Thanksgiving is fast approaching and before we know it — we’ll have to remember to write 2008 instead of 2007!

As you know, by this time of the year my campus visits are well under way. During the presentations, I’ll give you an update on any and all changes in benefits and services, talk to you about the new unique identifier you’ll need to use for your dental and vision benefits, and answer any questions you might have for me. If you can attend, I’d love to have you come.

Check the tentative dates listed below to see if I will be at your campus in the near future:

• Brooklyn HSC, noon, Nov. 1.

• Optometry, noon, Nov. 7.

• Stony Brook, noon, Nov. 8.

• Stony Brook HSC, 2 p.m., Nov. 8.

• Oneonta, 11:45 a.m., Nov. 13.

• Old Westbury, noon, Dec. 1.

I am in the process of scheduling more meetings. As The Voice went to press, campus visits were scheduled in October at SUNY Buffalo, Farmingdale and Purchase.

Fall is also a very popular time for pre-retirement seminars. Anne Marine, our UUP retiree services coordinator, has put together an excellent presentation on retiree issues.

Call Anne for answers to your questions regarding: continuing membership and/or dental and vision benefits in UUP after you retire; continuing your NYSHIP health insurance; calculating your sick-leave credit for your health insurance premium; or any other additional information you might need before you retire. If you can’t reach her by phone, she may be visiting your campus!

Finally, our new 2007-2008 UUP Benefit Trust Fund booklet is now available. We’ve given the cover a new look, left, and updated all the information inside.

Just go to the UUP Web site at www.uupinfo.org, where all your benefit information is at your fingertips.