Professor Emeritus Guidelines
CAS Ad Hoc Committee on Emeritus Status Proposal
RATIONALE
The following statement is based on a review of the policies
in force at ten universities with a wide range of status
and academic prestige.
The philosophies and rationales for emeritus status vary
widely, from inclusion of all retired faculty to narrow selection
by a process similar to promotion. Most institutions fall
somewhere in the middle. Benefits also vary, with the most
generous—Cornell—being based on a philosophy
of sustaining academic identity and access to scholarly life
for retired professors. This approach is based on a recognition
that an emeritus appointment creates mutual benefits: for
the professor, emeritus status sustains a basic support system
for continued scholarship and collegial relations; for the
institution, it allows an ongoing association with active,
distinguished academics and scholars.
As a developing university, USM needs to make possible such
mutual benefits—where appropriate—while fulfilling
current policy on a broader scale. Thus, as part of a general
rethinking of relations between USM and its retired faculty,
we propose that, in acknowledgment of past service, all retiring
tenured members of the faculty should be entitled to certain
minimum benefits (those which are basically without cost
to the University), such as continuing library privileges,
faculty rates on athletic tickets, invitation to major university
events, and access to the gym as available. No further enhancement
of status would be conferred.
EMERITUS STATUS
USM is bound by the existing rules and procedures established
by the University of Maine System Board of Trustees. The
University of Maine System Policy and Procedures Manual,
section 308.8, states that "Emeritus titles should generally
be reserved for persons retiring after at least 15 years
of service to the University of Maine System." Despite
the fact that other documents and memos we have examined
refer to fifteen years of service as a minimum requirement
for eligibility, it appears that the ruling policy establishes
fifteen years of service as a general expectation but not
a minimum requirement.
The same section quoted above describes nominations for
emeritus status as "based on local campus criteria and
procedures." However, other System documents list the
general criteria for evaluating candidates; apparently each
campus has some leeway in applying these general criteria.
The listed criteria are as follows: 1) length of service
to the university; 2) contributions to his or her field;
3) dedication to the institution and to education; 4) significant
participation in campus life; 5) outstanding service to the
community; 6) esteem of students and colleagues.
The System has also established the sequence of recommendations
involved. Nominations for emeritus status for faculty originate
in the personnel committee of a department; a positive recommendation
by that committee is then passed on for evaluation to the
department chair, Dean, and Provost, who add their own recommendations
to the file; if the President then approves the nomination,
it passes on to the Chancellor for final approval.
The benefits listed as entitlements of emeritus status include:
participation in academic convocations and commencement;
library privileges; possession of a University identification
card; inclusion on mailing lists and all other official faculty
listings; office or laboratory space (upon request, subject
to availability); attendance at faculty meetings (non-voting).
To assure fair and equal review, we propose to make it mandatory
for departments to evaluate any retiring faculty member who
requests consideration for emeritus status.
We propose to add to the list of normal benefits for emeritus
faculty the following: email, logon ID, stationery, mailbox,
gym access, free access to USM courses, phone (upon request,
where possible), and consideration for teaching assignments.
A NEW DESIGNATION
The general expectation of a minimum of fifteen years of
service for emeritus appointments may well often rule out
faculty with less service time, however distinguished their
records may be. This is unfortunate, both for the faculty
involved and for the University, which clearly would benefit
from an ongoing association with active and distinguished
retired faculty members.
We propose the creation of a new designation for USM: "Distinguished
Retired Professor" (as with emeritus appointments, if
one's final rank is Associate Professor, the title would
be "Distinguished Retired Associate Professor").
a) The general criteria for DRP status
would be the same as for emeritus status (with the exception
of the expectation of fifteen years of service), but a DRP
appointment would require a record demonstrating clear-cut
and ongoing distinction in scholarship, teaching/pedagogy,
or university/community service (i.e., achievements somewhat
beyond those normally expected for emeritus appointments).
Evidence that the retiree remains currently involved in activities
for which university recognition is given would receive special
priority in making DRP appointments.
b) Two variants would be permitted in
the process for making DRP appointments:
i) Department nomination: A department
could nominate a former member of its faculty for DRP status
(department nominees for emeritus status could be proposed
for DRP appointments as well). That nomination would then
be considered by the CAS Tenure/Promotion Committee, the
faculty body most appropriate for such an evaluation. If
the recommendation is positive, the nomination would proceed
for approval to the Dean, the Provost, and finally to the
President, who would actually bestow the DRP designation.
ii) Self-nomination: A retiree could
initiate the process of nomination by applying directly
to the Tenure/Promotion Committee. That committee would
normally then seek the advice of the relevant department,
but could make its own judgment on the candidate. If the
recommendation is positive, the nomination would proceed
as above to Dean, Provost, and President.
c) The benefits of DRP status would include
all those to which emeritus professors are entitled, as well
as:
use of university facilities, on request, to the same
degree as regular faculty;
parking decals, as with regular faculty;
access to the support services of the Grants Office;
preference in receiving office or laboratory space, phone,
and teaching opportunities, if requested and available.
Nancy Gish
Diana Long
Bruce Roberts |
