Community college leadership programs may take a variety of forms, among them university-based programs, leadership institutes, community college-based "grow your own" programs, professional organization-based institutes, or a combination of these. University-based doctorate leadership programs are the principal providers of these…

The Ohio State Teacher Retirement System (STRS) provides retirement, survivor, and disability benefits to public school (K-12) teachers, college and university professors employed by state institutions, and the spouses and eligible dependents of these employees. In doing so, it operates much like other state retirement systems. The money to…

At our university about 40% of the full-time faculty members are 55 years of age or older, which led me to consider what a difference they could make in this world if, upon retirement, they used their knowledge, skills, and talents to benefit others. Four dimensions that can serve to differentiate effective from ineffective educators and people…

This article talks about the retired faculty members from different types of institutions around the country that were interviewed to find out how well their preparations for retirement are serving them now. Like other state employees in California, faculty members at public institutions participate in the California Public Employees' Retirement…

As many baby boomers prepare to retire in the next decade, there are not enough young junior faculty members in the professoriate to replace them, according to a recent study by the American Council on Education (ACE). The ACE report, "Too Many Rungs on the Ladder? Faculty Demographics and the Future of Leadership in Higher Education," highlights…

University business programs have been facing a growing dilemma concerning how to address increasing shortages of doctoral-level faculty. In this study, the authors examine the challenges facing business schools because of the identified shortage, especially in light of pending baby boomer retirements. With the California State University system…

Progress toward equitable gender representation among faculty in higher education has been "glacial" since the early 1970s (Glazer-Raymo, 1999; Lomperis, 1990; Trower & Chait, 2002). Women, who now make up a majority of undergraduate degree earners and approximately 46% of Ph.D. earners nationwide (National Center for Education Statistics [NCES],…

Several recent studies have shown that a large-scale turnover is likely to occur among community college instructors over the next several years, as veteran faculty retire in large numbers. As colleges begin to experience this mass retirement, researchers and administrators must consider the side effects of a faculty turnover, especially in…

Trustees and administrators today confront one of two problems with post-retirement medical care. First, if institutions provide no support for their retirees' medical care, they implicitly offer a powerful incentive for senior faculty to stay on. The compensation and opportunity costs of this effect are obviously very high. But, second, if they…

In survey responses from 87 of 153 Indiana University retired faculty, more than half reported no difficulties adjusting to retirement; most had looked forward to it and about one-third continued teaching part time. One-third had adjustment problems such as feelings of detachment and loss of interaction with colleagues and students; those…

This background paper summarizes the design of a faculty early retirement plan at Stanford University. Summary and recommendations indicate: (1) Budgetary stringencies at Stanford require that the faculty size remain essentially fixed. In view of this situation, a properly designed early retirement program should be adopted as a means of…

This research update uses the U.S. Department of Education's National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty to analyze faculty retirement and its effects. It presents data regarding retirement and institution type, field of teaching, gender, union status, plans for retirement, and faculty relocation. It concludes that pending retirement does not appear…

Faculty members should consider becoming more involved in the oversight of their personal retirement funds. Both price and inflation risks are best controlled by taking a balanced or diversified approach to investing, with a portfolio based on a predetermined percentage of each type of investment. (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…