When faculty retire from many universities, especially those without a campus residential area, they “sort of disappear,” says former provost Al Hastorf. “But here the emeriti stay around, and I think it’s important that they play some role.”
Since his retirement in 1990, Hastorf has taught occasional freshman seminars in social psychology and has stayed in touch with colleagues through Faculty Club lunches. Then, last year, he became the first professor to hold the grandiloquent title of Emeritus Standing Guest of the Faculty Senate. Proposed by law professor Hank Greely when he chaired the Senate two years ago, the new position provides an emeritus representative with the opportunity to speak to issues that come up for discussion, although it confers no voting right.
Last year, Hastorf says, he “sat right in with the gang” in the Law School classroom where the Senate meets. This year, he has graduated to watch the proceedings from what he calls the “peanut gallery,” the row of seats at the back of the room. Taking his place in the Senate body is Jim Mark, professor emeritus of surgery.
“We’re a resource of energy and experience,” Mark says. “Our thought is, what can we do for the University, and, of course, what can the University do for us?” Hastorf estimates that some 50 emeriti professors currently teach courses, and another 100 do informal advising. Mark, for example, has lectured in sophomore seminars and serves on the University’s board on judicial affairs.
The Senate rep is advised by a council that includes former University president Richard Lyman; Eleanor Maccoby, professor emerita of psychology; Larry Ryan, professor emeritus of English; Ken Scott, professor emeritus of law; and Tony Seidman, professor emeritus of engineering. They meet several times a year and are in contact, by e-mail, with 440 emeriti in the Bay Area and more than 100 former colleagues at a distance.
Although a $10 million gift to Yale University to renovate a center on campus for emeriti use has made headlines, Hastorf says Stanford faculty are “not big on the importance of a bricks and mortar building.” Instead, he’d like to see research funds that would enable emeriti to, say, finish writing books. “It would be awfully nice, if one needed to travel to a Los Angeles library,” he adds.
“Or to Bellagio,” Mark says, grinning.
