Phased Retirement - FAQs

Phased retirement is a pilot program that was agreed to between the State System and APSCUF in order to address the needs of faculty members who wish to transition into full retirement while continuing to provide service to the State System. 

The program allows participants to reduce their work commitment over a period of up to three years at a reduced compensation level. 

Eligible faculty members can begin a phased retirement arrangement in Fall 2024, provided they submit their proposed arrangement by 120 days prior to the start of the Fall 2024 semester TBD), and it is approved by the University President or Designee.

No, they can choose any retirement date as long as it is not past the first day of the first pay period of the following fall semester.    

Per the terms of the phased retirement side letter, there is language that specifically addresses that a phased retirement arrangement may only begin in the fall semester.

The faculty member will be excused from the regular fifth year review.

Participation in the program is limited to regular full-time faculty members.

Eligibility for participation in the program will be based upon meeting the majority-paid annuitant health care criteria under the APSCUF Collective Bargaining Agreement as follows:

A faculty member must meet the required years of service at the beginning of the phased retirement period established in the approved Arrangement. 

A faculty member must meet the required age by the conclusion of the phased retirement period established in the approved Arrangement.

Example: Per the APSCUF Collective Bargaining Agreement, faculty members hired between fall semester 1997 to June 30, 2004 must have 15 years of service and be age 60 at the time of retirement to qualify for the majority-paid annuitant health care plan.

A faculty member, born on April 7, 1962 and hired fall of 1997 currently has over 15 years of service.  This faculty member would like to start a phased retirement arrangement in Fall 2022, and plans to fully retire at the end of the spring semester in May 2024.  Since at the beginning of Fall 2022, this faculty member has over 15 years of service, AND will be age 60 by the end of the phased retirement arrangement (May of 2024), this faculty member is eligible to complete a Proposed Arrangement that is scheduled to begin a 2-year phased retirement arrangement in Fall 2022.

Upon submission of your Phased Retirement Application – Proposed Arrangement, your University Human Resources Office will confirm that you meet the age and years of service requirements. Contact your campus HR office to schedule a meeting to review your eligibility.

No; only regular full time faculty who are tenured/tenure track can participate in phased retirement.  

Please see the Phased Retirement Application - Proposed Arrangement for procedures.

In order to begin a phased retirement in the Fall of 2024, you must submit a Phased Retirement Application-Proposed Arrangement by 120 days prior to the start of the Fall 2024 semester TBD). In subsequent years, the applicable dates for application submission will be communicated.

The Phased Retirement Application – Proposed Arrangement is not final or binding, however once the Final Approved Arrangement has been executed by the faculty member and the University President, it may not be rescinded. 

You may choose to accelerate your retirement date, by providing 60 days' notice, prior to the start of any semester, to the University President or designee.  However, if at the time of your accelerated retirement date, you do not meet the age requirement for majority-paid annuitant health coverage, you would NOT be eligible for majority-paid annuitant healthcare coverage in retirement.

Your salary will be pro-rated based on your reduced phased retirement workload.  For example, if you are approved to work 50% of the full-time workload during your phased retirement you would receive 50% of your full time salary.

Once the phased retirement period commences, a participating faculty member is generally ineligible for additional workload assignments during the academic year, beyond the workload provided in the approved Arrangement, except as authorized by the University President or designee, and agreed to by the faculty member. 

Must provide for a reduced workload at any increment between 50% and 99% of full time, except that during the final year of phasing, the reduced workload may be between 25% and 99% of full time.

The workload may be front-loaded in the academic year, but not be back loaded.  For example, a faculty member with a reduced workload of 50% may teach four undergraduate classes in the fall semester, and no classes in the spring.  However, the faculty member could not have a schedule where they teach no classes in the fall, and four undergraduate courses in the spring. 

Faculty members participating in a phased retirement arrangement will accrue sick and personal leave on a pro-rated basis in accordance with their reduced workload.

Participating faculty members who utilize sick leave will be charged one-half (1/2) day of sick leave on days when he/she is scheduled to teach one (1) class and a full day of sick leave for absences when two (2) or more classes are scheduled to be taught.

While the amount of sick leave you accrue during a phased retirement arrangement will be pro-rated in accordance with your reduced schedule, the payout amount that you receive upon retirement will be calculated the same as if you were working full time through your date of retirement.  For example, a faculty member participating in phased retirement works a reduced schedule of 50% for three years. On the date of retirement, the faculty member meets the age and years of service criteria to receive a payout of a portion of unused sick days. This faculty member has a balance of  2287.5 hours of paid sick leave. Per the APSCUF collective bargaining agreement, this faculty member will receive the maximum payout amount of 50 days.  The amount of the payout will be based on 375 hours of sick leave (50 days X 7.5 hours).

You will have the same leave entitlements as a full time faculty member.

For SERS/PSERS participants, employer contributions, employee contributions and service credit are based upon the reduced compensation and reduced work hours during the phased retirement arrangement. SERS/PSERS participants should contact their SERS/PSERS representative to review how the reduction in hours and pay may affect their retirement benefit and their final average salary, used in determining their monthly pension amount. 

Unlike SERS and PSERS, an ARP participant's retirement benefit is not based on a calculation that considers service and salary, but instead is dependent upon the accumulation of contributions and the performance of the ARP investments.  Employee contributions (5% of earnings) and employer contributions (9.29% of earnings) will be based upon the reduced compensation paid.   

Faculty members participating in a phased retirement arrangement will continue to be considered full-time for purposes of the tuition waiver benefit.

Upon commencement of a Phased Retirement arrangement, ARP participants may withdraw monies from their ARP account.  A minimum of $25,000 must remain in the ARP plan.  Participants may do whatever they choose with the withdrawn monies, however, we strongly encourage the participant to consult a tax adviser, as, depending upon the age of the participant and other factors, there may be tax consequences of the withdrawal.