Emeritus Titles Perquisites and Privileges of Emeritus Title Holders - UTDPP1046

Policy Statement

The University of Texas at Dallas wishes to acknowledge the long-term loyalty and accomplishments of its retired faculty and administrators by granting the title chair emeritus, professor emeritus, associate professor emeritus, distinguished scholar in residence emeritus, or administrator emeritus. These titles carry rights and privileges which are outlined below.

Emeritus Faculty

Rule 20301, Section 1 and Rule 31001, Section 2.3 of the Rules and Regulations of the Board of Regents provide for conferring emeritus titles. No person is authorized to use any such title until it has been approved by the President. The emeritus titles may be given to an already retired member of the faculty or in anticipation of the retirement of a faculty member, effective upon retirement. The conferring of these titles is not automatic upon retirement.

1. Emeritus status may be conferred on tenured faculty holding titles of Professor or Associate Professor. It may be conferred on non-tenure system faculty holding titles during their period of active service at The University of Texas at Dallas in the Senior Lecturer series, Clinical Professor series, Research Professor series, Professor of Practice series, Professor of Instruction series, or as Scholar in Residence. Recommendations for conferring these titles shall be based upon individual distinction and quality of contribution and service to the University. These emeritus titles may be conferred effective upon retirement following recommendation by the appropriate faculty review committee, endorsement by the Dean and the Provost, and approval by the President. Emeritus positions carry no salary.
2. The titles ________ Professor Emeritus of _______________________ and ________ Chair Emeritus of _____________________________ (description being the same as provided for the professorship or chair). A retired faculty member awarded emeritus status in a named professorship or chair shall not have access to the return funds that accrue annually to that chair for a stipend or any other purpose. The documentation supporting the establishment of the professorship or chair must not contain any conditions that prohibit a retired recipient from holding the professorship or chair in an emeritus capacity.
3. If an individual is appointed to part-time service upon retirement, recommendations for emeritus status should be held until cessation of employment, except that recommendations for emeritus appointments to named professorships and chairs (see section 2 above) may be made upon retirement. However, if a faculty member holding an emeritus title is recalled to service in the interest of the University after an intervening period, the emeritus status is not affected.

Privileges and Perquisites

Holders of emeritus titles shall be accorded these privileges and perquisites:

1. Membership without vote in the General Faculty and in the program or department faculties in which membership was held at the time of retirement.
2. Eligibility to serve on graduate committees, subject to the approval of the Provost and the Dean of Graduate Education.
3. Listing in the faculty directory and in the University catalogs.
4. Use of the campus mail service and email.
5. Use of campus computer facilities appropriate for the faculty member's discipline and use of university-licensed software provided to active faculty in their discipline when possible.
6. Office space and administrative support, with the approval of the appropriate Dean of the school, and the Provost. The University acknowledges the importance of providing office space and administrative support to its emeritus faculty and will strive to accommodate them when possible.
7. Use of the UT Dallas library.
8. If an emeritus faculty member is recalled or reappointed to service, the faculty member shall be entitled to legal defense and indemnification for good faith actions taken in the course of that service.
9. Emeritus faculty retain the same privileges they enjoyed as active faculty to seek, oversee and use external funding, in accordance with UTDPP1068 Research Faculty.

Appointment Process

Emeritus titles may be conferred upon recommendation by the appropriate faculty review committee, endorsement by the Dean and the Provost, and approval by the President.

1. Non-tenure-system faculty are eligible for emeritus appointment after ten years of full-time service.
2. The emeritus appointment process can be initiated by the faculty member seeking the emeritus appointment or by nomination by a colleague or colleagues.
3. If the process is initiated by nomination by colleagues, the letter of nomination should be addressed to the dean of the school in which the faculty member holds their primary appointment. In schools with departments, the letter should be addressed to the department head. The faculty member recommended should indicate their willingness to accept the appointment and its effective date by letter. The letter should be accompanied with a curriculum vitae.
4. If the person seeking the appointment initiates the process, the letter of request should be addressed to the dean of the school in which the faculty member holds their regular position. In schools with departments, the letter should be addressed to the department head. The letter should be accompanied by a current curriculum vitae. Appointments can become effective on retirement.
5. For purposes of this policy, retirement for a tenured faculty member means that they resign their tenure. For a non-tenure system faculty member on a renewable term contract of one, two, or three years, it means that they do not seek renewal of the contract, effective as of the date that their current contract expires or as of another date they provide consistent with its terms.
6. Faculty who resign without seeking an emeritus appointment and subsequently decide to seek one should address their letter of request to the dean of the school in which they held their appointment.
7. Appropriate faculty for voting on emeritus requests are faculty of the same and above-rank in the same bodies that would vote on appointments, in accordance with school bylaws. Professor Emeritus requests will be voted on by Professors. Associate Professor Emeritus requests will be voted on by Associate Professors and Professors. Non-tenure system appointments will be voted on by tenured and non-tenure-system faculty of same and above rank in the same way.

Emeritus Administrative Officials

Upon approval of the President, the title "emeritus..." may be given to a retired administrative official, or, in anticipation of retirement of an administrative official, effective upon retirement, to recognize exceptional meritorious service. Privileges and perquisites to accompany the title should be determined by the President. The conferring of this title is not automatic upon retirement.