Please note:
- All options a unit may want to offer must comply within IU policies and programs.
- Units should consult with IU HR on any special incentives or arrangements that a unit may wish to offer to ensure it complies with university policy and other federal regulations.
- To assist with broad communications and avoid any compliance concerns, IU HR is willing to communicate to faculty eligible for certain benefits or programs.
- For faculty with at least 10 years' service, the unit should consider nominating the faculty member for emeritus status.
University-wide policies/programs:
- Leave Without Pay
- Eligibility: Any faculty member may request a partial or full leave of absence for up to one year without pay.
- Benefits: While a faculty member is on a leave without pay, IU continues to cover the employer-paid portion of the health benefits for six months provided the employee pays the employee portion of premiums. Please note that there are no retirement contributions while on a leave without pay. IU HR can provide more information about benefits while on an unpaid leave.
- Approval: A leave of less than one year is subject to school approval; a leave for a whole year requires campus approval (EVC Kathy Johnson). Leaves after that must be approved only one year at a time, and are very rare. Time on unpaid leave does not count towards sabbatical eligibility. For any leave of absence, create an MOU and have a date by which the faculty member must indicate he or she is returning.
- IU Retiree Status
- Eligibility: Faculty qualify for IU Retiree Status when they have a minimum combination of age and years of service, such as age 55 plus 30 years of service through age 64 years and 12 years of service.
- Benefits: IU Retiree Status provides certain benefits:
- Access to IU-sponsored healthcare for under-65 retirees (Anthem HDHP PPO) and a Medicare supplement option for retirees age 65 and older (Blue Retiree Plan).
- A $6000 Retiree Life Insurance Policy.
- Continued access to IU Tuition Benefit.
- Other perks and benefits, including access to some UITS systems.
- Approval: IU HR must certify Retiree Status eligibility for faculty.
- Faculty Phased Retirement:
- Eligibility: Beginning at age 62, full-time faculty who qualify for IU Retiree Status may remain in their current full-time position while taking a partial leave without pay of one to three years, or up to the end of their contract if less than three years. During this time, the faculty member reduces their workload by 20 to 50 percent of normal, with compensation pro-rated accordingly. Note that faculty eligible for 18/20 are not eligible for the phased retirement option.
- Benefits: During Phased Retirement, faculty:
- Continues participation in medical, dental, and other IU-sponsored benefits at the employee premium rates.
- Continues to receive retirement contributions from IU, prorated based on actual wages paid.
- May supplement income with early retirement account withdrawals for their 403(b) plans.
- Approval: An agreement is created and mutually agreed upon by the faculty member, unit, Office of Academic Affairs, and IU Human Resources. The agreement includes:
- What duties are expected for a given phased period, settled in writing between the faculty member and the unit: for example, only teaching and no service, or, more service including mentoring, less service, or, solely research.
- A formal retirement date. Applying for phased retirement includes an irrevocable commitment to retire by a certain date. While the date cannot be extended past the formal retirement date noted in the agreement, a faculty member may retire sooner than that if desired.
- Incentives: Units may incentivize the choice of phased retirement by defining lighter-than-normal loads to be carried per percentage of phasing. These incentives must be offered to all equally, should result in reduced costs, and the overall plan must be reviewed by Office of Academic Affairs and IU HR prior to implementing.
Other notes:
- Any faculty member who has had a sabbatical must return full-time for one academic year (or 8 months for a 12-month faculty member) after the sabbatical.
- Faculty on phased retirement may not be awarded a sabbatical. Under very unusual circumstances, they may be eligible for externally-funded prestigious leaves. These leaves would not extend the retirement date.
- Units may not make pre-arrangements for faculty to teach as adjuncts after retirement; according to IRS regulations, this nullifies the retirement.
- If no arrangements have been made, and, the person has been completely separated for at least 1 month, and they are not an 18/20 retiree, they may be hired as an adjunct.
- Retirees cannot be hired to work part-time in any capacity other than teaching (this is a federal minimum-wage regulation) or as hourly temporary.