Tenure Reduction Program Sunset

Under the United Academics (UA) collective bargaining agreement, new signups for the Tenure Reductions Program (TRP) are ending December 15, 2025. Eligible faculty members desiring to sign up must have submitted a signed application to their department head by this date. The end of new signups does not affect those who have already signed a TRP agreement.

After December 15, 2025, faculty who have not signed up for TRP may continue to retire on their own schedule outside of TRP and are eligible to receive post-retirement appointments outside of TRP by mutual agreement.

There are several important details to be aware of:

  • Only Faculty members who are eligible to retire on or before June 30, 2028 can sign up for TRP.
  • Signups for either option prior to September 15, 2025 (August 15, 2025 for Law School faculty), will receive the associated 6% salary increase effective September 16, 2025 (August 16, 2025 for Law School faculty).
  • Signups for either option from September 16, 2025 through December 15, 2025 will receive the associated 6% increase effective December 16, 2025.

Eligible faculty members desiring to sign up must have submitted a signed application to their department head by December 15, 2025 to enroll. No new signups for either option will be allowed following December 15, 2025.

Answers to frequently asked questions about the TRP sunset are available here.

Tenure Reduction Program Overview

Through December 15, 2025, the TRP program allows a tenured faculty member to indicate their intention to retire from the University by June 30, 2028. Eligible faculty members desiring to sign up must have submitted a signed application to their department head by December 15, 2025. A one-time salary increase amounting to six percent of the faculty member's salary will be effective at the beginning of the term or semester following the signing of the letter of agreement from the Senior Vice Provost. On the designated retirement date, the faculty member either relinquishes their tenure or works with reduced tenure (0.33 annual FTE) in the Retired classification on agreed-upon TRP assignments.

For questions regarding the Tenure Reduction Program, contact Anne Willis at hrbenefits@uoregon.edu.

Explore Tenured Faculty Retirement Options

TRP Background

The Tenure Reduction Program, established in 1981, is often referred to as the “600 Hour Program” because until October 1997 retired employees had been allowed by PERS (the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System) to work up to 600 hours per calendar year without jeopardizing their retirement benefits.  Since October 1997, PERS retirees working for PERS-covered employers may work up to 1039 hours per calendar year and still receive full retirement benefits.

When the TRP program was initiated, the mandatory retirement age for university faculty was 70.  At that time, faculty typically signed up for the program at age 62, worked full time with a six percent salary increase for those last three years, and then began their 600-hour appointments at age 65.  Mandatory retirement is now a thing of the past, but this pattern of retirement continues.  Participants in the program still usually sign up three years in advance of their expected retirement date, although some elect to not work the full number of allowed post-retirement appointments.