See the recorded Zoom Webinar presentation from Tuesday, November 3.
Find additional information about Open Enrollment here.

Information in silver text blocks is sponsored by
the Retirees Association
https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/retirees-association

Retirees Association's Holiday Party   

You and a guest are most cordially invited to the Retirees Association's 2026 Holiday Party at the Frog Bar and Grill on Thursday, December 3! Download the invitation and register by November 30. We look forward to seeing you there!

The Hermitage Museum

Despite its location overlooking Santa Barbara, the Hermitage is one of the best not-so-secret, unique jewels of our wonderful city.  Inspired by whimsy and good humor, the architecturally quirky museum and its 10-acre botanic garden are chockablock with original

sculptures and other works of art displayed indoors, as well as along trails meandering through a bamboo forest and subtropical gardens filled with significant collections of desert plants, including cacti, aloes, agaves, palms, cycads, and rare and exotic flowering trees. The artwork on display includes many surprises - over 260 bronze busts (showcasing U.S. presidents, authors, composers, and others), and many life-sized and larger-scale sculptures and installations designed to provoke, surprise, and delight the viewer. 

This special tour for Retirees is scheduled to start at 1 pm on Wednesday, December 9.  You should be aware that the museum and gardens rest on hilly terrain.  Guided tour visitors will walk about 1.5 miles and climb stairs and hills the equivalent of 7 floors, with some uneven paths and terrain that must be navigated over the 2+ hours of the tour.  There are no benches along the tour route, and the tour may be too strenuous for those with walking/standing difficulties.  Due to the nature of the property and the guided tour, it is not possible to come for only part of the scheduled time.  The tours will take place in light rain and on hot days so visitors should address accordingly.  You are encouraged to wear sturdy walking shoes and a sunhat and bring along drinking water should you need it during the tour.  

There are no fees charged for the docent-led Hermitage tours, but the size of this tour, offered initially only to Retirees, is limited to no more than 16 visitors. At this point, the tour is not open to family members or friends who are not retirees.

Registration for this event is on a first-come, first-served basis. To register, write to Andrea Carr, type "Hermitage Museum and Garden Tour" in the subject line, and include your first and last name, email address, and telephone number in the body of the email. The names and other contact information from tour participants will be shared with the Hermitage Museum and Botanic Gardens tour administrators. Even in the unlikely event the maximum number of 16 tour attendees from the two associations is not attained, no new registrations can be accepted after December 2. 

Questions? Contact Andrea Carr, or call her at 805-451-3069.

Information in blue text blocks is sponsored by
the Emeriti Association
https://www.emeritiassociation.org

Please consider donating to the Emeriti Association Promise Scholarship Fund. These scholarships directly support Promise Scholars—high-achieving, first-generation California students with high financial need who have been admitted to UCSB through our regular admissions process.

Over the past 5 years, the Emeriti Association has cumulatively raised $98,000 to support 9 Promise Scholars on campus.

Our Goal This Year: $15,000

This year, our goal is to raise $15,000 to fund both a 4-year student and a 2-year transfer Promise Scholar throughout their studies at UCSB.

Learn More: You can read more about our Promise Scholarship Fund.

Make an Impact: Your gift is fully tax-deductible and can be made quickly via credit card on UCSB’s Giving Site.You can choose to make a one-time gift or set up a monthly contribution.

Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.

“Thanks to the generosity of the UCSB Emeriti Association, I can proudly say that I am the first in my family to pursue a degree and embrace the many opportunities UCSB has to offer.” 

- Kimberlly Baldwin ‘26 

SB Emeriti Association presents an ongoing series of bike rides for emeriti and retirees on Tuesday mornings from 9 am to @ 11:30 am. Next ride is December 6.

For the December 6 gathering, meet in the east Shoreline Park Parking lot for a 15-mile ride. Breakfast will be at Jeannine's Montecito or rider's choice.

Please arrive early enough to prepare your bike. Write to Bill Prothero, prothero@ucsb.edu, if you want to join or have questions.

The Emeriti Association is pleased to announce a unique opportunity for retired UCSB faculty to attend, this spring, the Ensemble Theatre Company's production of John Patrick Shanley's award-winning stage play, Doubt, starring Mimi Rogers. The play won the Pulitzer for Drama and a Tony for Best Play in 2005. 

ETC is offering 20 retired UCSB faculty 25%-discounted tickets to the April 13th (Tuesday evening) performance of Doubt, preceded by a special 40-minute presentation by Simon Williams in the ETC courtyard.

The talk will begin at 6:30 pm on April 13, 2027, followed by the performance of Doubt at 7:30 pm.

Please contact Ward Le Hardy, ETC's Patron Services Manager, as soon as possible, if you are interested in obtaining this limited number of discounted tickets to the production of Doubt. Make sure to request the 25% discount as a retired UCSB faculty member.

Constantin Panunzio

Nominations are now being accepted for the 2026-2027 Constantine Panunzio Distinguished Emeriti Award. 

Created by a bequest from Professor Panunzio of UCLA, this systemwide award honors outstanding scholarly work or educational service (e.g. service in professional, University, Academic Senate, emeriti, departmental or editorial posts, or committees) performed since retirement by a University of California emeritus or emerita in the Humanities or Social Sciences.

The award includes a $5,000 prize and a certificate of recognition.

Candidates may self-nominate.

The nomination should include:

Please submit the nomination packet electronically to Ellen Pasternack, Coordinator of the Emeriti and Retirees Center, no later than Monday, December 7, 2026. Following review by the UCSB Emeriti Association and the College, one nominee will be forwarded by the campus for consideration by the systemwide Panunzio Award Committee.

Previous award recipients.

Questions about the UCSB nomination process may be directed to Ellen Pasternack, or call her at 805.893.2168.

Thank you in advance for your participation in this process.

Information in brown text blocks is for
emeriti and retirees
https://www.hr.ucsb.edu/emeriti-retirees-center

UC employees and retirees have recently raised concerns about suspicious emails and invitations, as well as unsolicited calls offering retirement counseling from “advisers” who claim to work for or with UC.

Please note: UC's RASC retirement counselors do not contact active employees or retirees unexpectedly to schedule appointments, request personal information, or pressure them to change their benefits. Additionally, Fidelity Investments is UC's exclusive provider of financial education and guidance for the plans in UC's Retirement Savings Program. Therefore, any unsolicited email from another source offering financial or investment advice should be treated as suspicious.

If someone receives a suspicious email, invitation, or call, they should check with their location's information security or benefits office before engaging or scheduling an appointment. They should not reply, click suspicious links, or share personal information.

To help employees and retirees recognize suspicious solicitations so they can better protect themselves, we are sharing guidance through several channels:

An article on myUCretirement.com: Alert: Be Careful About Financial Advisor Solicitations

An article on UCnet: Watch Out, Scammers Are Targeting Your UC Retirement Savings

An alert about financial adviser solicitations in the fourth quarter edition of the e-newsletter, News & Insights from the UC Retirement Savings Program

The Club & Guest House

The Faculty Club Board is pleased to announce that the popular "Table Talk Tuesday" series will continue during fall quarter at The Club & Guest House! Each event will feature a UC Santa Barbara faculty member or community organization who will lead an informal discussion on a topic of their interest and expertise over lunch. The events will take place in The Dining Room at The Club. Up next: Ensemble Theatre Company, on November 17.

Meet with Andrew Fung, Fidelity NetBenefits.   
Next one-on-one, in-person, 45-minute appointment dates are November 18 and 19; December 2.

The Grand on State Street

Gather with colleagues, family & friends for beer, wine and cocktails, available for purchase. Antonio Artese, 

piano, will present a short "teaser" concert from 5:00-5:20 pm. The Grand on State is a big room so you are welcome to invite more than one guest. 

Reserve your space by contacting Ellen Pasternack, or calling her at 805-893-2168. 

Tickets for two shows with Antonio Artese and the West Coast Trio that evening will be available soon on the website.

The Emeriti Association's recorded webinars are on hiatus as we remediate them to meet current accessibility standards. They will be re-loaded as soon as possible. Questions? Contact Ellen Pasternack, or call 805-893-2168.

Ellen Pasternack

Coordinator
Emeriti Retirees Center
Ellen.Pasternack@hr.ucsb.edu
(805) 893-2168