Policy Title: Policy Emeritus/Emerita Status

Policy Statement:

Emeritus/Emeritastatus is atitlesignifyinghonorable and distinguished serviceto Georgia College & StateUniversity. Consistent with Board of Regents policy (8.3.13), apresident may,at his or her discretion, confer thetitleof emeritus/aon anyretired (not resigned)tenured associate professor or professor,who at thetimeof retirementfrom Georgia College, had ten (10) or moreyears ofcontinuous, full-time service(notequivalent) tothe UniversitySystem of Georgia withaminimum ofthe last five(5)of thoseyears atGeorgia College. For teachingfacultymemberswith therankof professoror associate professor, the"emeritus"designation is appended to therank held at thetime of retirement, e.g., professor emeritus. Foracademicadministrators, the emeritus designation, upon approval bythe provost and the president, is appended onlyto themostsenior administrative titleheld at Georgia College & State University, which maybeheld at orpriorto thetime ofretirement, e.g., deanemeritus. Theemeritus designation is not awardedfor administrativetitles held on an "acting"or“interim”basis.Georgia College’s president mayrecommend the emeritus title for faculty members ofotherranks upon the recommendationof thedean of the collegein which thefaculty member wasemployed.This title maybe conferred bytheUSG-BOR upon the recommendation of theGeorgia College president.Emeritus appointment is not guaranteedand is not accorded to part-time members of the facultyor to members of the faculty who have been terminated for cause.

Thepresident's decisionwillbebased, in part,upon the recommendation ofthe unit in which the employeehas served.Inconsideringpersons fromGeorgia College & State Universityforthe "emeritus/emerita"title, the president shall, in addition to the Board ofRegents criteria, basethe recommendation upon:

  1. Meritorious serviceto Georgia College & StateUniversity
  2. Notable career performance at Georgia College & State University
  3. Nomination and recommendation byadepartmentpeer reviewcommittee,chair, dean, and the provost and vice president forAcademicAffairs

Definitions:

No definitions are needed.

Keywords:

Emeritus; Emerita; Retirement

Reason for the Policy:

This policy is to replace the following statement from the GCSU Policies, Procedures, and Practices Manual:

Proposed Outcome:

This policy aims to promote a consistent approach to the awarding of Emeritus/Emerita status.

Applicability of the Policy:

This policy will apply to teaching faculty and upper level administrators as defined in the policy.

Related Policies:

Board of Regents Policy 8.3.13

Procedures:

Thefollowingprocedure willbeused to develop recommendations:

The employeeseekingthe"emeritus/emerita"titleshallsubmitthe“Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status”form to his or her chair within a timeframe of30 days priorto or 30 daysfollowingthe official retirement date. Another employee in the same unit, with the nominee’s consent, may nominate an employee for emeritus status.

  1. Process for facultyandacademic administratorsrequesting Emeritus Status:

1.The“Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status”form must be accompanied byaone-page descriptionsummarizingthe facultymember’s accomplishments at Georgia College and a current vita.

2.Thechair orunithead will appoint a peer reviewcommittee consistingofaminimum of threemembers. This review committeemaybethedepartmental tenurepromotion committee. Afterreviewingallmaterials submitted, bycheckingtheappropriate boxon the “Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status”form, the committeeshall indicate its recommendation (either positiveor negative). Therecommendation will bebased on asimple majorityvote ofthe committee. The committee chair will then forward the form, the employee’s summary of accomplishments, and vita to the department chair/director.

3.Afterreviewingallmaterials submitted, bycheckingtheappropriateboxon the “Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status”form, the chair/directorshall indicate his or her recommendation (either positiveor negative). The chair/director will then forward the form, the employee's summaryof accomplishments, and vita to the dean.

4.Afterreviewingallmaterials submitted, bycheckingtheappropriateboxon the “Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status”form, the deanshallindicate his or her recommendation (eitherpositiveor negative). The dean willthen forwardthe form, the employee's summaryof accomplishments, and vitato theprovost.

5.Theprovost willforwardallrecommendation materials to the president forfinal action.

6.Therecommendation ofthepresident shall be conveyed to thecandidatenolater than threemonths after theinitial request date.

Upon approval ofemeritus status, thefacultymember/administrator shallbeentitled tothe following, subject to fiscal constraints placed uponthe university:

  • Georgia College emeritus faculty/administrator photo identification card
  • Fulllibraryprivileges, usingemeritusI.D. card, includingborrowingrights and interlibraryloan privileges
  • Emeritus facultyandadministrators not currentlyemployed byGeorgia College may purchase an employee parking permit.
  • Admission to campus events thesame as anactive employee
  • Invitation to march in academic procession at commencement orother occasions
  • Invitation to attend openingof universityfacultymeetings
  • Inclusion in faculty/staff lists in university catalogues and directories for livingemeritus facultyand administrators
  • Inclusion of emeritus faculty and administrators on all mailing lists that contain information of general interest, unless theyspecificallyrequest thattheirname be omitted from such lists.
  • Inclusion of emeritus faculty and administrators on all invitation lists forsocial functions to which non-retiredfaculty/administratorsof equivalent rank areinvited
  • Use of their Georgia College e-mail addresses
  • Eligibility to serve asa consultant to various standing andad hoccommittees of theuniversity, collegeor department when called upon bya committee chair and approved bythe president, provost/associate provost, dean, or department chair
  • Eligibility to serve asadjunctor as part-timefacultyand teach courses on anas needed basisupon the approval of the department chair, deanand provost/associate provost and subject to procedures forrehiringretired employees
  • Mailservices subject to certain restrictions

In somespecificsituations, with the approval of the appropriate department and/orunitauthority, and subject to budgetaryconstraints, an emeritus facultymaybe entitled to:

  • Laboratory/experimental/performance/studiospace. This is not an entitlement for all members of the facultywho makethetransition toemeritusstatus.Rather, such spacewillbe recommended bydepartment chairs to theirdeanswhenever possibleforthoseindividuals who maintain an active research/creativeactivityprogram that is characterized by:(a) sufficient external fundingto support theirresearch activities includingthesupport of technical assistants, post-doctoral fellows, and students;(b) continuing contributions to the department’sacademic mission and vision; and (c) demonstrable contributions to the discipline through the propagation ofthe products of theirresearch inrelevant mediums (e.g. books, articles,chapters, patents, presentations,performances, etc.)
  • Retention or useof certain pieces ofequipment, computers, etc., as approved bythe department chairand dean, forprofessional purposes associated with workcontinuingon behalf ofGeorgia College
  • Serve as the principal investigator ongrants and can supervisedoctoral, masters orundergraduatestudents with approval from therespective department chairand subject to procedures forrehiringretired employees.
  • Serveas adissertation/thesiscommitteememberwith approval from therespective department chairand subject to procedures forrehiringretired employees.
  • Emeritus business cardsupon request to the chairof their homedepartment and subject to budgetaryconstraints.

ImplementationofEmeritus Policy

Individuals retiring fromGeorgia College prior to implementation ofthis policywho werenot awarded emeritus status at thetime ofretirement maysubmit a written request foremeritus status to the officeof academic affairs. All requestswill bereviewed andadecision regardingemeritus status will be madeno later than30 days from the submission date of the materials.

Emeritus Faculty Grandfather clause: All individuals previously receiving emeritus status will retain all rights and privileges awarded as long as resources are available. In the future, individuals receiving Emeritus/Emerita status will receive rights and privileges outlined in this document.

Forms:

Recommendation for Award of Emeritus/Emerita Status – to be developed

Contacts:

Chair of the Faculty Affairs Policy Committee of University Senate – Barbara Roquemore;

Approval Date:

Recommended by FAPC on March 4, 2016

Appendices:

None

Policy Defining Faculty Emeritus/Emerita Status1