Missouri State offers a number of benefits to employees after they retire.
Faculty Retirement Information
Ready to retire?
Generally, there are two times during an academic year when faculty members can retire -- at the end of the spring semester or at the end of the fall semester. Academic administrators (i.e., deans, department heads, academic program directors, etc.) are on 12-month appointments which generally end June 30. Such administrators who decide to retire usually retire at the end of the 12-month appointment period, i.e., July 1. For Faculty members with 9 month appointment but paid over 12 months, the retirement date is typically Feb 1 or Aug 1.
There are other retirement date possibilities for academic administrators and they should contact the office of human resources as soon as possible after deciding to retire so that relevant information about retirement dates can be explained and discussed. Since academic administrators earn vacation as well as sick leave while serving in their 12-month positions, the procedures governing payment of vacation and sick leave at retirement, as delineated above for staff employees, also apply to academic administrators with some modifications. All other faculty earn sick leave which is reported to MOSERS (if a MOSERS member) for service credit. CURP faculty do not receive service credit nor are they paid for the sick leave upon retirement.
Policies and procedures
- Summer appointment and supplemental pays: All of the faculty member's salary earned through summer teaching appointments is reported to MOSERS or CURP and the university remits a contribution on the amount paid. Additionally, any salary which a faculty member receives as a supplemental pay is also reported to MOSERS or CURP and the university remits a contribution on those amounts as well.
- Other income: Cash awards for teaching, research or service are not considered wages and thus not reported to MOSERS or CURP for retirement contributions.
- Payment of earned salary: Faculty members have 9-month appointments, yet receive salary over 12 months of the year. Any teaching done in summer is under a separate appointment and the salary paid for it is in addition to the annual academic year salary. (Note: Under MOSERS' regulations, a person may not retire in a month if he/she is still considered to be a full-time employee of the employer, i.e., the university.)
- Faculty members electing to retire at the end of the fall semester have earned part of their salary for the academic year and are owed salary through January. Most faculty members wishing to retire at the end of the fall semester would normally retire Feb. 1.
- Faculty members electing to retire at the end of the spring semester have earned 100 percent of their salary for the academic year but are still owed salary for June and July. Most faculty members wishing to retire at the end of the spring semester can retire June 1, July 1, or Aug. 1.
Teaching after retirement
Many faculty members who retire continue to teach for the university. They are appointed as per course faculty in their department. The teaching load for per course faculty is limited to six credit hours a semester. Thus, teaching as per course faculty will not jeopardize a faculty member’s MOSERS retirement because he/she does not teach more than half of the normal teaching load for full-time faculty.
Since the normal teaching load for full-time faculty is considered to be 12 credit hours per semester, retired faculty should not teach more than a 6-credit hour load in any semester or 12 credit hours in a 12-month period to avoid the possibility of their MOSERS retirement payment being stopped due to working full-time.
Emeritus status
Emeritus faculty and staff are entitled to all benefits provided to university retirees and will receive invitations to special events, an email account and a president’s parking pass. Emeriti are entitled to enroll in one course per semester and have their required student fees paid by the university. This educational fee waiver benefit may be assigned to eligible dependent children or the spouse of the retiree.
Emeritus faculty appointment
Appointment to emeritus faculty status is granted as a result of meritorious service to the university, including contributions in the areas of teaching, research, publications, the arts and leadership.
To be eligible for the title, a faculty member must also satisfy the following requirements:
- Completion of at least ten years of full-time academic service to Missouri State University (some exceptional senior faculty may be recognized with fewer than 10 years of service).
- Retirement status or disability status at Missouri State University.
Emeritus status is awarded through affirmative vote of the faculty in the department in which the candidate holds appointment and by favorable administrative action. The candidate will be informed in writing if they are not approved.