Board policies

Background

Event organizers have the responsibility of preparing the material that is used to advertise the event. This material is disseminated to members by paper, i.e., Prime Times, webpages and email announcements.

Policy (updated May 9, 2012 Board meeting)

Paper (Prime Times)

A calendar of upcoming events will be published in every issue of Prime Times. The calendar will be printed in such a way that readers can easily remove it and keep it as a reminder. The event organizer has the responsibility of supply the Prime Times editor with the necessary event information.

Webpages

The event organizers are responsible for supplying the event information to the technology manager or designee who will publish this material on the ASURA Home Page and on the  events page.

Electronic announcements

In addition to the Prime Times advertisement and the ASURA web sites, events will be advertised to ASURA members via email. The announcement, created using information supplied by the event creator, is reviewed by the event creator before being sent. 



Note:  Members who have indicated a preference for receiving communications by US Postal (paper) mail will be notified only through the Prime Times and the web sites, i.e., there will not be separate paper mailings to advertise events).

Alternative dissemination methods

At the event organizer's option, the event may advertised to non-members through use of other ASU publications and distribution lists, e.g. the Emeritus College or event distribution lists for non-ASU retiree organizations

Policy history

The initial policy on event mailings was approved at the November 12, 2008, Board meeting. The policy was modified by the Board at its May 13, 2009 meeting. The above version of the policy is the result of decisions made at the May 9, 2012 Board meeting.

Background

Members sometimes know of a service or offer a service they think ASURA members might find useful. This information can be shared with membership via a small ad in Prime Times newsletter.

Submitting an ad

To submit an ad, the material can be sent to either the Prime Times editor (the Newsletter Committee Chair) or mailed it to ASURA office. The submission should include a note that specifies both how long the ad should run (how many issues) and, if the ad is for a for-fee service, what discount will offer to those who mention your ad.

Prime Times ad guidelines (approved by the ASURA Board in the December 14, 2016 meeting)

1. Advertisements must be for services. This excludes ads for goods, restaurants, or events. Examples of services that would be approved for advertisement are home computer services, housing services, living support services, insurance, financial and estate planning services, etc.
2. Advertisements will be grouped in a section that is marked "Advertisements". The size and location of the section is at the Prime Times editor's discretion. The section will include the following disclaimer:
   

   "These listings are not endorsements or ratings of the services  provided. Information is based only on material received from service providers."

3. The section will also include information on where to find our policy on advertisements (this web page) and how to submit for publication.
4. Ads must be business-card size, i.e., 3.5 inches wide and 2 inches high, and must look satisfactory in black and white, as we do not print them in color. The Prime Times editor will not edit or change the text submitted for advertisement. If the editor, with input from the ASURA President and/or Board of Directors, finds that the text is not suitable for publication, the advertiser will be notified and the ad will not be printed unless corrected.
5. There will be no fee for printing advertisements in Prime Times. However, if services advertised are provided for a fee, the provider must certify that they will give a discount to anyone who mentions the Prime Times ad. The discount should be at least 5%.
6. Advertisements will be run in at least two consecutive issues if the advertiser desires. They may be run indefinitely so long as there is space. If space becomes an issue, the oldest ad(s) will be "bumped" and those bumped must wait at least two issues to be reinstated.

Note:  Advertising of any kind is not permitted at our events, via our e-mail list, or on our website. Exceptions: our own events, affiliated events, presenters at our seminars, and e-mails specifically allowed by our E-mail Notices Policy.

Background

ASURA generates publications and reports which it shares with its members. Over the years there has been a desire to share some of these communications with a few non-members. The number of people involved has historically been small: the Board Ex-Officio Members, the Emeritus College, an ASRS representative, and the NAU & UofA retirees associations. Interest in adding more people to the list resulted in the adoption of this policy by the ASURA Board of Directors at the May 14, 2019 meeting.

Policy on annual review of appointed contacts

The ASURA Executive Committee has responsibility for annually reviewing and updating the Table of Appointed Contacts and Desired ASURA Communications. During its review the Executive Committee considers:

• Adding / subtracting people / offices
• Modifying the communications a particular person / office receives, and
• Modifying how the communication is delivered.

If the Table is updated, the updated Table is presented to the Board for comment.

ASURA is a member of the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE). Being a member allows ASURA members to receive a variety of email publications and participate in forums. These communications are limited to members who are included in an AROHE bundle. The ASURA’s membership has no limit on the number included in its bundle. This policy addresses the issue of who should be included in the bundle and how it is maintained.

AROHE Bundle Membership

1. During any fiscal year
   1. Business Manager (primary administrative contact with AROHE)
   2. The President
   3. The Vice President
   4. The editor of E-News
   5. The Chair of the Seminar Committee
2. The following may be included
   1. Past Presidents (if they so desire)
   2. Other ASURA members who request to be included
3. Excluded
   Members who are lapsed

AROHE Bundle Maintenance

The ASURA President will inform the Business Manager of changes to the list and the Business Manager will update the list with AROHE.

The Policy was approved during the Nov. 15, 2022 Board Meeting

Background

ASURA occasionally receives requests to send material out to it members. Examples are requests for participation in an ASU research project, information about the bills in the legislature, etc.

Policy (approved March 9, 2016)

Requests to distribute information relevant to the ASURA membership from the following groups are honored:

• ASU Administration / Schools / Colleges / Departments / Research Groups
• ASURA Board Members / Committee Chairs

Requests to distribute information relevant to the ASURA membership from the following  groups will need approval by the Executive Committee:

• ASURA members other than those covered above
• People or groups not part of ASU

Materials approved for e-mail distribution to our members are sent to the E-News editor. for distribution.

Background

E-News is the ASURA monthly electronic newsletter used to keep ASURA members abreast of current items of interest. The material for this publication is collected monthly from a variety of sources, e.g., Board meeting discussions, the ASURA President, Health Liaison, Events Committee Chair, etc. compiled into a single document and sent to those members who have indicated a willingness to receive informative e-mails from ASURA

Policy (approved March 2016 Board Meeting)

This publication was originally discussed by the Board in the fall of 2014 as a way to communicate with ASURA members in a timely and cost-effective way. Because it proved to be successful, in March 2016 the Board voted to have a recognized E-News editor who is part of the Membership and Communications Committee.

Definitions of financial health and adequate cash reserve

ASURA is considered to be financially healthy if current year revenue in the Operations Account is greater than current year expense in that account and there is "an adequate cash reserve" in the Operations Account. An Adequate Cash Reserve is defined as an amount equal to the current scholarship amount plus one-half of non-scholarship prior year expenses. The cash reserve can be used in the event of large unforeseen (unbudgeted) expenses or loss of income. After covering these, the reserve should be replenished as possible.

"Spending" of excess cash reserve funds

Unspent funds at the end of each fiscal year should normally not exceed an Adequate Cash Reserve. If there are unspent funds in excess of an Adequate Cash Reserve at the start of a fiscal year, and if the organization was financially healthy in the most recently completed fiscal year and is projected to be financially healthy for the current fiscal year, the Association's budget for the year should be adjusted to include uses for those excess funds. Examples of uses would be investing in the Scholarship Endowment, purchasing equipment, and funding a new project or activity.

Scholarship spending account use

The funds made available in the Scholarship Spending Account should be used to fund the current year scholarship.

Annual report on financial health

At the September Board meeting, the Treasurer, Business Manager, and Chair of the Finance Committee shall present both a budget for the current fiscal year and a report on the financial health of the Association. The budget should reflect planned income and expenditures, but not address any issues related to the budget's impact on the cash reserve. In the October meeting, the Board should adjust the budget to address any surplus or shortage in the Adequate Cash Reserve.

Adoption history

This policy was approved by the Board in the March 12, 2014 meeting and revised at the October 8, 2014 Board meeting. It was revised again at the December 14, 2016, meeting -- to specify that the Scholarship Spend Account funds should be used to fund the current year scholarship rather than to add to the endowment principal. The policy was revised in the December 12, 2016, meeting to specify that only the Operations Account is included in the definitions of financial health and adequate cash reserve.

In order to protect the financial integrity of the Association, checks for membership dues, ASURA sponsored events, etc., should be made payable to ASU Foundation (ASURA) and deposited through the ASURA office.



Checks for an independent vendor or entity, e.g. travel agency, bus company, restaurant, providing an ASURA-sponsored project or activity can be made payable to that vendor/entity for services so long as the ASURA committee sponsoring the activity submits a record of these funds for the Association's files. Such reports should be provided by the independent vendor/entity through the sponsoring committee. To avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, no ASURA Board or committee member shall act as a third party in such cases.



This procedure was agreed upon by the Board in 2002.

The membership year is from July 1 through June 30, per article IIIB of the ASURA Bylaws.

Current members

Current members are asked to renew their membership annually during the membership drive, which begins in May. Renewals are due by June 30, but there is a 45-day grace period during which non-renewed memberships stay active. At the end of that time, about mid-August, membership status automatically changes from Active to Lapsed for those who did not renew. There is no known Board policy providing for the grace period, but its use has been in effect since at least 2008, when membership records were first computerized.

Lapsed members

If a lapsed member renews, the new membership period varies from 6 months to 18 months, depending on when the renewal form is received in the ASURA office. Membership is through June 30 of the next calendar year. For example, if a renewal is received on December 31, the membership is good for about 6 months, through the upcoming June 30, which is in the next calendar year. If it is received on January 1, it is good for about 18 months, because that is how far away June 30th of the next (not current) calendar year is. This is per policy of the Board adopted in the meeting of February 12, 2014.

Introductory members

Introductory memberships were established at the November 14, 2012, Board meeting. Clarification of who is eligible for an Introductory membership was made at the January 9, 2013 Board meeting: "ASURA will offer membership at no cost to any new member who completes an ASURA membership application. The membership will be in effect from receipt of a completed application through June 30 of the next calendar year. A new member is defined to be any person eligible to be an ASURA member who has never been a member of ASURA."

At the November 9, 2016, Board meeting, the Board passed a motion, "Beginning with those who retired during the 4th quarter of 2016, all new ASU retirees will be automatically enrolled as Introductory members of the ASU Retirees Association. Members thus enrolled will have the option to decline the membership." Implementation of this policy means that many people -- new ASU Retirees who were not already members of ASURA -- do not have to complete a membership application in order to receive the free Introductory membership. A form will continue to be necessary for those who have not retired from ASU or who retired prior to October 1, 2016.

These ASURA events typically have budget allocated to them by the Board at the start of the year:

1. Meet & greet pizza party. This event is free to members and their guests.
2. Holiday potluck. This event is free to members and their guests. The budget requirement is minimal.
3. Annual meeting. The annual meeting is required by the ASURA bylaws and is free to members and their guests. The budget set is typically intended to cover light refreshments for attendees and incidental costs.
4. Seminars. These events are free to members and their guests. The budget set is typically intended to cover light snacks, such as cookies and beverages.

Guidelines (approved November 2013)

These guidelines are for events that ASURA organizes for the benefit of its members and for which ASURA sets and collects registration fees. They do not apply to events that are held expressly for the purpose of fund-raising or events that are organized through an outside agency, such as a travel agency.

1. No planned profit. We should not expect non-fundraising events to make a profit or to cover advertising costs.
2. Unplanned profits and losses. It is understood that event costs and attendance can only be estimated at the time that registration fees are set, so there will most likely be a small profit or loss for each event. It is understood that occasionally an attendee who had registered for an event does not attend: Any profit or loss associated with this will be considered to be part of the profit or loss for the event.
3. Refund deadline. To help avoid taking a loss from having to pay costs for no-shows or last-minute cancellations, organizers should set and advertise a date after which refunds will not be issued.
4. Registration count. For events that require submitting an estimate of the attendance: On the day registration closes the office will call anyone who has registered but not paid to determine if they still plan to attend, and if so how they plan to pay. Once all the calls have been made the estimated attendance can be determined. It is often reasonable to plan for some no-shows when submitting counts to those providing food, etc.
5. No collective profit or loss. The registration fee for each event should be set based on that event alone, without taking into account any profit or loss for prior events.
6. Event cancellation. If registration for an event is so low that there will almost surely be a significant loss (e.g., over $200) if it is held, the event organizer will normally cancel it in time to avoid out-of-pocket costs. ASURA will refund any registration fees received.
7. Event sponsor. It is permissible for an event to have a private sponsor, i.e. someone who agrees to cover the cost or part of the cost of an event in order to keep registration fees low for attendees. Sponsor contributions are made to the ASURA Operations account.
8. No presenter compensation. In general, invited presenters or performers will not be compensated. Exceptions would need Board approval.
9. Exception procedure. Any Events Committee Chair may request a one-time allocation of budget from the Board for a specific event. Justification for such a request is up to the requestor. Typically, exceptions are granted for educational events that have non-food costs and for “start-up” types of entertainment or social events, e.g. those that have experimental themes or venues.

These guidelines were approved by the Board at its meeting of March 9, 2011. Additions to the list of events that do not require full recovery of expenses were made at the May 11, 2011, the October 12, 2011, and the May 9, 2012 meetings. The Executive Committee modified the “Unplanned profits and losses” guideline and added the “Registration count” guideline November 2013.