2005 - 2006 Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Retirement
2005 - 2005 Members
Michael Moore (Chair)
Len Johnson (Human Resources)
Marvin Hoffman (Political Science/Criminal Justice)
Terry Cole (Communication)
Harold McKinney (Music )
Susan Keefe (Anthropology)
Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Retirement Annual Report
The committee has finished its review of policy and practices and is formulating its report and recommendations. These should be ready to present to Senate by September 2006.
Report of the Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Retirement: Summary of Recommendations
1. We recommend that the emeritus rank become automatic for a retiring faculty member holding the rank of Full Professor and having at least ten years of continuous service at Appalachian. The emeritus faculty designation should be accompanied by a letter of commendation from the Chancellor upon official notice of the faculty member’s full retirement from the University, i.e. at the end of any phased retirement service period or upon immediate, full retirement.
2. The emeritus designation should also be available to those faculty members in other ranks, including Lecturer, who have at least ten years of continuous service to Appalachian. For these ranks the application for the emeritus designation may be initiated by either the faculty member or by his or her department chair or dean. A review of the faculty member’s record of achievement and contribution should be made by an appropriate departmental DPC with a recommendation for approval or non-approval as provided for other personnel decisions. A positive DPC recommendation would require additional approval by those responsible for personnel decisions and recommendations, the department chair, dean, provost, chancellor, and trustees.
3. We recommend that there be increased recognition of the emeritus faculty at Appalachian, in addition or as a supplement to the collection of biographies ably compiled and edited by Richard Howe (The Appalachian Faculty Emeriti, 6th ed., 2004). We have sought a public place on campus in which to make a permanent record of faculty accorded emeritus status. We have been in contact with Mary Reichel, University Librarian, and suggest with her blessing, that the wall outside the Faculty lounge/reading room on the second floor of Belk Library become a place where a permanent display of an emeritus faculty’s name, department, dates of service at Appalachian, and notation of other distinctive Appalachian/UNC awards earned by the faculty member be placed on a small plaque and become part of the display. The display should begin initially with plaques for those faculty members who have already received the emeritus rank (about 275) and be annually updated. This display should not become the responsibility of Library personnel or be funded or maintained by the Library. We recommend that its design and maintenance should be the responsibility of Academic Affairs and/or the Chancellors office in concert with Business Affairs.
4. We recommend that the University create a special medallion for emeritus faculty with a ribbon in the University’s colors that can be worn at academic functions such as commencements or can otherwise be displayed on an appropriate base, for instance, in one’s home. This medallion would be presented to the emeritus faculty member at a ceremony such as a distinctive annual luncheon or dinner, hosted by the University wherein the achievements of retiring emeritus faculty may be publicly recognized.
5. We also strongly recommend and encourage departments and/or colleges to consider establishing a permanent recognition for emeritus faculty within their communities and to provide other distinctive functions appropriate to this significant transition. Also, emeritus faculty should, for instance, be included in invitations to department and college functions and their achievements and other life changes be recognized along with those of regular faculty.
6. We recommend that departments and colleges maintain email lists that include emeritus and retired faculty to use for announcement of events and other information that are not part of the diurnal communications about department business. For instance, if a colleague is retiring, other retired colleagues should be informed. Further, we suggest that departments and/or colleges update regularly their web sites with appropriate listings and information about emeritus and retired faculty in a manner similar to that for regular faculty.
7. We recommend that in all University academic convocations involving faculty processions there be a special place at the head of the faculty contingent for emeritus faculty who desire to participate. The University should also create a special flag for this contingent to be carried by one of the participating emeritus faculty.
8. Since the most important connections between emeritus faculty and the University will center on the University Library we recommend that at least three parking spaces be reserved for emeritus faculty either in the new parking deck or under Duncan Hall to facilitate library access.
9. We recommend other ways in which emeritus faculty can work with the University, such as in being directors for the University’s Appalachian House and Appalachian Loft. We welcome the initiative of Provost Aeschleman in establishing a review of this possibility. Also, we encourage the Office of International Education and Development to investigate the beneficial use of emeritus faculty in their international programs.
10. Some emeritus faculty would like the option of working with their departments and with the University as they pursue their scholarly or creative agendas in new phases of their lives. Indeed, in some departments this is already taking place. Therefore, we recommend that emeritus faculty be afforded franking and other electronic services (copier, fax, etc.) and mail services provided to regular faculty by departments and be able to order business cards through their department. Emeritus faculty should be allowed to keep for their use in retirement computers and other electronic equipment provided to them as regular faculty (as required by auditing policy, equipment identity will be maintained in department physical assets inventories and must be returned when retired faculty are finished with its use). Services other than those noted may be made available to emeritus faculty as a result of deliberations within departments or colleges in the University.
11. We recommend that emeritus faculty be able to negotiate with their department chair other privileges such as use of office, lab, or studio space, and for travel and other support necessary to carry on projects consistent with the mission of the department and the University. There is no guarantee of such privileges; but department, college, and University administrators should welcome such emeritus faculty initiatives and provide the requested services if the resources for such are feasible and are not at the expense of the requirements or needs of regular faculty and programs.
12. We recommend that departments report on the professional activities of their emeritus faculty in departmental annual reports. Emeritus faculty in order not to become nearly invisible to the University upon their retirement, should continue to be listed for a period of at least five years in all appropriate faculty directories, especially the University phone book (with their consent), and for the duration of their lives be listed in the Faculty Register section of the Undergraduate Catalogue. Emeritus faculty information should be maintained in appropriate databases such as the Banner system, so that they are included in University email services and other appropriate University information services, such as the Library.
13. We recommend that emeritus faculty should enjoy all those services, discounted services, and other perquisites and amenities accorded to regular faculty such as tickets to Athletic or cultural events, special promotions in Athletic or cultural events, and use of on-campus technology services for faculty electronic equipment.
14. We recommend that emeritus faculty may, through negotiation with and approval by their department chairs, teach courses, on or off campus, online or otherwise, in the regular and summer terms and that their pay be commensurate with their status and experience. The remuneration for these courses should be commensurate with the final salary of the emeritus faculty member at retirement, and the salary should be greater than that provided for employing adjunct faculty in similar roles. Emeritus faculty should be able to continue supervision of graduate theses and student creative projects in which they are involved when they retire, and they may serve on other thesis or project committees with the approval of the department chair and/or dean. Other graduate teaching responsibilities would be contingent upon approval by the department chair and/or dean.
15. We recommend there should be developed one point of contact on campus through which all non-departmentally concerned services, information, and activities can be secured by retiring faculty. We recommend that this single point of contact for information and administrative location be Human Resource Services, and be available on its web site. Here, for instance, should be a full FAQ page, a checklist of what procedures to expect and what to do to prepare for completing all necessary forms for retirement, a suggested timetable for completion, and office locations with the telephone numbers of people to contact. Faculty should also find on the HRS website full and accurate information regarding Phased Retirement and the name and contact information for any specially designated University officer with responsibility for Phased Retirement (presently, this person is Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs, Tim Burwell).
16. It is extremely important that the University find a way to assure continued use without interruption of the faculty identity card, since there have been many instances when, even without difficulties associated with the transition to the Banner system, emeritus and retired faculty have been dropped from the rolls. By accomplishing this, retired faculty will enjoy full and reliable access to library resources, to other email services such as the email list management page, and be able to park in gated lots that require active ID card access. Designations for retirees and faculty emeriti retirees have been requested in the Banner database. The appropriate coding at employment termination would facilitate communication with faculty retirees. Similarly, it facilitates the transfer of information to other subsystems such as the Library to ensure that privileges are continued.
17. The Committee also believes that Human Resource Services would be well advised to develop and publish a Frequently Asked Questions section as part of its Phased Retirement information as does the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Faculty members will benefit from reading the questions asked by other potential retirees but do not now know of the questions or of the university’s answer to those questions.
18. We recommend that colleges include in their salary metrics used by department chairs to recommend salaries for their faculty an identifying section for phased retirement faculty who might be eligible for merit raises. There is now no such identifying part to remind appropriate administrators that phased retirement faculty are eligible to be considered for merit pay after their first year in the program.
19. The Committee also believes that it would be beneficial to the faculty as a whole if HRS would publish a series of questions that each faculty member should review prior to making retirement decisions. Qualified professional retirement planners should be asked to compile such a list of questions and the list should be published as part of the retirement information page maintained by HRS. Additionally, the questions should be reviewed during pre-retirement briefings offered by the University. It might be helpful if these questions were integrated into the FAQ recommendation above (17).
20. We recommend that the University task HRS or another appropriate body responsibility to investigate, in conjunction with available emeritus faculty, the establishment of an Emeriti Faculty Association at Appalachian.
21. We recommend that the University News Bureau more actively publish stories about emeritus faculty and their past and/or present contributions to Appalachian in appropriate University publications. This will require departments to make this information available to the News Bureau. However, we also suggest that the News Bureau run stories about the annual retirement ceremonies for emeritus and retiring faculty, such as the University sponsored event recommended above.
22. We recommend that consideration needs to be given as to how best to honor retired and emeritus faculty who have died in a given period of time. For example, it may be appropriate to publish their names in connection with the annual Retirees’ Luncheon.
Minutes from February 12, 2007 Faculty Senate Meeting:
After a preliminary review of the twenty-two recommendations submitted by the Ad Hoc Committee on Faculty Retirement, recommendations numbered 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 15, 17, 19, 20, 21, and 22 were approved. Senator Mamlin moved and Senator Kaenzig seconded to approve these recommendations. Motion passed.
Discussion concerning Recommendation #1 included statements from various senators that emeritus status should not be automatic. Senator Malloy moved and Senator Mamlin seconded to amend Recommendation #1 by inserting the words in bold: “We recommend that the nomination to emeritus rank become automatic for a retiring faculty member holding the rank of Full Professor and having at least ten years of continuous service at Appalachian. The emeritus faculty nomination should be accompanied by a letter of commendation from the Chancellor upon official notice of the faculty member’s full retirement from the University, i.e. at the end of any phased retirement service period or upon immediate, full retirement.” Motion to amend passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Malloy seconded to delete the last sentence in Recommendation #1. Motion to amend passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Malloy seconded to approve the amended Recommendation #1. Motion passed. Amended Recommendation #1 states: “We recommend that the nomination to emeritus rank become automatic for a retiring faculty member holding the rank of Full Professor and having at least ten years of continuous service at Appalachian.”
Senator McBride moved and Senator Mamlin seconded to approve Recommendation #2. Motion passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Malloy seconded to approve Recommendation #7. Motion passed. Senator Ramsey moved and Senator McBride seconded to approve Recommendation #8. Motion passed. Senator Malloy moved and Senator Smith seconded to approve Recommendation #9. Motion passed. Senator Marland moved and Senator Evans seconded to amend Recommendation #10 by inserting the words in bold: “Some emeritus faculty would like the option of working with their departments and with the University as they pursue their scholarly or creative agendas in new phases of their lives. Indeed, in some departments this is already taking place. Therefore, we recommend that emeritus faculty be able to negotiate with their department chair franking and other electronic services (copier, fax, etc.) and mail services provided to regular faculty by departments and be able to order business cards through their department…….Services other than those noted may be made available to emeritus faculty as a result of deliberations within departments or colleges in the University.” Motion passed. Senator Ramsey moved and Senator Mamlin seconded to amend the fourth sentence of Recommendation #10 to state: “Emeritus faculty should be allowed to negotiate for their use in retirement computers and other electronic equipment provided….” Motion passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Malloy seconded to approve the amended Recommendation #10. Motion passed. Senator Marland moved and Senator Malloy seconded to approve Recommendation #11. Motion passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Malloy seconded to approve Recommendation #13. Motion passed. Senator Ramsey voiced his concern regarding the statement in Recommendation #14 concerning emeritus faculty teaching courses. Senator Ramsey preferred hiring a new person in lieu of holding a position open for a retired faculty. Senator Tiller moved and Senator Marland seconded to delete the second sentence in Recommendation #14 which states: “The remuneration for these courses should be commensurate with the final salary of the emeritus faculty member at retirement, and the salary should be greater than that provided for employing adjunct faculty in similar roles.” Senator Tiller called the question. Motion passed. Motion to approve the amended Recommendation #14 passed. Senator McBride moved and Senator Marland seconded to approve Recommendation #16. Motion passed. Senator Malloy moved and Senator Marland seconded to approve Recommendation #18. Motion passed.
