications, Conference Planning, Cultural Arts, Finance, Friendship, Membership, Social, Special Interests Groups Coordinating and Travel.  The duties of the Standing Committees are described in the OSURA Operating Manual.  The Standing Committee chairpersons shall be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board for a three-year term and they are eligible to serve additional terms.

Section 2:  Nominating Committee

1. The Nominating Committee shall have five members, each of whom shall be an Active Member. Two members shall be from the Board and the other three shall be from the general membership, who shall all be elected at the first Board Meeting of the calendar year.
2. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers and the ballot to the membership in May.
3. Ballots shall be returned to the Nominating Committee for determining the outcome of the election. The Membership shall be notified of the results prior to July 1.

   Section 3:  Special Committees

             Special committees may be appointed by the President with the approval of the Board.

Article X – Elections

   Elections will be held each year to select officers, in accordance with the length of term as described in Article V, Section 2, and to select three members-at-large, who are elected for a two-year term.   The Nominating Committee is responsible for conducting the election process which generally begins in January and concludes prior to July 1.

Article XI – Parliamentary Authority

   The latest edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, newly revised, is the parliamentary authority for OSURA.   

Article XII– Amendments 

Section 1:  General provisions

   These bylaws may be amended at any meeting of the membership by a majority vote of the members present and voting, provided that the proposed amendment has been submitted at a preceding meeting or in a notice communicated to all members of OSURA not less than one month prior to the vote.

     Section 2: Limits to the Authority of the Board    

    Any act or resolution of the Board that either changes the Bylaws or clearly implies the consent of a majority of the members must be submitted to the members at a meeting of the membership or by mail or electronic ballot.

Article XIII – Dissolution

   In the event that The Ohio State University Retirees Association should cease to exist, all funds remaining after payment of just debts shall be transferred to The Ohio State University Development Fund for deposit in The Ohio State University Retirees Association Endowment Fund, Account #605420.

Adopted:  August 17, 2016.  Revised September 20, 2017, Revised August 7, 2020, Revised June 30, 2021.

We are part of a society where the lives of Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color continue to be devastated by structural racism, lack of opportunity, health disparities, and direct violence.  The differential valuing of life, achievements, opportunities and the concealing of intellectual and cultural contributions of anyone or any group of people is manifestly unjust. In alignment with our mission to enrich the lives of our members and benefit the university and the greater community, we need to commit to be accountable for our actions, words, and deeds and examine our own practices that lead to and maintain racial and other forms of inequity. 

OSURA believes that this is not the time to be complacent or complicit.  We must be thoughtful about our influence not only in our own local community but through our members throughout the country and world.  We need to review our collective practices, policies, presentations and actions and become the catalyst for change to expand opportunities for growth, leadership, and power in an inclusive supportive and safe environment.  Within our framework, we need to make a conscious effort to educate our members and raise their awareness in the hopes of removing the barriers People of Color face and address these issues with sustained action.  As such, with deliberate intentions, we commit to take actions that promote diversity and inclusion in all that we do. 

The following are recommended actions:

–       Anti-racism should be infused in all that we do.  Engage membership with opportunities to learn by infusing anti-racism initiatives in what we do:  

• Newsletter articles with specific guests featuring trending topics
• Guest lecturers
• Special events and trips
• Book club
• Photos
• Recruitment
• Dinner series
• Lunch bunch
• Tertulia lunch

–       Our Board will have diverse representation and promote opportunities for People of Color for them to serve.  Build initiatives to encourage a more inclusive membership pool therefore increasing the opportunity for a diverse Board.

 –       In an effort to share OSURA values, we will collaborate with the university-wide taskforce on racism and racial inequities to seek opportunities to share our strengths and expertise that advance social justice and address racial inequality.

OSURA is committed to be a part of the solution.   We are continuing our efforts to become a better organization.  As part of an intellectual community committed to learning and seeking truth, we must reflect on our own failures and address inequities, and know we must do better. Together, we will help make the difference we want to see in the world. 

OSURA was not formed on a sudden impulse or whim on the part of a few interested persons. Rather, it is an outgrowth of a lengthy study by a special committee of the local chapter of the American Association of University Professors. These individuals were deeply concerned about the on-going welfare of those who had retired or were about to retire from this university. It was noted that there was no single office nor designated individual to whom newly retired persons could turn for counsel and assistance with the many problems involved in the transition from employees to retirees. A sympathetic response from the University president and from the vice president, personnel services, led to the establishment of such an office, appointment of an appropriate officer, and the preparation and distribution of a retirement handbook for persons in the process of retiring.

But how could on-going views of retirees be adequately expressed? How could their common needs and problems be resolved?

The committee, augmented by additional interested employees, directed an inquiry to a selected group of outstanding American universities where associations of retirees were in existence, some for many years, to ascertain the characteristics of such organizations and to benefit from their experience. Based upon this information and the perceived needs of OSU retirees, the committee authorized a questionnaire study of a sampling of Ohio State retirees as to the need for and suggested functions of such an association. The positive results from this study were interpreted as a mandate to proceed with the establishment of such an organization. This became reality in 1983 with Ransom Whitney as the first president of The Ohio State University Retirees Association (OSURA).

OSURA became affiliated with the Ohio State University Alumni Association as a society in 2016. OSUAA provides a wide range of resources to OSURA, including maintenance of membership data, hosting our social media, handling event registration, offering leadership training, providing meeting space, and advising on relevant University policies.

Altogether, the Ohio State University Retirees Association continues to meet the mandate outlined 40 years ago: to enhance the well-being of its members.

OSURA is strictly a volunteer organization. Our ability to host more than 100 programs, events and activities each year is due to the great dedication of the chairs and members of our standing committees. If you would like more information or to volunteer for one of these important roles, please send an email to osura@osu.edu with the committee name in the subject line.

Benefits
The OSURA Benefits Committee optimizes the benefits, health care and welfare of OSURA members through information and advocacy. It addresses issues related to the challenges of elder living as well as financial and health care developments impacting the STRS and OPERS pension systems.

Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting Planning Committee organizes a thank you that allows our members to celebrate OSURA together. The spring event brings special recognition to all volunteers, but especially the Outstanding Service Award recipient. It also serves as a business meeting for voting on amendments to OSURA bylaws.

Bylaws
The Bylaws Committee provides effective governance for the Association by monitoring and recommending updates to the Bylaws and the Constitution.

Communications/Newsletter
The Communications/Newsletter Committee disseminates information in print and online about OSURA and retirement life to members, the university community and others. It uses various communication tools such as the monthly OSURA News.

Conference Planning
The OSURA Conference Planning Committee selects a keynote speaker for the annual event each September; secures presenters for breakout sessions and updates on healthcare and benefits; solicits sponsors/exhibitors; and arranges campus tours.

Cultural Arts
The Cultural Arts Committee arranges attendance to art, music and theater performances, and other entertainment. A listserv shares information about events of interest.

Finance
The Finance Committee monitors the financial health of OSURA, making sure expenses over the long term do not exceed our resources. The committee members decide how to invest previous lifetime dues and donations to maximize return without undue; approve budgets; monitor our evolving financial situation; and projects future income and expenses.

Friendship
The Friendship Committee carries out the interpersonal, caring responsibilities of OSURA. It monitors the passing of The Ohio State University retirees and mails condolences and benefit reminders. It sends get-well messages and thanks contributors to OSURA endowment funds

Membership
The Membership Committee promotes the renewal of annual memberships, solicits new annual and life memberships, maintains current files of membership data, and produces the OSURA Directory.

Social
The Social Committee is responsible for planning and organizing a series of noontime presentations known as the Lunch Bunch throughout the year as well as the traditional Holiday Buffet in December.

Travel
The Travel Committee offers OSURA members educational, cultural, social and travel programs to enhance their quality of life. The committee arranges trips in and around Ohio, as well as other areas in the United States and throughout the world.

Members of OSURA can subscribe to special listservs, one for cultural arts,  and one for dining and learning. These listservs send notices and reminders of programs, such as lunch bunch and the dinner series,  travel, and cultural events. Together, they complement events announced in the newsletter or mention cultural and educational programs of potential interest to OSU retirees.

 If you are an OSURA member and not already receiving messages from these listservs but would like to receive messages from these listservs, send an e-mail and your name to goerler.1@osu.edu  and indicate the lists you would like to join.  There is no charge. All addresses are accepted, including gmail, aol, att.net, etc.