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Emeritus Status Guidelines and Procedures

College of Agriculture

The following procedures address emeritus status and privileges available to faculty members who hold this honorary title.

Emeritus status may be awarded upon retirement to faculty holding the rank of professor, associate professor, or their equivalents with ten years or more of sustained meritorious service to Auburn University. Faculty entering into retirement as the result of a disability must meet these eligibility standards, but may be exempt from the ten-year requirement. This honorary title may be awarded posthumously. Faculty holding a titled professorship at the time of retirement may transfer the title to emeritus status. The president may award emeritus status to other university retirees not holding faculty rank, but meeting the qualification of ten years or more of sustained meritorious service to Auburn University. A faculty member who does not meet the above criteria or who has resigned from the department or university is not eligible for emeritus status.

The department head/chair may request consideration of a faculty member to the Dean. The recommendation should include the results of a vote on the awarding of emeritus status taken from all department faculty. The Dean will then submit information and a recommendation concerning the faculty member’s eligibility to the Provost. The Provost will then make a recommendation to the President, who will act upon the recommendation and advise the faculty member and dean.

Departments and full-time faculty are encouraged to invite emeritus faculty to serve as lecturers, substitute instructors, and consultants, providing such faculty members an opportunity for continued visibility at the University as a reflection of their experience and past service. To this end, emeritus faculty may be provided the following privileges and courtesies.

• The names of all emeritus faculty will be included in a special section of the University Bulletin.
• Emeritus faculty are encouraged to participate in university events and are provided access to such events and the social and recreational resources of the university.
• Emeritus faculty retain faculty access to the University Libraries, including all services normally provided active faculty.
• Emeritus faculty may audit any Auburn University instructional course offerings at no charge when space is available and with the approval of the instructor of the course.
• Emeritus faculty are encouraged to participate in extramural contracts and grants through the University.
• Emeritus faculty retain the parking, university ID card, network, and e-mail privileges normally assigned to active faculty.
• At the discretion of the department head/chair and the dean and based on the availability of these resources, emeritus faculty may be provided office space, office support, mailing privileges, laboratory space, and library carrels when used for professional purposes in support of the University’s mission.

The College of Agriculture and the home department will provide resources, if available, to emeritus faculty, but only to those who are actively involved in research, instruction and/or outreach programs associated with their home department. Resource allocation to emeritus faculty will not take precedence over full time faculty. Neither desk nor office space will be provided to emeritus faculty who are not actively involved in departmental functions. Shared office space and computer equipment may be made available to emeritus faculty members. Resources will be provided for professional purposes only to those who actively support departmental programs. Professional memberships and dues can only be paid when there is a direct and documented benefit to the University. Travel expenses may be reimbursed if the faculty member travels on approved, official University business.

Supervision of accounts managed directly by faculty will be managed by the department head/chair after the faculty member retires or resigns. The department must ensure that projects funded by contracts and grants and federal appropriations are completed through assignment to other faculty or project funds must be returned to the source or sponsor.

Funds held in gift accounts, project accounts and salary savings accounts will be available to the department for reallocation for department and/or program needs. Funds given to Auburn University as gifts should be used for purposes consistent with the intent of the donor.

There may be circumstances in which the emeritus faculty member and the department enter into a mutual agreement annually for specific work to be performed by the faculty member. The purpose of these agreements is to fulfill responsibilities until a replacement faculty member can be hired or duties assigned to existing full-time faculty or staff. These responsibilities include teaching classes, completing a contract or grant, administering a program or project, or completing an outreach program. The agreement will address expectations, deliverables, resources to be provided, and reporting requirements. Funding will be provided by the department, the Dean’s Office, ACES, AAES, and/or a sponsoring agency. Compensation to the faculty member will be based on funding availability and earnings limits established by the Teachers’ Retirement System of Alabama and the Social Security Administration.

Note: Eligibility, procedures for applying, and privileges are from the Faculty Handbook, March 2007.