Phased Retirement Program

Barry University’s Phased Retirement Program (PRP) provides an avenue to full-time faculty or staff who wish to reduce their professional obligations over a period of one or two years (referred to as the “step-down period”) as a transition into full retirement. Mutually beneficial, this step-down period not only provides time for faculty and staff to meaningfully plan their transition into retirement but also provides an opportunity to transfer their invaluable institutional knowledge and experience to the following generation of faculty and staff.

Transition from full-time to part-time workload
Choice of 6 months, one-year or two-year step-down period
50% salary reduction (no overloads or stipends included)
Continued benefit coverage during step-down period

An eligible faculty or staff member must be a regular full-time employee

Faculty and staff must meet established retirement eligibility criteria:

• 55 years of age with 10 years of continuous service
• 56 years of age with 9 years of continuous service
• 57 years of age with 8 years of continuous service
• 58 years of age with 7 years of continuous service
• 59 years of age with 6 years of continuous service
• 60+ years of age with 5 years of continuous service

Faculty and staff on approved family and medical leave or other medical leave or discretionary leave of absence and who satisfy the eligibility criteria may apply for the PRP.

Faculty members with administrative roles (e.g., Associate Dean, Department Chair, Program Director) may be required to relinquish administrative duties and fulfill a course load assignment during the phase period.

Who Is Not Eligible

• Faculty members in their terminal contract year or otherwise subject to non-renewal
• Part-time and temporary faculty and staff
• Employees subject to corrective action or currently working under a performance development plan

Faculty PRP applications will be recommended and submitted for approval by the Deans to the Provost.

Staff PRP applications will be reviewed, the supervisor will be consulted, and final approval will be made by the Divisional VP or Provost.

Considerations for application approval or denial may include but are not limited to:

• College/School faculty or Division staff complement

• Enrollment projections or other revenue considerations

• College/School/Division strategic initiatives

• College/School/Division operational needs

• Applicant’s expertise and discipline, etc.

Applicants have three (3) calendar days following the approval of an application to revoke a decision to enter the Phased Retirement Program.

If not revoked, the decision becomes final on the fourth (4th) calendar day following the date of approval and cannot be modified or revoked thereafter. The step-down period will begin at the start of the next fiscal year for staff, or the beginning of a new contract year for faculty.

A revocation must be in writing and must be hand-delivered or sent from a Barry email address to the office of the Dean or Vice President no later than 5:00 pm on the third (3rd) day following the application approval date.

When an election is revoked, the University will have no obligation to provide a reduced workload available under the PRP.

Following approval, a new faculty contract will be prepared and will include confirmation of the following:

• Salary
• Length of step-down period
• Reduced course load assignment
• Retirement date (all duties for the final semester of the step-down period must be completed by the retirement date)
• Any other terms and conditions of the phased retirement program

Staff will receive a PRP approval letter confirming:

• Salary
• Length of step-down period
• New PDQ outlining reduced duties
• Retirement date
• Any other terms and conditions of the phased retirement program

Faculty and Staff PRP participants may be rehired to teach as an adjunct faculty member at the discretion of the Dean and with approval of the Provost in the semester following the official retirement date.