Age Builds Wisdom, Community Carries it Forward.
Retired Professors Associations Network
Content
Summary
Purpose
Storytelling on Successful eCollaboration of Retired Professors
Associations
Posting of the links to the Retired Professors Associations Network
Founding Members
Links
Retired Professors Associations Network – Summary
The Retired Professors Associations Network was established following a Zoom meeting in November 2025 of the Professors Emeriti Network, with the idea to collect and share website addresses of retired professors’ associations globally.
Its purpose is to facilitate collaboration, knowledge sharing, and interlinking between associations so that retired academics can continue meaningful engagement.
Members of the Network include associations such as the Age-Friendly Universities Global Network, Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education – AROHE, College and University Retiree Associations of Canada – CURAC, AGE Platform Europe and others from Europe, North America, and Australia.
The Network is open to associations and groups that are willing to link their websites and participate in international connection and collaboration.
Purpose
The first Zoom meeting of Professors Emeriti Network was on June 2, 2021. There have been 5 meetings each year. Over the course of four years, the meeting chairs, together with three or four panelists, have opened up various topics to discover current problems that professors emeriti could and would like to participate in solving. In the last two years, the meetings have been recorded; the videos are posted on the Emeriti Network YouTube.
The idea to establish a Retired Professors Associations Network arose at a Zoom meeting of the Professors Emeriti Network on 19.11.2025 titled: How Retired Professors are Organized and how they eCollaborate. Presentations and discussion showed that some countries have many years of experience in organizing retired professors into associations (clubs, centers, groups). It was suggested that it would be useful if the website addresses of these associations were collected and available on a website, so that interested parties could easily find out what and how retired professors are doing in a particular association. The registered meeting participants were invited to engage as the founding members of the network.
Organizational networks play a key role in the digital age, supporting collaboration, sharing of experiences and knowledge, innovation, stakeholder engagement, and data management. They are essential for managing the complexity and challenges of the digital landscape and leveraging the benefits of technology for organizational success. The advantages of an organizational network include flexibility, simplified collaboration, resource utilization, knowledge and data sharing.
Retired professors offer decades of specialized expertise. They can serve as senior advisors or consultants, they can contribute to knowledge production and participate in expert networks and working groups, they can assist in training curriculum specialists, and support continuity and institutional memory.
Network members will be looking for the answers to the following questions:
- Which associations of retired professors want their members to e-collaborate with members of other associations?
- How does the association help professors retain their university email accounts after retirement?
- How easy is it to find out about the activities of the association on the association’s website?
- How is the association of retired professors organized?
- What is the association doing to encourage and organize the involvement of retired colleagues? How is it doing this?
The network members will participate in online meetings to discuss problem-based and action-oriented topics of concern to retired professors. They will explore opportunities for “collaboration engineering” so that retired professors would be assisted in contributing to active aging and possibly even longevity in our increasingly digitalized society.
The network is open to associations of retired professors and to associations of associations having interest in external interlinking of their websites in English to likeminded associations elsewhere. They will be expected to post a link to the Retired Professors Associations Network on their website, with the email address of the association’s contact person for website interlinking. There are no costs involved. The contact person should email data to Joze.Gricar@UM.si, website editor.
Storytelling on Successful eCollaboration
of Retired Professors
Storytelling is important:
Stories Make Technology Human
If we just say: “Retired professors used digital platforms to collaborate globally.” Cool. Informative. Slightly boring.
But when we tell a story — about loneliness after retirement, awkward first Zoom calls, rediscovered purpose — suddenly it’s relatable. Storytelling turns abstract digital collaboration into a human experience. And humans connect to humans, not platforms.
Stories Reduce Resistance to Change
Some retired academics might think: “Technology is not for me.” “I’m too old for this.” “What’s the point after retirement?”
But when they hear a story about someone like them who did it successfully, it lowers psychological barriers. Stories don’t argue. They invite. That’s powerful for adoption.
Stories Transfer Tacit Knowledge
eCollaboration isn’t just tools — it’s: Trust-building. Handling time zones. Managing disagreements online. Sustaining motivation. Those things are hard to teach in bullet points.
But stories show how problems were navigated. They teach through experience.
Stories Inspire Policy and Institutional Support
Decision-makers remember narratives more than statistics. A dean might forget: “72% of retired faculty remain academically active.”
But they won’t forget: “A retired professor mentored a rural scholar who changed national policy.” Storytelling influences funding, platforms, and program design.
Stories Preserve Legacy
Retired professors have lived through: Chalkboards to AI. Physical libraries to digital databases. Local conferences to global webinars.
Telling their stories documents an era of academic transformation. It becomes intellectual history.
Data Informs — Stories Move
Data answers: Is it happening? Stories answer: Why does it matter?
If we want: Cultural change. Broader participation. Social recognition. We need stories.
Michigan Retirees Association Story 07.02.2026
Age Builds Wisdom, Community Carries It Forward. This is a great motto for the Retired Professors Association Network – RPAN. We recently had an example of how this can benefit a specific professor.
A retired professor from the USA asked if RPAN had members who her husband could connect with in the Chemical Engineering profession. She was referred to Al Hermsen who lives in Michigan in the USA.
They connected through emails and then a phone call which led to faculty member and her husband joining the University of Michigan Retiree Association. They have close to 2000 members and have a wide variety of activities which will keep this couple connected with other professors in their community. See Michigan’s website at https://umra.hr.umich.edu/ for more details on the activities they have for retired faculty and staff.
Michigan Retirees Association, United States. Contact person for website interlinking: AHermsen@UMich.edu
Associations
Age-Friendly Universities Global Network. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Aaron Guest, Aaron.Guest@ASU.edu
Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education – AROHE, United States. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Eric Hockert, EHockert@Alumni.UMN.edu
Australian Association of University Professors – AAUP. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Rylee Dionigi, Rylee.Dionigi@Professoriate.org
College and University Retiree Associations of Canada – CURAC, Canada. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Walter Archer, WArcher@UAlberta.ca
AGE Platform Europe, A society for ALL ages, Brussels. Contact person for website interlinking: Marine Luc, Project and Membership Officer, Marine.Luc@AGE-Platform.eu
University of Western Australia Emeriti Professors College. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Marc Tennant, Marc.Tennant@UWA.edu.au
University of Manitoba Retirees Association, Winnipeg, Canada. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Bill Kops, William.Kops@UManitoba.ca
Patavinae Libertatis Emeriti Association – PLE. University of Padua. Italy. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Bernhard Schrefler, Bernhard.Schrefler@dicea.UniPd.it
Association Professors Emeriti of Federico ll University in Naples – APEF, Italy. Contact person for website interlinking: Dr. Carlo Lauro, CLauro@UniNa.it
Michigan Retirees Association, United States. Contact person for website interlinking: AHermsen@UMich.edu
USC Emeriti Center, University of Southern California, United States. Contact person for website interlinking: Debbie Jones, JonesDeb@USC.edu
University of MInnesota Retirees Association (UMRA), United States. Contact person for website interlinking: Diane Young, YoungDianeC@gmail.com
Retired Faculty and Administrative Officers (RFAO) Organization, University of Vermont, United States. Contact person for website interlinking, Dr. Michael A Gurdon, Michael.Gurdon@UVm.edu
Posting of the links
to the Retired Professors Associations Network
Age-Friendly University Global Network, Resources
Professor Emeriti Network
Organizational network of retired faculty contributing to the understanding of global changes based on aging. They collaborate to address emerging challenges through innovative solutions and disseminate these efforts to a broad range of stakeholders.
Retired Professors Association Network
Retired professors offer decades of specialized expertise. Network members participate in online meetings to discuss problem-based and action-oriented topics of concern to retired professors. The network is open to associations of retired professors and to associations.
Links
Emeriti Opportunities in Internet supported active aging for retired professors. ChatGPT 24.01.2026
Emeriti Network of retired professors Importance ChatGPT 29.11.2025
Emeriti Associations of retired professors Benefits of websites interlinking ChatGPT 25.11.2025
Emeriti Collaboration engineering for retired professors ChatGPT 20.09.2025
Founding Members
Dr. Walter Archer, Professor Emeritus. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. President, College and University Retiree Associations of Canada – CURAC. Book Review Editor, Canadian Journal of Higher Education. WArcher@UAlberta.ca
Dr. Heinz V Dreher, Independent Researcher, Professor Emeritus of Informatics, Mahogany Creek, Western Australia, H.Dreher@outlook.com
Dr. Aleksandar Erceg, Professor, Faculty of Economics and Business, Strossmayer University of Osijek, Croatia. International Center for Entrepreneurial Studies (ICES), Aleksandar.Erceg@EfOs.hr
Dr. Robert D Galliers¸ University Distinguished Professor Emeritus. Former Provost, Bentley University, United States. Former Associate Director/Senior Advisor, Quality Services, European Foundation for Management Development, Belgium. Former Research Director, Department of Information Systems, London School of Economics, UK. Professor Emeritus and former Dean, Warwick Business School, UK. Former Head and Foundation Professor, School of Information Systems, Curtin University, Australia. Former President and LEO Award recipient, The Association for Information Systems, RGalliers@Bentley.edu
Dr. Michael J. Ginzberg, Professor and Dean Emeritus, School of Business, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Partner, ELM2 Advisors LLC, Strategic Transactions for Higher Education, United States, MJGinzberg@WPI.edu
Dr. Peter Glavič, Professor Emeritus, Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Member, University of Maribor Centre for Professors Emeriti and Retired Higher Education Teachers, Contact person: Active Aging Networks, Peter.Glavic@UM.si
Dr. Jože Gričar, Professor Emeritus. Secretary, Professors Emeriti Network. University of Maribor, Slovenia. Program Coordinator, Inter-Municipality Initiative: Cross-border eCollaboration in the eRegion. Joze.Gricar@UM.si
Dr. Aaron Guest, Assistant Professor of Aging. Edson College, Arizona State University, Unites States of America. Head, Age-Friendly Universities Global Network Secretariat, Aaron.Guest@ASU.edu
Dr. Michael A Gurdon, Professor Emeritus of Business Administration. Grossman School of Business, The University of Vermont, United States. President, Retired Faculty and Administrative Officers (RFAO) Organization, Michael.Gurdon@UVm.edu
Al Hermsen, MBA, Member, Board of Directors, University of Michigan Retirees Association, United States, AHermsen@UMich.edu
Dr. Sandra P. Hirst, Associate Professor Emerita. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary Retirees Association, (UCRA), Canada. e-letter editor, College and University Retiree Associations of Canada (CURAC). Vice-President, Past Chair, Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (CNPEA). SHirst@UCalgary.ca
Dr. Eric Hockert, University of Minnesota Retirees Association (Past President FY24). Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education – AROHE (Presiden), United States. Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA) 2026 Conference Planning Group Chair. University Retirees Volunteer Center (Past Board Chair), Office for Technology Commercialization (Retired), EHockert@Alumni.UMN.edu
Debbie Jones, MPA, Director, USC Emeriti Center & Director, Faculty Retirement Navigation & Advancement. University of Southern California, Los Angeles, United States, JonesDeb@USC.edu
Dr. Michael Kunze, MD, Professor Emeritus, Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center for Public Health, Austria. Member, European Association of Professors Emeriti, Michael.Kunze@MedUniWien.ac.at
Dr. Carole-Lynne Le Navenec, Associate Professor Emerita, Nursing. University of Calgary, Previous Program Director, University of Calgary Retirees Association. Board Member, College and University Retiree Associations of Canada – CURAC , CLLeNave@UCalgary.ca
Dr.Dr.h.c. Heinrich C. Mayr, Professor Emeritus, Application Engineering, Former Rector, Alpen-Adria University of Klagenfurt, Austria. Head, Application Engineering Research Group, Department of Applied Informatics, Heinrich.Mayr@AAU.at
Dr. Nava Pliskin, Professor Emerita, Information Systems Management, Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel, PliskinN@BGU.ac.il
Dr. Danijel Rebolj, Professor Emeritus, Former Rector, University of Maribor, Slovenia, Danijel.Rebolj@UM.si
Dr. Bernhard Schrefler, Professor Emeritus, Mechanics of Biological Materials, Department of Civil, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Padua, Italy, Bernhard.Schrefler@dicea.UniPd.it
Dr. Nina M. Silverstein, Professor Emerita, Gerontology Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston, United States, Nina.Silverstein@UMB.edu
Dr. Giuseppe Baldovino (Pino) Suffritti, Professor. Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, University of Sassari, Italy, Pino.Suffritti@gmail.com
Dr. Marc Tennant, Winthrop Professor. Chair of Academic Board. Member of the Senate. University of Western Australia Emeriti Professors College, Marc.Tennant@UWA.edu.au
Jodi Waterhouse, Director, Strategic Partnerships & Programs. Colorado University Denver, Anschutz Multidisciplinary Center on Aging. Office of Vice-Chancellor of Health Affairs, Department of Medicine|, Division of Geriatrics, United States, Jodi.Waterhouse@CUAnschutz.edu
Dr. Richard Welke, Regents Professor Emeritus. Computer Information Systems. Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States, RWelke@RWelke.com
Dr. Doug Vogel, Professor of Information Systems & eHealth Research Institute Director. Harbin Institute of Technology, China. Fellow and Past-President, Association for Information Systems – AIS. Member, Cross-border eCollaboration Consortium. Fellow, Australian Institute of Digital Health – AIDH, South Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in association with the University of the Third Age, Vogel.Doug@gmail.com
Dr. David Zitner, Professor Emeritus. Founding Director, Medical Informatics, Dalhousie University. Consultant and Policy Advisor. Retired Family Physician, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, David.Zitner@Dal.ca
Links
Emeriti Network of retired professors Importance ChatGPT 29.11.2025
Emeriti Associations of retired professors Benefits of websites interlinking ChatGPT 25.11.2025
Emeriti Collaboration engineering for retired professors ChatGPT 20.09.2025
Emeriti Associations North America vs. Europe ChatGPT 20.05.2025
Exploring retired and emeriti professors’ areas of interest in intergenerational initiatives: Enhancing Age-Friendly University (AFU) principles. Ramraj Gautam, Sarawut Sritan, Montri Khumrungsee & Karen Devereaux Melillo. Taylor & Francis Online,15 May 2025.
Emeriti Association website editors sharing experiences ChatGPT 20.01.2025
Exploring Lessons from Retired College Professors. Sara K. Moon-Seo and Jin Seo. Rogers State University, United States. Educational Research: Theory and Practice, 2024, 35(2), 31-36.
How are Retired (Emeriti) Professors Organized Within Their University? Jože Gričar. Professors Emeriti Network, 14/08/2024.
Emeriti Retired Academics Websites Interlinking Jože Gričar 22.06.2023
