31.07.01.R1.01 Early Retirement With Modified Service (ER/MS) for Faculty Procedure

Effective: September 1, 1996

Revised: January 21, 1997

Supplements System Policy: 31.07

Supplements System Regulation: 31.07.01

1. Declaration: This document sets forth the procedures relating to early retirement with modified service (ER/MS) of full-time, tenured faculty members.

2. Basic Agreement: In order to participate in the program, the faculty member will relinquish his or her full-time faculty status (including tenure rights) no later than the member's date of retirement under the Teacher Retirement System (TRS) or an Optional Retirement Program (ORP) or the end of the academic year in which notice of the election of participation is given, whichever is earlier. Commencing with the academic year following the required notice of election to participate in this program, the university will agree to employ the faculty member, approved for ER/MS, for a term of up to five (5) years at thirty percent (30%) of his/her annual salary (as defined in paragraph four), to teach at least two courses during the nine-month academic year.

At the expiration of any agreement made pursuant to this procedure, additional agreements may be made for an agreed term of years or on a year to year basis. The faculty member is eligible to teach courses as an adjunct.

3. Compensation: For such reduced work load, the university will pay the participant compensation to be determined as follows:

a. The ER/MS faculty member will receive in each academic year a salary equal to thirty percent (30%) of the nine-month salary which he/she was earning during the academic year immediately prior to beginning participation in this program or thirty percent (30%) of the average of his/her three best nine month salaries, whichever is greater (unless lesser remuneration is mutually agreed upon for a work load with less than the normal assignment described in paragraph five).

b. Beginning with the academic year following the participant's eligibility to receive full social security benefits and continuing until the end of the term of the contract, the participant shall be required to teach a minimum of one-course per nine-month academic year and will receive one-eighth (1/8) of the nine month salary which he/she was earning during the academic year immediately prior to beginning participation in this program or one eighth (1/8) of the average of his/her three best nine month salaries, whichever is greater, unless this amount exceeds that allowable under social security, in which case the salary will be reduced to the amount allowable under social security; except the faculty member will be entitled to the greater of one-eighth (1/8) of his/her annual salary (as defined above) or $4,880.00 annually.

4. Work Load: Throughout the term of the contract, the work load assumed by a participant will normally consist of a teaching assignment of less than half-time for each semester in the nine-month academic year. Unless agreed otherwise, this teaching assignment will consist of one course per semester. In addition, the faculty member will be expected to share in other departmental duties (advisement, committee work, etc.), but the total work load will not exceed one-half of that assigned to full-time faculty members during the semester of the year in which the faculty member is employed. Such teaching assignment will be at a time mutually agreed upon and within an area of the participant's primary area of specialization. If such teaching assignment is unavailable for any reason, the participant may be assigned a teaching assignment within his or her competency or, by mutual agreement with the university, engage in other activities on behalf of the university which are deemed equivalent to such teaching assignment. Employment to teach only one accelerated or mini-course per semester will be considered employment at less than one-half of the semester full-time work load, provided the number of semester hours for the course is less than one-half of the number of semester hours which is considered a full-time work load for the semester at that teaching level. Teaching assignments will not be made during the summer unless mutually agreed upon. The faculty member on ER/MS will be subject to the same control regarding scheduling classes as any regular faculty member, i.e., the department head will schedule the classes of a faculty member on ER/MS to meet the needs of the department, while giving some attention to the wishes of the faculty member on ER/MS.


References: Prior ETSU Policies II N 9.1 and D-36 approved February 16, 1988; revised October 13, 1989, July 26, 1990, and January 21, 1997; Procedure A31.02

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CONTACT FOR INTERPRETATION: Vice President for Business and Administration

THE TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY SYSTEM APPLICATION
FOR PARTICIPATION IN EARLY RETIREMENT WITH MODIFIED SERVICE (ER/MS)
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY - COMMERCE

PART I. To Be Completed By Faculty Requesting ER/MS

Name:_______________________________________________________________________________________
  First Middle Last

__________________ __________________ __________________________________________
Social Security # Date of Birth Years of Service - A&M-Commerce

Total Years Credit with TRS and/or ORP: __________________________________________________________

Academic Department: _________________________________________________________________________

Department Head: _____________________________________________________________________________

Current Appointment Data:

Rank:________________________________________________________________________________

FTE Monthly Rate $_____________________ Number Months Appointed: ____________

Annual Budgeted Salary: $_____________________ Percent Effort: _______________________

Source of Funds:
Account Period % Effort Budget Amount

Proposed Date of Retirement: ____________________________________________________________________

Proposed Date for Commencement of ER/MS: _______________________________________________________

Proposed Post-Retirement Duties:


I certify that I understand and agree to comply with the provisions of Early Retirement with Modified Service as outlined in A&M System Regulation 31.07.01 and A&M-Commerce Procedure 31.01. I further understand:
a) I will be removed from the A&M-Commerce payroll for one month prior to commencing ER/MS;
b) I relinquish all tenure rights at the end of the _______________________academic year; and
c) I fully retire from A&M-Commerce at the end of ___________________academic year with no further expectation of employment.


____________________________________________ __________________________________________
Faculty Signature Date


After signing, please take to your department head who will discuss the terms of ER/MS with you and process PART II of this document before forwarding through the appropriate administrative channels.

PART II. To Be Completed By Department Head

Proposed modified service position under Early Retirement/Modified Service (ER/MS):

Position: ______________________________________________________________________________

FTE Monthly Rate: $ __________________ Number Months Appointed: _______________

Annual Budgeted Salary: $ __________________ Percent Effort: __________________________

Monthly Rate of Pay: $ __________________

Source of Funds:
Account Period %Effort Budget Amount


Duties of Position:


Describe specific benefits to the organization of proposed post-retirement employment, and comment on the probability that such benefits will continue throughout the term of proposed ER/MS commitment. (Attach additional pages, if necessary.)


ER/MS commitment is from ______________________________ to ___________________________________.

I have read my Department Head’s description of my proposed duties as a participant in ER/MS and the estimation of benefits to the department of my participation in ER/MS. I have initialed any additional pages. I have the following response to the Department Head’s descriptions of duties and benefits: (Attach additional pages.)

Faculty Signature_______________________________________________ Date__________________________

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The terms of Early Retirement with Modified Service have been discussed with the applicant and are agreeable to the applicant, if approved.


______________________________________________________ ____________________________
Approved/Disapproved Signature: Department Head Signature Date

______________________________________________________ ____________________________
Approved/Disapproved Signature: Dean of College Date

______________________________________________________ ____________________________
Approved/Disapproved Signature: Provost & VPAA Date

______________________________________________________ ____________________________
Approved/Disapproved Signature: President Date


Notes: (1) The president or designee must personally approve, along with the CEO of any System component sharing in the funding of the ER/MS position.
(2) An approved copy of this two-page form should be submitted to the faculty member and each of the following: Department Head, College Dean, Employee Services, Human Resources, VPBA and VPAA.
(3) This form will be forwarded through the appropriate administrative channels whether approved or disapproved.