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Cornell University

Office of the Dean of Faculty

Connecting & Empowering Faculty

Resolution 45: Recommendation to Create Emeritus/a Titles to Which Senior Lecturers, Senior Research Associates, and Senior Extension Associates may be Appointed

Passed: March 9, 2005

Sponsor: NTT Faculty Ad Hoc Committee

Senate Discussions: March 9, 2005

 

Resolution

New draft of Resolution C (III.C of NTTF report of 8/4/05)
date: 2/24/05

C. ELIGIBILITY FOR EMERITUS/A STATUS
Whereas senior non-tenure-track (NTT) faculty, like their tenure-track counterparts, are continuing long-term employees of the University who support the central missions of the institution in teaching, research, and outreach; and Whereas senior NTT faculty may continue to contribute to the missions of the University and the campus community after their retirement; and
Be it resolved that the Senate calls on the Provost and the Board of Trustees to create emeritus/a titles to which senior lecturers, senior research associates, and senior extension associates with sufficient service may be appointed and to extend to them perquisites comparable to those available to their tenure-track colleagues upon their transition to emeritus/a status on these conditions:

  1. The emeritus/a title should be made available to Senior Lecturers, Senior Research Associates, and Senior Extension Associates who have retired after ten years of service and who have rendered distinguished and meritorious service to the University in these titles. “Emeritus” is not synonymous with “retired.” Just as the title emeritus or emerita is not conferred upon members of the University Faculty automatically upon retirement, so appointment to these NTT Faculty emeritus titles should be contingent upon a history of distinguished and meritorious service and on departmental and school/college recommendation and the Provost’s approval.
  2. University policy (including, if necessary, Trustee legislation) be amended to effect such an change as this to the description of the emeritus title found in the 2002 Handbook. pp. 31-32.  Professor, Senior Lecturer, Senior Research Associate, Senior Extension Associate Emeritus. Any member of school, college, or University faculties who retires after ten years in the tenured ranks of university professor, professor, or associate professor or in the nontenured ranks of senior lecturer, senior research associate, or senior extension associate and who has rendered distinguished and meritorious service to the university, may be appointed to an emeritus or emerita title corresponding to his or her title upon retirement by the provost after recommendation by the members of the particular department and the dean of the college or school faculty to which that member belonged. A faculty member who does not seek or is not qualified or approved for emeritus
    status is considered a retired academic.
  3. University policy for emeritus faculty recorded in section 4.2 (pp. 64-68) of the 2002 Faculty Handbook should be modified to extend to NTT faculty emeritus/a perquisites comparable to those available to tenure-track faculty, and these in particular:
    1. Emeritus/a perquisites pertaining to use of the approved title, to legal defense and indemnification, and to membership in the University community (directory listing, Chronicle delivery, identification cards) should be extended without reservation to NTT faculty emeriti/ae, as should those providing basic resources for study and communication (library and computer services, mail, and C.U. course enrollment).
    2. Schools and colleges should be requested to consider revising their policies to permit emeritus/a NTT faculty to retain all of the college/school rights and privileges of active NTT faculty members, including voting rights in the college/school faculty. Emeritus/a NTT faculty are to be welcome to attend departmental faculty meetings. Each department will set its own policies regarding voting rights and privileges, but these policies should be put in writing.
    3. Depending on individuals’ involvement in continuing teaching, research, and outreach activities and on the availability of resources, office space and basic office and clerical support should be provided NTT faculty emeriti/ae by departments, colleges, and schools. Laboratory or experimental space is not an entitlement for emeritus/a faculty. Provision of such space should be made by department chairs for emeritus/a NTT faculty who maintain active research programs meeting conditions for those of tenure-track faculty laid down in the Provost’s Policy Statement, 4.a. 4.b, and 4.c (2002 Faculty Handbook pp. 66-67).
    4. It should be noted that in the Provost’s Policy Statement of 1997 (see Faculty Handbook, pp. 66-67) there appears an important qualifier in the matter of providing office and other support facilities to emeritus/a faculty, to wit: “The allocation [of space and support facilities] will treat faculty who have retired on an equitable basis with nonretired faculty, based upon post-retirement levels of teaching, research/scholarship and outreach/extension activities.” Said somewhat differently: The provision to provide certain University support facilities to those with emeritus status is based on the assumption that there is a balancing responsibility on their part to continue, albeit at a lower intensity and, perhaps, along different channels, “distinguished and meritorious service to the University.” Such an assumption should be equally applicable to nonprofessorial academics who might be appointed to emeritus status.
    5. Participation in Graduate School faculty responsibilities will be available only to those NTT faculty emeriti/ae who have been members of graduate Fields hitherto.
  4. Where appropriate, emeritus/a status should be extended to already- retired NTT faculty on the above conditions.