Faculty Phased Retirement Program
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is proud to offer the Faculty Phased Retirement Program (FPRP) for tenured faculty and specialized faculty. This program supports a gradual transition into retirement, based on operational feasibility and executive officer approval. It allows participants to reduce their workload over time—often focusing on areas of greatest interest—while continuing to contribute meaningfully to the university.
FPRP enables the university to retain experienced faculty and plan effectively for future leadership, instructional needs, and evolving operational demands across academic units.
Retirement Benefits for Faculty
- Ability to request Emeritus Status
- Tuition Waiver
- Access to System, Library privileges (library courtesy card) if either an Emeriti faculty OR on a 0% appointment following retirement
- Access to campus facilities and services through the i-card
- University email account
- Office 365 on the web
- Wifi (Illinoisnet)
- Campus network access through campus VPN system
Additional Benefits for Faculty Participating in FPRP
In addition to the normal retirement elements for faculty, the following is included for faculty electing phased retirement:
- Reduction in appointment for up to three years to focus on one or more mutually agreed-upon areas in research, teaching, or service.
- Ability to maintain health, dental, and vision benefits cost sharing arrangement despite a reduction in FTE (university will provide an insurance stipend)
Explore the Faculty Phased Retirement Program
Eligibility
Eligibility
Eligibility to participate in the Illinois phased retirement program includes:
- Employee must be a tenured faculty or specialized faculty member (excludes postdoctoral research associates and teaching associates).
- Employee must be retirement-eligible or within three years of retirement according to Illinois State University Retirement System (SURS).
◦ Defined Benefit, Tier 1: Age 55 with 8 years of service, age 62 with 5 years of service, or 30 years of service with no age requirement.
◦ Defined Benefit, Tier 2: Age 67 with 10 years of service or age 62 with 10 years of service (age reduction calculation applies).
◦ Defined Contribution, RSP: Age 62 with at least 5 years of service or age 55 with at least 8 years of service, or 30 years of service with no age requirement.
- Participation is contingent upon approval from the Unit Executive Officer (UEO) and the college Dean with sign-off by campus levels based on operational needs.
Faculty members who have questions about this program should contact college HR contact or the Director, Policy Design and Administration, Laura Czys.
Application Process
Salary and Benefits
Salary and Benefits
Faculty must maintain at least a 50% FTE to retain eligibility for state health, dental, and vision benefits. Approved phased retirement appointments are calculated on a 9-month service basis over 12 months, with salary adjusted proportionally.
Example: A 1.00 FTE faculty member earning $200,000 annually who reduces to 0.50 FTE would receive $100,000 on the same 9/12 basis. Summer salary expectations will be addressed during the application process.
Participants remain eligible for annual salary programs and benefits coverage, provided their FTE stays at or above 50%. The university will provide an insurance stipend, which is considered taxable income.
Resources
Resources
- Faculty/Staff Assistance and Well-Being Services
- University Library Archives: The University of Illinois Archives is the repository for not only the non-current records of the University but also the personal papers of faculty and staff.
Sample Phased Retirement Examples
- A faculty member wishes to retire but would like to complete the final two years of a grant before full retirement. The unit head agrees to limit responsibilities for the faculty member to grant activities during that time.
- A faculty member wishes to reduce overall effort and activities but stay active to ensure their final graduate student(s) completes their thesis or dissertation. The unit head agrees to reduce responsibilities including teaching courses.
- A faculty member wishes to focus only on teaching duties before full retirement. The unit head agrees to a reduced committee work and research expectations during the term of the phased retirement period.
- A faculty member is reluctant to fully retire and would like a gradual transition.
Please note all of these require unit head and executive officer approval.
FPRP Information Session Recording
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Faculty Phased Retirement Program (FPRP)?
The FPRP offers eligible faculty members the opportunity to transition into retirement by reducing their FTE and corresponding workload over a period of up to three years (or one year in the case of specialized faculty) while maintaining certain benefits. Request to participate in the program is voluntary and approval to participate is not guaranteed.
Who is eligible to participate in the FPRP?
What is SURS eligibility for retirement?
Specific SURS eligibility criteria are as follows:
Tier 1: Minimum of age 55 with 8 years of service, age 62 with 5 years of service, or 30 years of service and no age requirement.
Tier 2: Minimum of age 62 with 10 years of service.
Participants are expected to discuss their SURS retirement eligibility with SURS.
Is participation in the FPRP guaranteed upon meeting eligibility criteria?
No, request to participate in the program is voluntary and approval to participate is not guaranteed. Participation is contingent upon approval from the Unit Executive Officer (UEO) and the college Dean with sign off by campus levels based on operational needs.
What happens to my tenure status if I enter the FPRP?
The tenure percentage will be reduced by the equivalent full-time equivalent (FTE) percent reduction during the term of the FPRP. Faculty will relinquish their tenure status upon retirement consistent with standard protocol.
What are the main benefits for faculty participating in the FPRP?
The University will pay insurance payment for the full-time rate differential for continued health, vision, and dental coverage. Continued university access and benefits under normal retirement remain.
Does this impact my eligibility for Emeritus status?
No. Faculty would follow the same process for requesting emeritus status per the University policy.
Can the terms of the FPRP agreement be modified after enrollment?
What is the duration of the phased retirement period?
The phased retirement period may not exceed three years and single semester requests are not allowed. Specialized faculty may only enter into single-year FPRP agreements. Flexibility of the appointment reduction in any given year is mutually agreed upon by the unit/department with approval by the college Dean and/or their designee and the faculty member. Request to participate in the program is voluntary and approval to participate is not guaranteed.
How will my salary and retirement contributions be impacted?
University-paid retirement contributions will be based on the reduced FTE level for the duration of the agreement.
Is a final retirement date required upon entering the FPRP?
What responsibilities will I have during the phased retirement period?
Can the university terminate my agreement in the FPRP?
No, upon execution, the FPRP agreement is binding by all parties.
Should I consult with SURS before enrolling in the FPRP?
As a 12-month (12/12) faculty member who accrues paid vacation leave, how will I accrue vacation at a part-time FTE level?
Faculty appointed at a reduced FTE will accrue vacation at the reduced FTE level based on appointment dates.
For example, a full-time faculty member (100% FTE) appointed on a 12/12 service basis accrues 24 vacation days from August 16 to August 15 each year. This equates to 8 hours/day and 192 hours/year. 50% FTE on a 12/12 service basis accrues 24 vacation days/year, but at the 50% rate, which equates to 4 hours/day and 96 hours/year.
As a 12-month (12/12) faculty member with the maximum vacation carryover balance of 48 days (384 hours), what happens to my full balance when I switch to a part-time status? Will I lose any previously accrued time?
The faculty member will not lose any previously accrued vacation time. The maximum carryover balance each August is 384 hours. If a faculty member has the maximum carryover balance and reduces their FTE, then the carryover balance will be based on the part-time FTE level. The difference between the maximum carryover amount and part-time amount will be placed in a separate compensable vacation leave category to be paid out upon retirement. Vacation leave payouts are limited to any vacation leave accumulated and not used as of the employee’s last scheduled workday.
How many of my vacation days will SURS allow for inclusion in the calculation of my retirement benefits?
State Universities Retirement System (SURS) allows up to 56 workdays of vacation leave payout to be included in the calculation of retirement benefits per state law.
If I am a specialized faculty member, how does the FPRP impact my multi-year contract agreement?
Specialized faculty who have a multi-year contract, by terms of that multi-year contract, nullify that contract when FTE changes occur.