Phased Retirement Arrangement Specifics

Getting Started

• An individual phased retirement arrangement must be initiated by the faculty member (See Phased Retirement Application), and is subject to review and approval by the respective Dean or other appropriate manager and the university President (or his/her designee). Both the faculty member and the university President (or his/her designee) will execute a formal agreement outlining the specifics of the faculty member’s approved arrangement. Once the arrangement is fully executed, it is irrevocable.
• The faculty member must submit the proposed phased retirement arrangement to his or her Dean or other appropriate manager, with a copy to his or her Department Chair and the University President (or his/her designee), no later than 120 calendar days prior to the proposed start of the arrangement (April 26, 2020), for arrangements proposed to begin with the Fall 2020 semester. 

Approval Process

• Within 30 calendar days after submission of the proposed phased retirement arrangement, the university President (or his/her designee) will notify the faculty member whether the proposed arrangement is:
  (a) approved;
  (b) provisionally approved with modification(s); or
  (c) disapproved. 
  
  
• A notice of provisional approval with modification(s) shall specify the modification(s) required for approval. Following receipt of a provisional approval with modification(s), the faculty member may agree to the modification(s) or decline to participate in the phased retirement program based on the modified terms. A notice of disapproval shall include an explanation of the reason for disapproval. The decision by the President (or his/her designee) to disapprove a proposed Arrangement is only subject to challenge through the grievance procedure where the individual faculty member asserts the decision was discriminatory or arbitrary and capricious.
  
  
• The final approved phased retirement arrangement must be executed by the faculty member and the University President at least 60 days prior to the start of the semester (June 25, 2020) for arrangements proposed to begin with the Fall 2020 semester. 

Arrangement Specifics

• The proposed arrangement will provide for a phasing time frame from one to three years, provided, however, that a University President (or his/her designee) may approve a longer time frame on an exception basis.
  
  
• The proposed arrangement must provide for the faculty member to work at a reduced workload at any increment between 50% and 99% of the full-time workload, except during the final year of phasing, when the proposed arrangement may provide a reduced workload of between 25% and 99% of the full-time workload. The reduced workload for each year must be identified in the proposed arrangement.
  
  
• Workload for phased retirement program participants may be front-loaded in the academic year (e.g. a faculty member with a reduced workload of 50% may teach four undergraduate classes in the fall semester, and no classes in the spring semester), but may not be back-loaded (e.g. a faculty member with a reduced workload of 50% would not be permitted to submit an arrangement with no classes in the fall semester and four undergraduate classes in the spring semester of that academic year).
  
  
• An approved phased retirement arrangement may not be extended unless approved by the University President (or his/her designee) on an exception basis, but may be accelerated at the election of the faculty member, with notice given at least 60 days before the start of any semester.