Emerit Status

Emerit Appointment Form

Standard Practice

When faculty members retire after having held the maximum rank for at least five years, they are eligible for emerit status as per Policy number II.02.03, which outlines the Rights and Privileges of Emerit Faculty. To formalize this status, the department needs to:

  • Complete an Emerit Appointment Form.
    • On this form, use the position code BUOXEM and leave the "End Date" section of the job blank.
    • When selecting the appropriate Latin honorific for a faculty member, it's important to match it with their preference. Here are the options:
      • "Emerit" is gender-neutral.
      • "Emerita" is used for feminine preference.
      • "Emeritus" is used for masculine preference.
    • In the Purpose of Appointment and Remarks section of the form add the text "Eligible. X years in rank – [Rank]."
    • If they will continue to work for the university, please indicate in what capacity and for how long.
  • It's possible for a faculty member to hold a post-retirement position or be on a tenure-reduction plan while also having an emerit appointment.
  • The person submitting the form can assign themselves to all the unit-level approver roles and provide the necessary signatures for each slot.

Exceptions

At times, upon retirement, a faculty member who has not held the maximum rank for at least five years can be nominated for emerit status. This nomination usually comes from the department head or dean, and it's typically done no more than six weeks before the faculty member's retirement date. For detailed guidelines on awarding emerit, emeritus, or emerita status, please refer to Policy number II.02.03, which discusses the Rights and Privileges of Emerit Faculty.

Department's Role: The department fills out the electronic Emerit Appointment Form. Both the Department Head and the Dean should be listed as approvers. Attach the faculty member's curriculum vitae and a nomination letter from the department head to the dean, requesting emerit, emeritus, or emerita status. If they will continue to work for the University, please also indicate in what capacity and for how long.

Dean's Contribution: The dean should then attach a letter of support to the form. Alternatively, they can add a comment to the form stating, "I approve the nomination of the faculty member to emerit/us/a status."

Form Approval by Dean: Once the Dean approves the form, it will be automatically forwarded to Human Resources.

Human Resources Review: After reviewing, Human Resources will forward the request to the Office of the Provost for their review and approval.

Final Steps Upon Approval: If the nomination is approved, the Office of the Provost will issue a letter awarding emerit status to the faculty member. Human Resources will then send the approved form to the Payroll office.