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are 50 years old. There are many sports and activities that might be just right for you. Some are ones that you might already be doing, such as walking, running, biking, swimming, weightlifting. People do laugh when they see competitions of activities like pinochle or canasta, but the idea of the senior Olympics is to keep your mind active and healthy as well as your body.

For me, next year it will be race walking and power lifting. I had better start now!

WARNING: If you are just embarking on, or dramatically stepping up, a physical activity routine, please visit your physician first. This is vitally important! People generally push themselves beyond their normal activity levels when first beginning a training program. Tell your doctor you are about to do it, get their approval and, if necessary, have the appropriate tests done first.

RESOLUTION TIPS

1) Throw out non-essential numbers that include age, weight, and height.

2) Keep only cheerful friends.

3) Keep learning about computers, crafts, gardening, whatever you enjoy, just never let the brain idle.

4) Keep things simple. When the children are young, that is all you can afford. When they are in college, that is all you can afford. When they are all grown and you are on retirement, that is all you can afford.

5) Keep laughing _ often, long, and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath, and so much that you can be tracked in the store by your laughter.

6) Let the tears flow. Endure, grieve, and move on, as the only person who is with us our entire life is ourselves.

7) Keep yourself surrounded by what you love, whether it is family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, or whatever. Your home is your refuge!

8) Cherish your health. If it is good, do preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get some help.

9) Don't take guilt trips. Go to the mall, to the next county, take a trip, go out sight seeing, go exploring. But no guilt.

10) Tell the people you love that you love them at every chance you get!

Remember, life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.

Reprinted from the Lane County Historical Museum Newsletter, author unknown.

voice (lower in pitch), but have trouble understanding the consonants (often high pitched). This type of hearing loss is usually classified as "sensorineural" or nerve deafness. We lose more hearing at high frequencies than at low ones, with the tested hearing audiogram displaying the typical sloping curve of near normal hearing for low frequencies with a descending threshold slope for the high frequencies. We hear men's voices and speech better than the higher voices of women and children.

An otolaryngologist and/or a licensed audiologist should administer a hearing evaluation. The audiologist should hold an advanced graduate degree in hearing, state licensure, and American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) certification (CCC-Audiology). The evaluation should include a physical examination of the hearing system, an audiometric evaluation that finds the exact levels of hearing competence across the spectrum, plus a test or two of speech recognition with and without amplification. Successful treatment and management of a sensorineural hearing loss is highly dependent on the qualifications and experience of the physician and the audiologist.

After the evaluation, the hearing specialists meet with the patient and the family and develop a plan for hearing rehabilitation. Until the last few years, there have never been so many successful hearing rehabilitation options available for the older person with a hearing loss. Mild hearing loss may only require improving lip reading skills. Fitting of hearing aids on one ear or on both ears may be the treatment of choice. In recent years, cochlear implants (surgically implanting an electronic hearing device in the inner ear) have been found successful. Medical clearance is required for any patient planning to receive this inner ear surgical implant. Or sometimes the most effective treatment is a combination of a hearing aid on one ear and a cochlear implant in the inner ear on the opposite side of the head.

Finally, advanced aural rehabilitation programs are provided, including practice in using the acoustic gains of a hearing aid and/or the electronic-neural stimulation of the cochlear implant. More often than not, regardless of age, some improvement in hearing function can be established.

We are now entering into the final phases of that development and implementation process. Completion is currently scheduled for mid-year 2008. However, the project was conducted in modules so that we are already benefiting from the fruits of our labor and investment. Over 80% of the various modules have already been completed, tested and are in full implementation. Various measures of performance are demonstrating great gains in efficiency, timeliness and accuracy. Where past procedures may have taken weeks, even months, to complete for members, now they can be completed in days and with greater accuracy. It is not uncommon today for our audits to report 100% accuracy in transactions. To nobody's surprise, member satisfaction continues to rise with implementation of each new module. Wait times are on the decline in the Call Center with most calls answered within 20 seconds. Most inquiries can be resolved in one phone call. All of these improvements are directly or indirectly associated with the IT plan.

Granted, we are still not perfect but we are certainly aspiring to perfection. Efficient, effective, timely, accurate, and courteous service to members is at the forefront of agency goals. We will continue to experience periods of stress (e.g., open enrollments, high volume of retirements, implementation of legislative initiatives) but these periods should be shorter in duration with less negative impact on members.

Enterprise Risk Assessment

No, I'm not speaking of the spaceship Enterprise. Few members are aware of the extensive efforts that are engaged in to protect our benefits, funds and processes from threats. Threats (or risks) may range from fraudulent activities, to natural disasters, to investment risk, to inadvertent errors. All entities face such risks and uncertainty. At the ASRS, a risk is any event that has a negative impact and impedes the agency from achieving its statutory purpose, vision, goals and objectives.

Typically, every two years, ASRS staff conducts an extensive risk assessment in order to provide reasonable assurance that risks that threaten operational, administrative and legislative effectiveness are adequately anticipated and managed. A comprehensive list of potential risks and

threats is developed with various internal and external inputs. This list is matched against existing or needed controls within the agency. Based upon this extensive review and analysis, a risk control strategy for managing, monitoring, and reporting on risks affecting the ASRS is developed and implemented, i.e., an action plan is put into place.

Conclusion

I hope that this short exposition has been informative and of interest. The intent was to demonstrate the many ways that ASRS is engaged in planning activities designed to secure the future of ASRS, protect the funds of the plan and to deliver services to its members with the highest standards of excellence.

HEARING LOSS IN AGING

Daniel R. Boone

Hearing loss is perhaps the greatest deterrent to effective communication in the older population. When we seniors were young, we lived in a much quieter world than what our children and grandchildren experience today in this amplification age of MP3s, iPods, plus cell phone addiction. Ears are continually bombarded by sound. In the late 1940s, excessive occupational noises were recognized as a threat to a worker's hearing. As a consequence, governmental regulation began to reduce factory noises and occupational exposure to noise. Much of our older American aging population probably hears better today because of this early recognition of noise trauma and resulting hearing loss.

Recreational noise, primarily listening to amplified music, has taken over as the primary source of noise trauma in the United States. The consequences of noise trauma can be a decrease in hearing ability among people of any age who listen to amplified sound at high intensity levels. Most of us, however, experience a gradual hearing loss with increasing age, perhaps related more to our genetic inheritance than to environmental noises.

In early aging, many of us begin to say "what" a little too often. We can usually hear the vowels of a speaker's

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auspices of this Strategic Plan. These included a review of the ASRS Plan Design accompanied by a sensitivity analysis. This review projected key elements of the plan, such as funding status and contribution rates over a thirty-year period while varying attributes such as mortality rates, benefit structures, salaries, retirement rates, etc. This review and analysis provided the quantitative basis for legislative initiatives as well as policy for the immediate future. A second initiative was for a review and analysis of the closed Hybrid "System" of which approximately 2,000 of our members remain enrolled. This initiative resulted in an open communication to those members that included a proposal to reduce risk. The decision reached through a series of meetings throughout the state was to maintain status quo at this time but to continue to monitor the appropriateness of the investment portfolio of the fund given the closed nature of this "hybrid system" and the risk tolerance of its members. A third major initiative was a total fund investment review and asset allocation study. This review and asset allocation review was completed in early 2007 followed by Board approval. The fourth major initiative was continuation of the implementation of new operation systems and processes to improve services to our members.

The ASRS believes that by managing resources to meet set objectives, assessing and managing risks, measuring performance against objectives, and periodically reporting progress through established governance structures and open meetings, it is likely to achieve success in meeting its goals.

Business Re-engineering and Information Technology (IT) Plan

The Business Re-engineering and Information Technology (IT) Plan was initiated in fiscal year 2002. Prior to this time, many of the processes engaged in by ASRS were conducted manually. Multiple data sets existed that could not access information from other files within the organization. With the number of members in the hundreds of thousands, one could imagine the potential for error and the certain inefficiency that existed. Approximately 45 million dollars were appropriated to ASRS to develop an IT system and implement that system.

EMERITUS AND RETIRED FACULTY MENTORING PROGRAM

The Associated Students of the University of Arizona are seeking emeritus and retired faculty to become involved in a mentoring program beginning in Fall 2007. The program seeks to provide other avenues of guidance and advising to U of A students to meet the many diverse needs of students and to work as an additional resource to the professional advising programs. If this is something in which you would be interested, or if you would like additional information, please contact Tommy Bruce, Student Body President Elect, ASUA, 520-621-2782 or tbruce@email.arizona.edu.

NEWS FROM ASRS

Keith E. Meredith

Members of ASRS are often unaware of the many ongoing activities that provide the foundation of our retirement plan. The successes or failures of these activities directly impact the future of the system. In this light, I would like to bring to your attention three major activity areas that have far reaching implications for our system. They include the Strategic Plan, the Business Re-engineering and Information Technology (IT) Plan, and the Enterprise Risk Assessment.

ASRS Strategic Plan

In February of 2006, The ASRS Board approved, for the first time, a three-year Strategic Plan for ASRS. What is unique about this effort is a total commitment to a focused effort to meet goals through attention on sound governance, management and measurement of performance, relevant strategic initiatives, and sensible budgeting. Within this plan, it has established fourteen strategic goals that should enable the agency to perform at optimal levels. The goals have been established in three areas: Operations (goals 1 - 5), Investment (goals 6 - 11), and Administration (goals 12 - 14). Each of the goals is supported by specified objectives that frame the activities deemed necessary to accomplish the stated goals.

Several key initiatives were undertaken in 2006 under the

The question of health care subsidies for those members in optional retirement plans, like TIAA-CREF, was raised. Presently only members with ASRS are eligible for the ASRS health care subsidy. Is there any way to get a health care benefit for members in the optional retirement plans?

There is also the question of the ASRS Health insurance subsidy for out-of-state retired members. These can only receive the subsidy if they subscribe to the ASRS or ADOA health plans. It was suggested that presently the only viable solution might be to have your insurance under United Healthcare, which enjoys a nationwide presence.

months and modifies the social security offsets for a person that becomes disabled after July 1, 2008.

Supplemental defined contribution plan (SB 1200)- This refers to employees' optional pretax retirement plans (i.e., 403b, 457, 401a), which will allow employers to contribute matching supplemental money into the 401(a) plan. It allows an employee to contribute either a percentage of gross compensation or a fixed dollar amount that may not be revoked by the employee, the latter being an IRS regulation. ASRS has contracted with Nationwide to administer this plan.

Equity issues. Charlie Chittenden gave an excellent presentation on "equity" issues in a defined benefit plan. That is to say: "Did I pay my fair share?" or "Am I getting a fair share of what I paid in?" A defined benefit plan is calculated via a formula and thus by its nature has built-in inequalities. The study involved some fairly complex actuarial calculations. A brief summary is that presently persons between roughly the ages of 58 to 69 with 8 to 18 years of service are getting the best benefit compared to what they paid in because they paid in during the period of low contribution rates. Members roughly outside of these boundaries are getting lower benefits compared to what they paid in. This picture will change if contribution rates stay high over the next few years. The study presented was essentially a working white paper and will clearly require further extensive discussions and calculations. It also turns out that in a defined contribution plan like the old system every member gets exactly the monthly benefits that they paid for. Of course, in this system the benefits are not guaranteed.

Health insurance issues. Several questions regarding health insurance issues came up. A resolution was not reached on any of these but it is quite certain that they will come up again since future health care is a pressing national issue.

It appears that the rural subsidy for health care will go away since HB 2196, which would have extended this subsidy for Medicare eligible retirees, is probably dead. This hits especially hard for NAURA retirees who do not have as many health care options.

ARIZONA REPERTORY THEATREANNOUNCES 2007/8 SEASON

The Arizona Repertory Theatre (ART), the professional training company of the University of Arizona School of Theatre Arts, is offering an impressive season of theatre:

Broadway Bound,* the third of Neil Simon's autobiographical trilogy wherein the two brothers pair up to write a comedy sketch for CBS using their dysfunctional family as a model, will commence the season in June (June 10 _ 24 and August 29 _ September 9). Bus Stop,* by William Inge, is a romantic comedy that spawned a film starring Marilyn Monroe (October 7-28). Candide is a musical, score by Leonard Bernstein, book by Lillian Hellman (November 4 _ December 2). The Miracle Worker* by William Gibson tells the incredible story of Helen Keller (February 10 _ March 2). Titus Andronicus is one of Shakespeare's earliest plays, a tale of revenge spawned from political turmoil (March 2-30). Urinetown,* book and lyrics by Greg Kotis, music and lyrics by Mark Hollmann, is set in an Orwellian-type world where a depletion of the earth's water supply has led to a government-enforced ban on private toilets (April 13 _ May 4).

For further information call the Fine Arts Box Office at 621-1162.

*Tony Award(s) winner

calculate a member's retirement benefits. Presently it is the highest three years of the last ten. This change will make "spiking" the salary in the last few years of employment harder. Secondly, the normal retirement condition (age + years of service) goes back to 85 points (where it used to be) from the present 80 points. This is in response to the longer life expectancy of retirees. Thirdly, the bill will not allow members to receive the employer's contributions upon termination of employment. The member is still entitled to receive a lump sum distribution of his/her own contributions and, upon satisfying ASRS retirement conditions, is eligible for an ASRS pension based on both employee and employer contributions.

Graded multiplier equity (HB2630) _ In 2001 the legislature enacted a bill which gave a higher multiplier (the percentage multiplier of pension received for each year of service) to people who retired after May 8 of 2001. Thus persons who retired before that time did not receive this benefit. A bill was introduced last year and the year before, that would have granted the same multiplier to persons who retired before the above date thus restoring fairness and equity into the system. The bill did not receive favorable treatment during the hearings and thus did not get out of the committees.

Representative Kirkpatrick of Flagstaff introduced a similar bill again this year but it is again stalled in the house and thus appears dead. The bill would engender a sizable actuarial cost to the retirement system requiring raising employer and employee contribution rates by another approximately 0.1%. Because a number of years with high contribution rates have now passed since 2001, there exists the additional complication that employees retiring after May 8, 2001, are paying for the enhanced multiplier through their higher contribution rates, while employees before that date had relatively low rates that did not pay for this enhancement.

The Flagstaff representatives will try to appeal directly to the Governor to try to get moneys from the general fund to pay for this bill.

Long-term disability amendments (HB 2145) - This bill changes the pre-existing conditions from three to six

TALK WITH YOUR LEGISLATOR

Shape the future of aging in Arizona! Talk with your legislator (Districts 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, & 30) at the Senior Action Day, Friday, April 27, 1 _ 2:30 p.m., El Pueblo Senior Center, 101 W. Irvington. El Pueblo is next door to the Roy Laos Transit Center. For easy access to parking, use the South 6^th Avenue entrance. For more information, call the Governor's Council on Aging at 602-542-4710 or Pima Council on Aging at 790-0504.

TRI-UNIVERSITY MEETING ANDLEGISLATIVE UPDATE

Jim Burke and Uwe Fink, Legislative Action Committee Co-Chairs

A meeting of representatives ( photo, page 3) of the Retirees Associations (RAs) of the three state universities was held on February 28, 2007, at the new home of the ASU Retirees Association (ASURA) at 200 E. Curry Road in Tempe. In addition to the RAs representatives, special guests included: Pat Klein, ASRS assistant director for External Affairs, Lesli Sorensen, ASRS Government Relations officer, ASRS's actuary Charlie Chittenden of Buck consultants and Doug Johnson of the Accountancy Department of ASU. We thank all of them for their excellent presentations, summaries of which are given below. We also give special thanks to Keith Meredith, chairman of the ASRS board of trustees and a long time member of UARA, who took time from his busy schedule to attend this meeting.

The text below can only attempt to give a short summary of the most important initiatives. Anybody interested in other legislative issues or further detail is encouraged to attend the monthly meetings of the UARA Council the second Tuesday of each month in the Swede Johnson building at 9:00 a.m.

ASRS benefit changes (HB 2141) - Pat Klein and Lesli Sorensen explained that this bill was introduced to mitigate upward pressure on the current contribution rates. The bill will not affect current active or retired members but will only affect new hires.

The three major provisions of this bill are: Use the average of the highest five years of compensation out of the last ten to

Attendees at the Tri-University meeting were, back row, left to right: Charlie Chittenden, Actuary, Buck Consultants; Jerry Aronson, ASU; Pat Klein, Assistant Director for External Affairs, ASRS; Dan Julien, NAU; Alan Johnson, ASU; Phil Rulon, NAU; Ben Zinnecker, President, NAURA; Alan Matheson, President, ASURA; Keith Meredith, U of A; first row, Susanne Dobel, ASRS; Lesli Sorensen, ASRS; Doug Johnson, ASU; Jim Burke, U of A; Janice Murphy, President, UARA; not shown, Dick Murra, ASU; Uwe Fink, U of A, photographer.

ASRS HEALTH INSURANCE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

John T. Condon

Dr. Condon was nominated by UARA to serve on the ASRS Health Insurance Advisory Committee. He has served on this committee since 2003.

Establishment: The ASRS has convened a committee of retiree representatives from various major public employee and retiree associations as well as the state's other retirement systems and plans. The committee is charged with the responsibility of making recommendations to the ASRS Operations Committee of the Board regarding ASRS retiree health insurance plans; educating itself about the substantive issues affecting senior health care; serving as a sounding board for ideas and concerns to prevent or minimize systemic problems in the administration of retiree health care; and providing insight and representation on the

direction of "their" and "your" health care plans.

Membership Qualifications: 1) a retiree from one of the 15 state organizations (departments), and 2) enrolled in one of the ASRS health plans.

Committee Activities:

1) evaluation of venders' retiree medical and dental proposals submitted to the ASRS;

2) give suggestions for improving vender plans to the ASRS staff;

3) review ASRS staff's recommended vender's proposal;

4) give the committee's support of the nominated plan to the ASRS Board of Trustees;

5) submit feedback from member organizations on issues affecting healthcare plans such as: a) medical, b) dental, c) vision, d) hearing, e) prescription plans and f) physical therapy.

University of Arizona Retirees Association Mission Statement

Purpose: to foster the benefit, interests, and well-being of the retired faculty and staff of the University of Arizona through social, educational, and promotional activities, as well as to encourage continuing contact between retirees and the University.

Membership: open to University of Arizona retired faculty, appointed professionals, staff, and their spouses.

I am grateful to all of the above for making this a satisfying and energizing year.

You who are reading this are invited to attend any or all Council meetings, held on the second Tuesday of the month during the academic year, in room 303 of the Swede Johnson Building at 9:00 a.m. I cannot guarantee that you will not be asked to volunteer in some activity at some point. However, your presence is of the most value. The meetings are informational and fun.

In May 2006, the Council set goals for 2006/7 and we have made progress in meeting them. Our goals are 1) to strengthen our external relationships and 2) to energize Council meetings.

1) Members of the Executive Committee met with President Shelton last fall to discuss UARA and to formalize the UARA/University relationship. President Shelton was our invited speaker at the capacity crowd fall luncheon. James Moore, Jr., president of the U of A Foundation will be our guest speaker at the April 28 luncheon. To acquaint potential retirees with UARA, we have distributed newsletters in some departments and will send a copy of this issue of Jubilación to 2007 retirees, with a brochure and cover letter. They will hear from us again at the retirees' dinner held in mid-April.

We are committed to helping departments whenever possible through notices or articles in Jubilación and through volunteering. Departments are eager to share. Libby Davidson, who is presenting the May 4 seminar on the Campus Arboretum, wants members to know about that wonderful campus resource.

2) An enjoyable addition to our Council meetings this year has been our invited speakers. George Evanoff acquainted us with the Governor's Council on Aging, Peter McAllister inspired us with new directions in the School of Music, Shay Stautz explained changes of focus in the Office of Federal Relations. It is exciting to get acquainted and learn

first hand about change on campus. Jody Liller will tell us about opportunities at Campus Recreation in April and Allison Vaillancourt will report on Human Resources at the May Council meeting. You are invited.

Our spring luncheon is at the Tucson Country Club on April 28. There is much to celebrate. UARA is realizing 27 years of existence and has issued special invitations to past UARA presidents.

The annual ballot is attached. Your comments are taken seriously and referred to throughout the year. Let us know what you would like from this organization.

It has been a pleasure to serve.

Janice Murphy, President

HARVILL YEARS

Pat Van Metre

Are you interested in the "Harvill Years" at the University of Arizona? If so, you may want a copy of a book that Pat Van Metre will be giving away at the April 28th luncheon.

In 1990, Pat wrote an oral history of George Garner Harvill, wife of Richard Anderson Harvill, the sixteenth U of A president, from 1951 to 1971. In addition to extensive discussions with Mrs. Harvill, Pat interviewed twenty-two informants who knew the Harvills and the University well. The book was distributed by the U of A Press. When the Press recently stopped handling the publication, remaining copies of the book were returned to Pat and she wants to give them to any retiree who wants one.

All terms must come to an end and it has been a pleasure to serve you in this organization. The year has gone quickly and has had its share of challenges.

I am indebted to so many good people whose friendship and support I treasure:

1) The elected officers, the Executive Committee, who are charged with leadership of UARA. Bob Sankey's good advice and willingness to take over in my absence has been invaluable. Helen Mautner through the years has served several times as an officer of UARA, always with energy and wisdom and she knows an amazing number of UA retirees! Fenita King has been willing to learn the intricacies of treasurer. Dusty Johnson and Corny Steelink, past presidents, continue to provide guidance and lend a helping hand wherever needed.

2) The UARA Committee Chairs. Jim Burke and Uwe Fink do an outstanding job of keeping abreast of legislation affecting university retirees. Jo Henry maintains impeccable membership records. John Guilbert provides us with varied and interesting educational seminars. Linda Pace is treating UARA members to new menu selections (check out the Tucson Country Club flyer in this issue). Corinne Wilson continues to encourage contributions to our scholarship funds: the UARA/Irving Yall undergraduate book scholarship (presented annually) and our graduate scholarship, for which we are accumulating funds.

3) The Council members. The Council is advisory to the officers. The importance of having an active and vibrant council is vital to the health and longevity of this organization and cannot be overstated.

The Council is composed of elected officers; committee chairs; organizational representatives, e.g., Appointed Professionals and Provost's Office (Kathleen Gonzalez Landis) Faculty Senate (Corny Steelink), Staff Advisory Council (Lauren Bivona), External Relations (Heather Lukach), ASRS (Keith Meredith), Governor's Council on Aging (George Evanoff), Pima Council on Aging (Les Forster), OASIS (Richard Willey), Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (John Guilbert); and priceless self-selected UARA members who understand the need for and actively support this organization by attending Council meetings and volunteering as their time allows.