Retiring, full-time, tenured or non-tenured faculty members who meet the criteria described in UM System Collected Rule 320.090 may ask to be considered for an emeritus or emerita title upon retirement.
- Faculty members are encouraged to submit requests for emeritus titles at the time the intent-to-retire paperwork is submitted.
- The request is made to the head of the faculty member’s unit (the department chair or dean, depending on the college or school), who is responsible for organizing the vote of eligible faculty specified in the Collected Rule. The faculty member should submit a current CV with their request.
- When the majority vote is in favor of awarding the title and . . .
- the unit is in a college organized into departments, the department chair submits to the dean the faculty member’s CV along with a letter that reports on the vote and provides a summary of the faculty member’s accomplishments. The dean adds their recommendation and submits all the materials to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs in the Office of Academic Affairs.
- the unit is a college or school without departments, the Dean submits to the Associate Provost of Faculty Affairs the faculty member’s CV along with a letter that reports on the vote, provides a summary of the faculty member’s accomplishments, and includes the dean’s own recommendation.
- The Provost reviews requests and recommendations, adds their own recommendation and submits the materials to the Chancellor.
- The Chancellor reviews requests and recommendations and makes the final decision on the award of emeritus/emerita titles. The Chancellor’s Office notifies the faculty member, the department chair, the dean, and the Office of Academic Affairs.
- The Office of Academic Affairs notifies UM System HR about the title so that they can arrange for the faculty member to be given the appropriate ongoing courtesy appointment upon their effective retirement date.
Retiring Curators’ Professors who would like to request the title of Curators’ Professor Emeritus/ Emerita follow a different process described by the Board of Curators. In addition to being approved by the Provost and Chancellor, these requests are forwarded to UM System Academic Affairs and the Board of Curators. The Board has final approval and considers requests at scheduled meetings throughout the year. Information about the necessary forms and documents is available on the UM System website.
Faculty with emeritus status continue as non-voting members of the faculty and their names appear in the list of officers of instruction in the university bulletin. They can retain their email and library access. Faculty with emeritus status are eligible to continue to serve on graduate committees but cannot be appointed to chair any new doctoral committees, as specified in the UMSL Graduate School’s policies. They are also eligible to be invited to serve on special unit tenure and promotion committees or committees related to procedures for review of faculty performance under circumstances as specified in the UM System’s Collected Rules and Regulations (see sections 320.035.A, and 310.015.B).
Questions about these processes can be sent to the Associate Provost for Faculty Affairs, Alice Hall (halla@umsl.edu).
