Effective April 18, 2024
Executive Sponsor: Executive Vice President and Provost
Policy Owner: Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs

 

1. Policy Statement

The University of Texas at Austin (“University”) recognizes faculty members’ distinguished service and distinction at the University by conferring emeritus titles effective upon retirement. These honorary titles are given in accordance with the University of Texas System’s Board of Regents Rules and Regulations, Rule 31001, and as outlined in this policy. The conferring of these titles is not automatic upon retirement and may be conferred only upon the approval of the president or their designee.
 

2. Reason for Policy

To provide the framework for conferring emeritus titles to faculty and other administrative officials.
 

3. Scope & Audience

This policy applies to university officers, deans, faculty, non-faculty members, and administrative officials.
 

4. Definitions (specific to this policy)

None
 

5. Website (for policy)

https://secure4.compliancebridge.com/utexas/public/getdoc.php?file=2-2430
 

6. Contacts

7. Responsibilities & Procedures
   1. Emeritus Faculty Ranks

Regents’ Rule 31001 delegates the responsibility of developing procedures for the conferring of emeritus titles to the component institutions. Rule 31001 provides that emeritus titles may be given to a retired member of the faculty or in anticipation of the retirement of a faculty member, effective upon retirement. 
 
Other criteria needed to be eligible to be considered for an emeritus faculty title include that a faculty member must be at least 55 years old with at least 10 years of active service at UT Austin at the time of separation from the University. These are different from the criteria used to determine eligibility to enroll in retiree insurance, which can be found here. 

Faculty members beginning a period of phased retirement or modified service may be conferred the emeritus title effective the first day of retirement, which may coincide with the start date of a phased retirement or modified service agreement.
 
The conferring of an emeritus title is not automatic upon retirement.

1. The emeritus title confers a continuous University affiliation following retirement and may only be conferred upon a faculty member who held the tenured rank of professor or associate professor or the professional-track rank of distinguished senior lecturer, senior lecturer, clinical professor, clinical associate professor, research professor, research associate professor, professor of practice, associate professor of practice, professor of instruction, associate professor of instruction, professor of medicine, or associate professor of medicine.
   
   Recommendations for conferring emeritus titles will be based upon individual distinction and quality of contribution and service to the University. These emeritus titles may be conferred upon nomination by the appropriate budget council(s) or executive committee(s), endorsement by the department chair (if applicable) and the dean, approval of the provost or their designee, and final approval by the president or their designee.

2. Faculty who hold an endowed chair or named professorship at the time of retirement are eligible to retain that endowed title as an emeritus faculty member if the department chair (if applicable), dean, provost or designee, and president or designee approve.
   
   Any retired faculty member awarded emeritus status in a named professorship or chair must not receive a stipend from the endowment for the professorship or chair after retirement unless the dean and provost believe that awarding the stipend to the retired faculty member is in the best interest of the University (e.g., as part of a phased retirement agreement) and the documentation supporting the establishment of the endowed faculty position does not prohibit a retired faculty member from being appointed as the holder of the endowed professorship or chair.

3. Faculty who hold an emeritus title at other institutions are not eligible to concurrently hold an emeritus title at the University. Exceptions may be approved by the president or their designee when it is in the best interest of the University.

4. Holders of emeritus faculty titles will be granted the following privileges and prerequisites, in addition to the privileges and prerequisites of retired faculty defined in Section D:

1. Membership (without vote) in the General Faculty and in the college or school and department in which membership was held at the time of retirement

2. Eligibility to serve on graduate student supervision committees, subject to the approval of the dean of the Graduate School.

3. Use of the campus mail service consistent with HOP 4-1140 - University Mail Services.

4. Office space, when available and with the approval of the chair of the department (if applicable) and the dean of the college or school.

2. Emeritus Titles for Academic Staff Retirees

An emeritus title may be used to confer a lifetime appointment upon academic staff members who held the rank of senior research scientist, senior research engineer, or librarian during their period of active service at the University. Recommendations for conferring these titles will be based upon individual distinction and quality of contribution and service to the University.

To be eligible to hold an academic staff emeritus title, the individual must be at least 55 years old and have accrued at least 10 years of active service at UT at the time of separation from the University.  This is different from the criteria used to determine eligibility to enroll in retiree insurance, which can be found here. 

Emeritus titles for senior research scientist and senior research engineer may be conferred only upon nomination by the appropriate budget council(s) or executive committee(s), endorsement by the department chair (if applicable) and the dean, approval by the vice president of research, and final approval by the president or their designee.

Emeritus titles for librarians may be conferred upon nomination by the vice provost/director of libraries, approval by the provost or their designee, and final approval by the president or their designee.

3. Emeritus Administrative Officials

Upon approval of the president or their designee, the title “emeritus” may be given to a retiree who served as president, provost, or dean during their faculty career at the university. The emeritus title recognizes exceptional, meritorious, and impactful service in the administrative position. Recommendations for conferring these titles will be based upon individual distinction and quality of contribution and service to the University.

In exceptional cases, emeritus status may be given to faculty who served a distinguished administrative career as the director of an officially recognized  organized research unit (see HOP 7-1030).

To be eligible to hold an administrative official emeritus title, the individual must have served in the administrative position at the University for four or more years and also meet the criteria that qualifies them for emeritus status as a faculty member.
 
The nomination may be made in anticipation of retirement or following the date of retirement.  Emeritus status will be effective upon retirement or later, depending on the timing of the nomination and approval.
  
These administrative emeritus titles may be conferred upon nomination by a current dean or vice president, approval of the provost or their designee, and final approval by the president or their designee.
 

8. Forms & Tools

None
 

9. Frequently Asked Questions

None
 

10. Related Information

Board of Regents' Rule 31001 - Faculty Appointments and Titles
 

HOP 4-1140 - University Mail Services
 

11. History

Modified: April 18, 2024
     Next Scheduled Review: April 2027
 

Reviewed: March 2022

Modified: July 25,2018

Editorial revision: December 8 2021
Editorial revision: January 14, 2019
Editorial revision: June 5, 2019

Previously HOP 3.01