About the RSA

• About the RSA
• University Policy 

The Retired Staff Association (RSA) is open to all retired staff of NUI Galway. Please see the Announcements page, under 'Communications', for details about receiving notifications from the RSA after you retire.

Aims

The RSA's main objectives are to

• help retired staff maintain contact with one another by organising events of interest
• provide retired staff with information
• strengthen the relationship between retired staff and the University
• support and promote the mission of the University

How to receive updates from the Retired Staff Association 

Arrangements for events organised by the RSA, when confirmed, will be posted on the Announcements section of this website. They will be emailed to all retired staff who have agreed to receive emails from the RSA and who have provided an active email address. So, if you would like to receive advance notice of events and activities by email please send your active email address to Donal Igoe (E: donal.igoe@universityofgalway.ie). The frequency of email posting will be limited and normally should not exceed a monthly emailing.

Committee 2024

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Organisation

The Committee usually meets every four to six weeks, except in July and August. Its members normally serve for 4 years or less.

It organises events and activities during the year and maintains contact with retired staff via email and this website.

The University supports the RSA by facilitating contacts within the University, providing information on newly retired staff, and by an annual grant to support its activities

The RSA usually holds its Annual General Meeting to coincide with the February Agallamh na Seanórach. 

Constitution/Bunreacht

As approved at the 2024 AGM (click link/s below to download).

• Constitution
• Bunreacht

Members' suggestions

Suggestions about events, activities, issues for discussion, and content for these webpages, are very welcome; please email those to valerie.leahy@universityofgalway.ie). So are news items and photographs.

If you have suggestions for issues to discuss or events to organise please contact any of the Committee members (contact details above).

UNIVERSITY POLICY

The University of Galway Retired Staff Policy/Polasaí Ollscoil na Gaillimhe do Chomhaltaí Foirne ar Scor is the key document which defines the relationship between retired staff and the University. The Policy, as updated in September 2020, can be found on the Human Resources website (Retirement page). It can also be downloaded here.

In Section 5 ('Benefits and Courtesies for Retired Staff/Buntáistí agus Cúirtéisí do Chomhaltaí Foirne ar Scor'), the Policy lists the services and facilities available to retired staff.

See also HR website information here.

Benefits & Courtesies: overview of services/facilities listed in the policy statement, with additional practical details

Service Request Form: how to apply for three services/facilities which must be renewed annually: parking permit, Library e-resources, entry in Campus Directory. 

ID Card: how to obtain/renew your ID card—needed for access to some facilities, e.g. the Library and computer suites

Email: how to re-establish your nuigalway.ie email address—needed to receive emails from the University about conferrings, lectures etc. Please note that if you wish to receive emails from the Retired Staff Association you must give consent for them to be sent. 

Payslips: how to access the online payslips which have replaced the paper ones since October 2015.

• Benefits & Courtesies
• Service Requests
• ID Card
• Email
• Online Payslips

Benefits & Courtesies

Below are the services/facilities offered to retired staff by the University, listed in the the order in which they appear in the University of Galway Retired Staff Policy document, under the title 'Benefits and Courtesies'. To most we have added some practical details about how to avail of the particular service/facility.

Retired Staff ID card

When you retire you should return your Staff ID card to Human Resources and request a Retired Staff ID Card. You will need this for access to computer suites, the Library, the Staff Club (card only needed after 5pm—see below Staff Club) and the shared office space rooms 103, 104 and 110, Riverside Terrapin, Distillery Road (see below Office/Laboratory Space). It is also needed to avail of the Staff Discount Scheme. For details of how to obtain your card, see the ID Card tab on this page.

See also the Human Resources’ page on Staff ID Cards, which covers cards for different categories of staff, including retired staff.

Computer suites

These are fully accessible to retired staff. You will need a current ID card—see the ID Card tab on this page for how to obtain this.

For information on the location and opening hours of computer suites click here.

Library access and privileges

• Library access and most library privileges are available to retired staff.
• To enter the Library you need a current ID card.
• For off-campus access to Library e-resources you must apply annually to the Management Services Office, outlining your contribution to the University—see below. You can download the form here: Retired Staff Service Request Form.

Access to Library online resources

— on campus 

When on campus, retired staff can access online information resources by clicking ‘Sign in for Full Access’ on the Library homepage. You will be asked for your User ID and password: Your User ID and Password is the same as your University email account/log-in details—i.e. your payroll number, preceded by zeros if necessary to bring the total number of digits to seven, plus the letter ‘s’ (0012345s), and your password.

— off campus        

Retired staff members who continue to be research-active on behalf of the University, and who make a significant contribution to the work of the University, may request a one-year authorisation to access online Library resources when off campus. Such access is granted on condition that the resulting publication(s) are published with a University of Galway affiliation. To request off-campus access to online Library resources, the relevant section in the Retired Staff Service Request Form should be completed and returned to the Management Services Office.'

Membership of Retired Staff Association and Staff Club

Retired staff are entitled to membership of the Retired Staff Association.

Retired staff are Honorary members of the Staff Club. For a full list of its activities, see the Staff Club website. The Staff Club Committee includes two members of retired staff.

As an Honorary member you can

- participate in Staff Club activities

- access its facilities: after 5 pm you will need a current ID card.

- avail of the Staff Discount Scheme.

Information about Staff Club events is frequently emailed to members, including retired staff who are on the email list maintained by the University. 

Information Solutions & Services (ISS) account

This gives ‘access to such ISS facilities as may be determined by the University from time to time.’ You will also need an ISS account to use IRIS (see under Continuing Work/Research.

Note: Retired staff whose work frequently brings them to universities abroad may find it useful to avail of Eduroam (Educational Roaming) which allows roaming educational users to access wifi automatically in many universities.

Email account

Retired staff may retain their university email address ‘under specified terms and conditions’. If yours has lapsed you can re-establish it by contacting ISS. For details see the Email tab on this page.

University Clubs and Societies

Retired staff are eligible to join University clubs and societies and participate in their events.

For a list of clubs see the Clubs website and for a list of Societies see the Societies website.

Publications online

Some of University of Galway's regular publications about the University are posted to retired staff.
The following are available online. For links see the Publications website.

• Ollscéala, a quarterly staff newsletter
• Cois Coiribe, an annual magazine for University of Galway Alumni and Friends
• President’s Report, contains highlights from the University over the previous year (in Irish and English)
• University of Galway at a glance, a brochure containing some key facts and figures about the University
• Dlíscéala, an annual magazine produced by the School of Law

University Sports Centre, Kingfisher Club

Retired staff are entitled to membership of the Sports Centre at the staff rate. See the Kingfisher Club website.

Notification of events

The University maintains an email list of Retired Staff. 'All staff issuing notices in the University will be advised of the availability of the list in order that retired staff may be appropriately copied on relevant emails.' The University only sends email to universityofgalway.ie addresses. 

Fee Concession scheme

Retired staff who were appointed prior to 1st October 1992 are entitled to the Fee Concession Scheme. The scheme also applies to their spouses and children.

A link to information about this scheme can be found under  Procedures and Policies Procedures and Policies  on the  Financial Accounting pages of the university website. See QA309 Staff/Pensioners Fee Concessions.

See also Further Education Policy (FEP) Scheme.

Title of Emeritus Professor or Emeritus Lecturer

This may be conferred at or after retirement by Údarás na hOllscoile on the recommendation of Academic Council, provided  the retired person ‘does not hold another office of a similar character’.

These titles do not entitle the bearer ‘to perform any administrative or executive function as a member of the Academic Council’, although they ‘shall be permitted to perform such administrative function’ as the President may occasionally request, subject to approval from Údarás na hOllscoile.

Office/laboratory space

There is no entitlement to office or laboratory space. However the policy document states that ‘Other policies may apply in circumstances where retired staff continue to make an active and significant contribution to the University’ and that ‘The University may at its discretion provide retired staff with limited office facilities.’

Currently (2015) shared office space is available in Rooms 103, 104 and 110 Riverside Terrapin, Distillery Road. This replaces the Retired Staff Facility formerly available in Áras na Coiribe. Information about the new facility and who to contact to arrange access can be found on the Buildings Office website: http://www.nuigalway.ie/buildings/retired-staff/ It remains a hot desk facility with internet access.

Parking permit

This is not an automatic right. However, the Retired Staff Policy states that ‘Other policies may apply in circumstances where retired staff continue to make an active and significant contribution to the University.’

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