President Bill Perry will be addressing the state of the university during the EIU Annuitants Association meeting Thursday.

The association was organized in 1971 and includes people who have retired from the university.

Frank McCormick, the secretary of the association, said the group meets to keep retirees informed of events on campus and current legislation.

“Now that state legislature is contemplating changes in pensions, our members can learn up-to-date information about the contemplated changes to their pensions and to their health benefits,” he said.

McCormick said Perry’s speech normally covers the status of enrollment, finances, planned program changes or changes to the physical structure of the campus.

“He gives us an overall picture of the health of the university,” McCormick said. “It’s just a way for him to communicate news about the university to retired faculty and staff.”

Cindy White, the executive director of the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce, will also be talking about opportunities retirees and community members can participate in.

McCormick said this will be the first time a representative from the Chamber of Commerce speaks to the association.

“We try to get a variety of speakers; for example, we’ve had a representative of Coles County Habitat for Humanity speak before,” he said.

He said the executive board of the association tries to keep their programs varied.

“One time, we had a retired speech faculty member give his interpretation of Abraham Lincoln,” McCormick said.

Steve Rich, the assistant vice president for university advancement, will be giving the group an overview of Alumni Services.

Alan Baharlou, the legislative chairman and newsletter editor of the association, said Alumni Services provides many duties, including organizing meetings and keeping members in contact.

“It’s going to be a collaborative, collective exchange of information,” he said. “It’s a very important function to share and keep EIU retirees of all levels connected.”

Baharlou said the association also meets to discuss the scholarship awarded to a student every year, in addition to serving retirees.

“It’s really a dynamic system of interaction that provides a lot of recourses,” he said.

Julie Sterling, the president of the association, said there would be nothing voted upon during the meeting.

“It’s a membership meeting, and essentially we have just a regular program,” she said.

Sterling said the association has four membership meetings per year.

The association will meet at 9 a.m. Thursday in the Neal Welcome Center.

Stephanie Markham can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].