Although even a few years ago researchers were suggesting that faculty aging and the resulting retirements would result in a huge demand for new hires, job opportunities have become scarce for recent graduates of doctoral programs. It is important, however, that colleges be able to hire new personnel to bring new ideas into the institution. In…

Uncapping the mandatory retirement age is unlikely to alter retirement age by much, but it will lead to substantially higher pensions for faculty members who continue to work. Institutions must monitor retirement-age behavior in order to restructure pension and other benefits appropriately to meet income and retirement objectives. (Author/MSE)

Looks at various issues set before English departments by recent federal legislation uncapping the mandatory retirement age. Examines the "worst case" scenario of unlimited tenure. Argues that while it is too early to predict the effects of this legislation, preliminary indications show that incentives for early retirement are working.…

Higher salaries and improved working conditions have combined to make teaching a more attractive profession and to reduce teacher turnover rates. At the same time, however, the teaching work force has aged and faces problems in retirement programs. All levels of government should work with interested groups to find solutions to six major problems…

The American Association of University Professors' Committee A on Academic Freedom and Tenure examines the implications for tenure of federal legislation forbidding mandatory retirement because of age. (MSE)

To advocate replacement of traditional tenure arrangements by fixed-term contracts is a misreading of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act amendments, and may threaten academic freedom. (Author/MSE)

This paper, one in a series about the priorities of the professoriate, examines the retirement decision-making of senior faculty, along with some of the key questions faced by administrators in light of the elimination of mandatory retirement. The first part of the paper reviews some general institutional issues, such as faculty turnover, faculty…

Changes in retirement patterns at colleges and universities can be expected because of demographic reasons and because of federal and state legislation uncapping mandatory retirement. Institutional policies that will encourage reluctant older faculty to retire need to address the three fundamental components of successful employee retirement: (1)…

Discusses an initiative to revitalize senior faculty through an interview with Dr. Bernice Braid, Dean of Academic and Instructional Resources at Long Island University (New York). Also presents the inducements for early retirement in the second half of this article via an interview with Dr. Leonard T. Kreisman, Senior Professor of Economics,…

Issues of early retirement of college and university faculty are examined as they relate to Australia's aging faculty population, and the conditions necessary to promote early retirement successfully in this context are considered. (MSE)

This publication presents a close examination of conceptual, legal and related issues surrounding the dismissal of tenured higher education faculty, under the fourth exception to the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). This exception, which will expire on December 31, 1993, permits existing, compulsory retirement-age policies to be…

Tenure arrangements are long-term contracts. If their duration is clear, they will protect academic freedom, provide institutions with the flexibility needed to meet changing circumstances, and comply with age-discrimination laws. Policy for the termination of tenure must be redesigned to satisfy competing needs and goals. (Author/MSE)

This document describes a potential crisis at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) due to the large numbers of faculty who are approaching or have already reached retirement age. NVCC is the third largest community college in the nation, made up of five campuses, soon to be six, and an Extended Learning Institute for distance learning. NVCC…

Eliminating mandatory retirement for tenured professors will force institutions to reassess their relationships with older faculty. Institutions should not abolish or modify existing tenure policies, which might erode academic freedom, but should instead adopt and consistently apply performance review procedures. (Author/MSE)

Examines a now common situation in which faculty members, in taking early retirement, create a pressing need for new faculty, which, in some cases, inflames long-standing disagreements among the department's current faculty. Explains how to negotiate the complexities of retirement in a way that minimizes tensions within a department. (TB)