The IFS has formed a special ad hoc committee relating to ORP

  1. Chair: Mina Carson (OSU) email: mcarson@oregonstate.edu History Department, Oregon State University, 302E Milam Hall, Corvallis OR 97331-5104. Phone: 541-737-1259 Fax 541-737-1257
  2. Peter Gilkey (UO) email:gilkey@darkwing.uoregon.edu Mathematics Department, University of Oregon, Eugene Or 97403; (541)-346-4717
  3. Laura Jones (SOU) email jonesl@sou.edu, Health and PE, Southern Oregon University in Ashland 97520 (541) 552-6225
  4. Bob S. Turner (WOU) email: turnerr@wou.edu Biology NS 222 Western Oregon University 345 N Monmouth Ave, Monmouth OR 97361


The IFS has received several documents relating to ORP (Optional Retirement Program); this is the retirement option available to OUS Faculty members who elect not to participate in PERS. There is also information on this website dealing with PERS.

  1. This document is a scanned copy of a letter received by a faculty member of the OUS system dealing with the ORP (Optional Retirement Plan). The name and the address of the participant have been removed. The letter originally comprised 2 pages. These two pages have been combined into one for technical convenience.
  2. This is a scanned copy of a document presented to the Inter Institutional Faculty Senate 5 December 2003 by Denise Yunker (Human Resources Manager) of the OUS. The word "not" was entered by hand by P. Gilkey during the meeting to correct a missprint in the document. The document deals with the Retirement Plan Rate Development. See also a PDF file.
  3. This document is a scanned copy of a document presented to the Inter Institutional Faculty Senate 5 December 2003. The first page of the document is a letter from Matthew Dogget to Senator Frank Morse. The subject is "unfair measure 29 cuts ORP retirement benefit by over 40 percent". The second page of the document is a hypothetical retirement scenario for a 30 year old employee.
  4. Letter from Jim Lundy dated 7 December 2003.
  5. AOF Information:
  6. Exerpts from the minutes of the 5/6 December meeting of the IFS concerning ORP.
  7. Letter sent via email to all UO faculty members enrolled in ORP on 11 December 2003. The letter came from Helen Stoop (Benefits Administrator) hstoop@hr.uoregon.edu (541) 346-2967.
  8. Letter sent via email to all UO faculty members enrolled in PERS on 11 December 2003
  9. http://www.ous.edu/retire/intro.htm Information about ORP.
  10. Email from P. Gilkey (IFS) to D. Yunker (OUS) summarizing a meeting held 16 December 2003 between IFS Senators Carson, Gilkey, and Young and Denise Yunker (Director of Human Resources Oregon University System) concerning ORP
  11. Email as of 17 December 2003 re Meeting January 9 re ORP
  12. Email as of 8 January 2004 re January 9 Meeting re ORP
  13. Information from OUS Legislative update on ORP meeting and report from Bob Turner. Draft Minutes of the meeting.
  14. Information provided by the AOF
    1. Memo to Richard Jarvis from Mark Nelson regarding ORP dated 15 January 2004
    2. PDF file of letter from Tomas K Doyl (Bennett, Hartman, Morris, and Kaplan) to Bill Linden (AOF) dated 13 January 2004 regarding ORP
    3. Letter to Richard Jarvis dated 16 January 2004 from Thomas K Doyl concerning ORP (see also PDF format.
    4. Response to Mark Nelson from Lisa Zavala (OUS) to above correspondence
    5. See also AOF web page for related documents.
    6. Brief filed by Greg Hartman's firm in appeal of the Lipscome decision in Eugene vs. PERS Board Document furnished by AOF.
    7. Letter 23 January 2003 from Hartman to the PERS board attorney concerning use by the PERS board of  PERS trust funds (our money) to hire a lawyer to oppose the PERS members lawsuit.
    8. Response from OUS Attorney Rawlins 23 January 2003
    9. "Fact Sheet" from AOF dated 2 February 2004
  15. Email from IFS President Gilkey to members of the IFS dealing with a conference call held 26 January 2004 between representatives of AOF, the IFS, and the AFT.
  16. Letter from Chancellor Jarvis to ORP Participants dated 26 January 2004 and sample Cover Letter from UO Benefits Coordinator Helen Stoop
  17. Tentative Settlement reached by PERS
  18. AOF Optional Retirement Plan Issues presented to IFS at IFS meeting held at WOU 6/7 February 2004.
  19. Email correspondence between IFS President P. Gilkey and OUS Benefitsdirector D. Yunker relating to discussion of ORP at IFS meeting held at WOU on 6/7 February 2004. Additional documents
  20. Email From Denise Yunker 10 February 2004 update on ORP.
  21. The State Board of Higher Education meets at OSU Thursday/Friday March 4/5 2004. At 0800 on Friday March 5, the Board Committee on Finance, Budget, Audit, Personnel, and Real Estate meets. A report on ORP will be presented to that Committee. That docket item is available: Page 1, Page 2, and Page 3.
  22. Materials received by P. Gilkey regarding "choices" 29 Feb 04
      23.  
    1. Retirement Plan Decision Making Guide Cover Page
    2. Employer Contributions 2004 Choices: Retirement decision making guide has historically provided newly eligible employees with the EMployer Contribution Rates for PERS and ORP. However, final rates for 2004 are under review and may not be available at the time you must decide between the plans.
    3. ORP's nationally Average with comparators - 10 OUS peers Employer 9.02% Employee 5.70% (2003) Total contribution 14.1%; OUS Employer 11.31% Employee 6% (picked up) Total Contribution 17.31%; 2004 ORP (tier 1) Employer 3.71% Employee 6%(picked up) Total Contribution 9.71% (tier 2) Employer 4.27% Employee 6% (picked up) Total Contribution 10.27%. see item (5) below for some information on OPSRP.
    4. Comparison with other Universities Spreadsheet
    5. Amortization Methadology including OPSRP payroll Memo 26 January 2004 from Denise Yunker to PERS Board stating "reducing the OPSRP 8.04 employer normal cost by 7.44 effectively reduces the employer contribution rate for new employees to .6". I don't know if this was implemented.
    6. Letter 2 February 2004 to members of the stakeholder advisory committee re Amortization methodology of PERS UAL/Surpluses Page 1 and Page 2
  23. Discussion at the State Board Meeting 4/5 March 2004
    1. Information from the OUS Press Release
    2. Email dated 4 March 2004 from Denise Yunker discussing rate information for unclassified staff who must elect between the ORP and the OPSRP in March. See accompanying letter from L. Warner (Pers Board) dated 4 March 2004
    3. Conversation with Denise Yunker 4 March 2004 by IFS ORP committee and some remarks by D. Yunker to the State Board of Higher Education 5 March 2004.
    4. Remarks by IFS President Gilkey to the State Board 5 March 2005 dealing with ORP.
  24. Denise Yunker writes 9 March 2004: Break in Service Problem Fixed (Questions about PERS' break in service rules for academic year employees taking unpaid career development leave have been resolved. Please see the attached memo. See also http://www.pers.state.or.us/member/docs/persplan/publications/break_in_service_word_version.pdf or http://www.pers.state.or.us for details.)
  25. History provided by Denise Yunker of the progress and the exchanges OUS has had with various groups since rate-setting became complicated by PERS' reform.
  26. Email from H. Stoop (Benefits Coordinator 2004) concerning PERS and ORP. See also referenced links:
    1. http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/svcbreakqa.html
    2. http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/svcbreakqa.pdf
    3.  http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/OPSRPsum.html
    4.  http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/OPSRPsum.pdf
    5. http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/tlsreturn.html>
    6. http://hr.uoregon.edu/benefits/tlsreturn.pdf
  27. March 23 2004 Meeting of IFS Committee on ORP with Denise Yunker and other interested participants. Organized by turnerr@wou.eduBob Turner
  28. Letter from UO President Frohnmayer regarding ORP
  29. Date: Wed, 17 Mar 2004. Happily I am writing to let you know that a solution has been finalized to correct the employer contribution reductions that affected ORP participants. Attached is the letter I just received that outlines the series of steps that will be taken to correct the employer contribution reductions that affected ORP participants beginning in November 2003. Best regards, Dave Frohnmayer. See Attachment
  30. Academic Council Meeting Notes 18 March 04 - possible legislative fix.
  31. Report on IFS-ORP Committee meeting 23 March 2004
  32. Legislative concepts for ORP, and Corrections to orp report. To be presented to the State Board Meeting 2 April 2004.
  33. Letter from AOF concerning ORP dated 22 March 2004 (enlarged version)
  34. Call for April meeting of ORP Coalition. Preliminary Agenda and revised Agenda Notes taken by P. Gilkey at the meeting and draft minutes
  35. Forums organized by the IFS on ORP
    1. UO Campus 28 April 20041500-1700 See Handout 1 & Handout 2
    2. WOU Campus 29 April 2004 1300-1600
  36. Letter on Pers 16 April 2004
  37. Documents submitted to ORP stakeholders meeting 24 May 2004
  38. ORP Docket Item at June 2004 State Board Meeting
  39. Letter From Lisa Zavala 15 June 2004 and associated ORP documents giving OUS legislative proposals.
  40. Information about mis-identification of PERS Tier One participants as PERS Tier Two participants.
  41. Letter from Denise Yunker concerning ORP earnings contributions 29 June 2004.
  42. Extract from Minutes (approved in July) of the June State Board Meeting dealing with ORP
  43. Letter sent to ORP Participants 15 July 2004 concerning earnings
  44. Letter from Lisa Zavala containing latest OUS proposals for Stakeholders meeting 22 October 2004 and report on Stakeholders meeting by IFS Senator Mina Carson
Contact Peter Gilkey gilkey@darkwing.uoregon.edu for comments or questions concerning the materials on this web site.
Web page spun on 27 October 2004 by Peter B Gilkey 202 Deady Hall, Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403-1222, U.S.A. Phone 1-541-346-4717 Email:peter.gilkey.cc.67@aya.yale.edu of Deady Spider Enterprises