Despite their popularity, early retirement incentive programs (ERIPs) remain controversial. Although early retirement may be appealing to some teachers, others bristle at being shoved into retirement. Following a historical overview, this article summarizes recent state legislation and addresses ERIP legal status under the Age Discrimination 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)

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…

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)

The history of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1986 is reviewed, and planning/management issues for medical colleges facing the end of mandatory age-based faculty retirement are examined. Early planning to improve faculty evaluation and development, clarify financial guarantees of tenure, review space utilization, and make retirement…

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)

Identifies some of the likely effects of the Senior Citizens' Freedom To Work Act of 2000 on the retirement decisions of professors approaching their normal retirement age as they learn about the added income opportunities created by the new rules. Discusses the Act's potential impact on faculty turnover rates, academic staffing patterns, and the…

This research brief examines changes in the age distribution of faculty in the University of Wisconsin (UW) system over time and trends in faculty retirement. Findings indicate that: (1) in 1997-98, 35 percent of faculty were age 55 and older, 51 percent were between 40 and 54, and fewer than 15 percent were under 40; (2) on average, faculty at…

This report offers an analysis of college faculty supply and demand as well as an evaluation of currently available data on this issue. The report was undertaken in response to three concurrent trends which point to significant faculty shortages beginning in 1995. The report begins with a descriptive overview of current faculty demographics that…