Life in Retirement

"... this is what retirement has meant: an unexpected invitation.*"

*by Savishinsky, Joel (2000) Breaking the Watch: The Meanings of Retirement in America. New York: Cornell University Press p. 242.

Retirement offers a landscape of new possibilities. The UBC Emeritus College believes that life after retirement from UBC involves several transitions as time passes and as one experiences personal, family, social, economic and societal changes.  

“How people approach retirement needs to fit their personality, their circumstances, and their values.”
by Savishinsky, J. op cit. p. 238.

The College’s mission includes not only the enrichment of intellectual well-being for retirees and their spouses/partners but also the enhancement of their welfare.  As such, the College offers innumerable ways to maintain and make new and meaningful connections, pursue a variety of interests and take advantage of various benefits. In a 2017 survey of UBC faculty retirees, 90% of respondents indicated that they were happy with their post-retirement experience. In a bid to enrich the quality of your years after retirement from UBC, we wish to bring your attention to the following resources:

Keeping Connected

"Sooner or later I'm going to die, but I'm not going to retire." Margaret Lead

Ways to Keep Connected to your Department and the University after you retire  
There are various possibilities to consider. 

The UBC Emeritus College Newsletter
Filled with an array of articles, events, announcements and updates about your colleagues.

UBC Emeritus College Events

Have a Question or Comment that you wish to forward to the College Council (executive) or College Administrator? 
E-mail office@emerituscollege.ubc.ca  or fill out the online form  

Health (and other) Insurance

“It’s paradoxical that the idea of living a long life appeals to everyone, but the idea of getting old doesn’t appeal to anyone.”  Andy Rooney

Health insurance options when retired

The Retirement and Survivor Benefits plan for UBC faculty retirees. 
Includes extended health (with limited emergency travel insurance), dental, and the employee and family assistance plan (EFAP). 
To make an appointment, contact Julia Carandang, Retirement Benefits Administrator Julia.carandang@ubc.ca or 604-822-4580 
Please note: There is a time limit from your retirement date for enrolment in this optional benefits plan.

Additional health/travel insurance options for UBC faculty retirees through Johnson Inc. and RTO (Retired Teachers of Ontario) which have been secured by the UBC Emeritus College.  If you click on the link, you will be taken the webpage with all the information available on health insurance, including two health insurance documents created by the Emeritus College: a webpage with a summary and secondly, a comprehensive and must-read guide to your emergency travel insurance and extended health insurance options once you retire.  (Johnson, Inc. and RTO also offer dental and other types of health insurance.  Their websites and contact details are contained in the comprehensive document.)

Faculty working past age 65 at UBC

Information for Faculty working past 65, and especially after age 71 at UBC.
What you need to know about the cessation of your health and other insurance benefits.

Life insurance options

Conversion of your Sun Life group life insurance policy to an individual policy after retirement.
For Sun Life policy-conversion information regarding your policy (050555-G-014), call 1-877-893-9893.
Please note: there is a time limit from your retirement date for policy conversion.     

Privileges

“There is no age limit to enthusiasm…”  J. Savishinsky  

Privileges awarded to UBC faculty by the University and/or the UBC Emeritus College 
Discover the complimentary or reduced-price benefits.   

Click on the link for more information on benefits.

Faculty Pension Plan and Financial Planning

“…mature people also need to expect the unexpected…*"

*Savishinsky, Joel (2000) Breaking the Watch: The Meanings of Retirement in America. New York: Cornell University Press p. 242.

Retirement Guide: Faculty Pension Plan
Outline for retirees of the options available to members of the UBC Faculty Pension Plan.

Financial Tools and Quick Links
Assistance with the management of investments, pensions, RRSP’s, Canada Revenue Agency etc.

You can make an individual appointment with the UBCFPP specialist
Discuss your UBC Faculty Pension options with the UBC retirement pension specialist.  
Tel. Reception: 604 822 8100  Lorraine Heseltine 604-822-3485 or e-mail Lorraine.heseltine@ubc.ca

UBC Faculty Pension Plan Forum
Presentation on the Plan’s investment performance, future directions.  Information tables on other retirement benefits and services. Occurs annually, usually in May. 

Government of Canada: Retirement Planning   
Information site covering an extensive range of financial retirement planning aspects (sources of income, income tax, living abroad etc.) 

Government of Canada: Canadian Retirement Income Calculator 
Detailed modules to assist you in estimating your retirement income from various sources.

Selected Readings on Life in Retirement

Please let us know about other recommendations!

Craig, Ken (2019) AROHE 2018: Re-Creating Retirement.
(Based on extensive work with academic retirement organizations by UBC Professor Emeritus [Psychology]).

Flaherty, Colleen (2013, Oct. 7) Not a Retirement Club 
The emeritus college is seen an intellectual bridge to retirement for professors

Keyser, Samuel (2011, Aug. 3). An early retirement from academia: breaking away from MIT.
Blog posting on the Guardian newspaper. One faculty member’s take and advice on retirement.

Savishinsky, J. (2000).  Breaking the Watch: The Meanings of Retirement in America. New York: Cornell University Press.
Based on a retirement project involving 25 US retirees plus previously published articles by the author. Author is a professor of anthropology and gerontology, and author of several books on aging. Serious reading.

Wilkes, Helen W. (2018) The Aging of Aquarius: Igniting Passion and Purpose in Elders  Gabriola Is., BC: New Society Publishers. 
Author and octogenarian, former professor of French literature and UBC faculty member.

Website Emory University Emeritus College: Extensive reading list on retirement.

Retirement Organizations

Academic

College and University Retirees Association of Canada (CURAC) 
A not-for-profit federation of retiree organizations at colleges and universities across Canada. Their objectives are to coordinate activities that promote communication among member associations, to share information, to provide mutual assistance, and to speak publicly on issues of concern to the over fifteen thousand individual college and university retirees across Canada.

Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE)
A non-profit association that champions transformative practices to support all stages of faculty and staff retirement, their mutually beneficial engagement and continuing contributions to their academic institutions.   

Other

Canadian Association for Retired Persons ARP (CARP) 
For age 50 plus. A national non-profit organization working to uphold the rights and improve the lives of Canadians as we age.  Numerous benefits and Zoomer magazine.

The Canadian Snowbird Association
A national, not-for-profit organization dedicated to defending and improving the rights and privileges of travelling Canadians.

Organizations/Studies focused on Ageing

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”  Mark Twain

Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Begun in 2010, the CLSA long term national study involves 50,000 men and women, age 45-85 when recruited, who will be followed for 20 years or until death.
First report is available on their website.

CIHR Institute of Aging (IA) 
Established to support research, to promote healthy aging and to address causes, prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment, support systems, and palliation for a wide range of conditions associated with aging.

Canadian Research Centres on Aging & Other Associations
Listing via provinces.

The International Longevity Centre Global Alliance (ILC Global Alliance)
A multinational consortium whose aim is to help societies address longevity and population ageing in positive and productive ways. Canada is a member with a University of Ottawa affiliation.

The International Longevity Centre
UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society. Research reports on a variety of aspects related to ageing.