Emeritus Nominations

Purpose: 

To outline the process for appointing a retiring faculty member into an emeritus title. 

Relevant Definitions: 

Emeritus: an honorific title and lifetime academic appointment given to a retired faculty member, or in anticipation of retirement and effective upon retirement. 

Termination:  Workday term for the Business Process (BP) that separates an employee from the University.  e.g., retirement, resignation, end of assignment.

Process: 

COLA Deadline: May 31

1. Faculty member notifies department chair of interest in an emeritus title. 
2. Department governing body votes on whether to confer emeritus title. 
3. If governing body votes in favor, department chair drafts a memo to the Dean with a recommendation. 
4. If recommending conferral of emeritus status, the department chair’s memo shall: 
   1. Provide a detailed explanation of and justification for the request, rooted in the faculty member’s career record 
   2. Confirm the governing body’s support, including the date the vote was conducted and the precise results of that vote, including any abstentions or absences. 
   3. State the date the emeritus title takes effect (typically 8/16 of the following academic year). 
   4. Include any request for additional honorific titles, for example, if the faculty member holds an endowed chair and would like to maintain that title (e.g., “be appointed The Gebauer Excellence Professor Emeritus effective 8/1/6YYYY”) 
5. Department chair’s supporting memo and a current CV for the faculty member should be uploaded to the Emeritus Requests submissions portal no later than May 31 of a given academic year. 
6. COLA HR processes request and, with Dean’s support, forwards request to Provost for final approval. 
7. EVPP will process approved Emeritus Faculty appointments once the faculty member's Termination BP has been final-approved.
   1. NOTE: Department staff are responsible for processing the Termination BP for their faculty, including ending Phased Retirement appointments. (see also Phased Retirement )

Related Policies: 

HOP 2-2430: Emeritus Titles

Other Related Links: 

Provost guidance on Faculty Retirement: https://utexas.app.box.com/v/faculty-retirement