Requesting Emeritus/Emerita Status for RTE Faculty

Eligibility

From the University Faculty Handbook: “Upon retirement, a senior lecturer, senior research associate, senior extension associate, professor of the practice, associate professor of the practice, research professor, associate research professor, clinical professor, associate clinical professor, senior scientist, senior scholar, research scientist, principal research scientist, librarian, associate librarian, archivist, or senior archivist who has served in that capacity for ten or more years may be considered for emeritus/a status.”

The awarding of emeritus/a status for eligible RTE faculty shall be based upon the career contributions of the candidate through teaching, research, advising, administration, extension, and outreach. It is understood that only a subset of these activities is relevant to a particular title. An overall record of meritorious service to the university is expected.

The university faculty handbook pages discussing RTE emeriti appointments are found here: https://theuniversityfaculty.cornell.edu/the-new-faculty-handbook/5-retirement-and-becoming-emeritus/5-2a/

Initial Request

Requests can be considered either before or after retirement, but requests should not be put forward more than six months prior to retirement. The retiring or retired* RTE faculty member can initiate the emeritus/emerita petition directly with their chair/director, and/or the chair/director can discuss it with the faculty member as part of the retirement conversation. To formally request emeritus/a status, the retiring/retired RTE faculty member should provide the chair/director with 1) a lifetime CV, and 2) a letter requesting emeritus/a status, including the date of retirement, the new title (current title emeritus or current title emerita), and their preference between a statutory or endowed emeriti classification. The advantage of one or the other can be discussed with the unit administrative manager. In general, for RTE faculty who anticipate allocating effort and being paid for effort on federal grants in retirement, the use of the endowed emeritus/a classification is recommended. For RTE faculty who anticipate allocating effort and being paid for effort on NYS funds, or who may be returning to teach in retirement, the use of the statutory emeritus/a classification is recommended. Please note that the choice of classification is made at the time the emeritus/emerita appointment is approved and cannot be changed.

*RTE faculty who retired prior to July 1, 2020, will be notified by the SrAD office via their cornell.edu email account that they are eligible to request emeritus/a status. The process must be initiated before December 31, 2022. For these candidates, the chair/director will need a support letter from an active TT or Senior RTE faculty member for the request, in addition to their letter, the candidate’s letter, and the lifetime CV.

There is no deadline for initiating the process for RTE faculty who retired July 1, 2020, or after.

Faculty Vote

The candidate request is reviewed and voted upon by the senior RTE faculty, tenure-track professors, and TT/RTE emeriti of the department. Discussion at a formal faculty meeting is not required. A vote must be taken (e.g., by email), but a detailed justification for each vote is not required.

Letter to the Senior Associate Dean

If the unit’s vote is positive, the chair/director should submit a detailed letter to their senior associate dean requesting consideration of emeritus/a status for the candidate. The letter should include the candidate’s retirement date and a brief background on contributions to the unit and field of specialty over the course of their career. This letter should give the results of the faculty vote, including the number of votes in favor or against, with abstentions noted. Mention of anticipated future involvement at the unit, college, and university level is not required. The letter should also include the retiree’s decision between an endowed or statutory classification. A copy of the lifetime CV and candidate’s letter should be sent with the chair/director’s letter. Letters and CVs can be sent by email attachment. Letters to the senior associate dean should be on letterhead and signed by the chair/director, as they are part of the formal record of the HR action.

If the unit vote is negative, the chair/director should consult with their senior associate dean regarding next steps.

What Happens Next

The senior associate dean reviews the recommendation. If the SrAD approves the request, the chair/director and CALS HR will be emailed with this decision by the SrAD's assistant, referencing the faculty member’s name, title to be conveyed in retirement, name of the unit/department, and effective date, with copy to hrpayrollsupport [at] cornell.edu for appointment processing. A congratulations letter to the candidate is sent from the unit chair/director.

In the event of a negative decision, the SrAD will discuss with the chair/director.

Benefits

As per guidance from the Dean of Faculty and University HR, emeritus/a status for RTE faculty does not confer benefits beyond what is available to all retired academic titleholders at this time.

Please note: CALS typically does not allow multiple titles in retirement for TT or RTE, endowed or statutory. Individuals can be paid on their emeriti title if needed.