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Overview - Emeritus titles

The emeritus title confers a lifetime academic appointment and may only be conferred upon retired faculty members who, during their period of active service at the University, held one of the following titles:

• Professor
• Associate Professor
• Research Professor
• Distinguished Senior Lecturer
• Clinical Professor
• Professor of Practice
• Professor of Instruction
• Medical titles: Professor of Clinical Nursing, Professor of Medicine (Clinical Researcher), Professor of Medicine (Clinical Educator), Professor of Medicine (Clinical Scholar)

The emeritus title may also include a named professorship, chair, or fellowship held by the faculty member prior to retirement, if approved by the Dean and department chair, and if not prohibited by the conditions of the professorship, chair, or fellowship.

Review HOP 2-2430: Emeritus Titles for additional information.

Emeritus privileges and perquisites

Holders of emeritus titles will be granted the following privileges and perquisites, per HOP 2-2430: Emeritus Titles, section VII.A.4:

• Membership (without vote) in the General Faculty and in the college and department faculties in which membership was held at the time of retirement
• Eligibility to serve on graduate committees, subject to the approval of the senior vice provost and dean of graduate studies
• Listing in the faculty directory and in the appropriate college catalog
• Use of the campus mail service consistent with HOP 4-1140: University Mail Services.
• Office space, when available and with the approval of the chair of the department, the Dean, and the President

Employment of emeriti

See COE: Employment After Retirement - Faculty.

See EVPP: Faculty Retirement, page 7, "Emeritus Requests."

Emeritus status is not automatically granted upon retirement, but must be requested following the steps listed below.

Process - emeritus requests

1) The department should assemble an emeritus nomination packet consisting of the following:

• • A memo from the department chair addressed to the Dean, supporting the nomination, and including the following information:
    •  The faculty member's accomplishments, individual distinction, and quality of contribution and service to the University
    •  The breakdown of votes by the department Budget Council or Executive Committee
    •  The effective date of the emeritus award (may not be earlier than the faculty member's first day of retirement)
    •  The appropriate recommended emeritus title
    •  Any honorific titles (Named Professorship, Chair, or Fellowship; Distinguished Teacher Award) to be included in the emeritus title
  • An up-to-date CV for the faculty member

2) Department forwards nomination packet to COE-FacultyAffairs@austin.utexas.edu. The Dean's Office Faculty Affairs Team team will forward the packet to the Dean.

3) If the nomination is approved by the Dean, the Dean will write a memo to add to the nomination packet, which will include the appropriate recommended emeritus title (including names of any professorships) and effective date of emeritus status. 

• • Example: The College of Education full supports the appointment of Dr. <First Lastname> as <Name of Professorship> Professor Emeritus in the Department of <X>.

4) The Dean's Office Faculty Affairs team forwards the emeritus nomination packet including the Dean's memo to evpp-aps@utexas.edu. Once received, Academic Personnel Services (APS) will process an Interim Emeritus Academic Appointment in Workday for the faculty member to ensure they retain privileges, i.e., network and library access, while their nomination goes through the approval process.

5) APS will review the nomination packet and forward it to the Office of the President for approval.

6) The Provost's Office will email finalized approval to the Dean's Office, and the department EA will be copied. The Dean's Office Faculty Affairs team will save a copy of the official approval to the faculty member's personnel file.

7) If approved, APS will process the necessary transactions to establish the faculty member's emeritus status in Workday.