Phased Retirement Process

Phased Retirement Process

In order for the Office of Academic Affairs to approve a phased retirement, we need two things:

• The Phased Retirement form, found on the HR website: http://hr.iu.edu/benefits/phasedretire.html.
  • This form will indicate a percent of leave without pay: between 20% and 50% during the 12 months to 36 months of the phased retirement period.
• Something that shows an explicit understanding between the chair and the faculty member about the responsibilities of the remaining percent effort (50% to 70%); it can be typed into the phased retirement form or attached with it. This will go in the faculty member's file.

IU HR requests sixty days' notice although they can approve it in a shorter period of time if needed. 

Key Points to Consider

• Expected teaching load:
  • Number of courses or sections
  • Graduate student advising
  • Service on thesis or dissertation committees
• Expected departmental service:
  • Attendance at department and school committees or functions
  • Work on special projects
  • Physical presence on campus
• Expected research:
  • Grant proposal activity
  • Concluding existing grants

The wording can be flexible and there can be changes as long as it is indicated that the conditions are satisfactory to the chair.  Tenured faculty members need not maintain the usual balance between teaching, research, and service:  they may forgo research entirely if desired for the final part of the phasing, or switch from classroom teaching to other types of teaching.  

For example:

• We anticipate starting with a teaching load of…Changes can be mutually agreed upon by Dr. X and the chair.

Example for broad wording for 50% retirement for a tenured faculty member:

• We anticipate that your teaching load will consist of one section per semester; you will continue to advise graduate students; you will attend all departmental meetings and some school activities; during this period you will phase out grant proposal submission, concentrating on concluding existing research projects and transitioning advisees to other advisors.

Changes in the relative work done in teaching research and service can be arranged by mutual agreement by faculty member and chair. 

Key situation to avoid:

• Dr. X teaches one class, online, does no other work, and is paid 70% plus benefits.

Key situations to take advantage of:

• Using Dr. X’s expertise for mentoring new faculty and graduate students; spending time on curriculum development.
• The flexibility to assign more classes if the faculty member doesn’t want to focus on service; the ability to have the faculty member focus on projects that need doing in the department.

Once the form is complete within the school, the HRBP will email it to ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca. Faculty Affairs will review and sign it, then submit it to IU HR. IU HR will respond with a letter of approval. The school HRBP will process Leave of Absence eDocs. (If the person is using the same percentage the entire time, the leave date is when they start, and the "return from" date is when they end; if using two different percentages, process one form for "return from" for one percentage, and then start the next one.)

ALERT!   Do not place someone who is already on phased retirement on any other type of leave.  They are ineligible for sabbatical leave.  Medical leave needs to be specially coded.  Contact ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca.  

VACATION USAGE: For a faculty member who has been given approval for phased retirement, allowable vacation days will reduce by the percentage of leave approved. For example, if the faculty member is taking 50% leave, vacation days will go from 22 to 11.

For questions about potential work assignments, contact Faculty Affairs at ude[dot]ui[at]rhdaca. Eligibility for phased retirement program and other program features is available on the IU HR website.

Reviewed and Revised: 8/2024.