Pathway to Retirement Overview

In addtion to the general retirement resources listed on the right, UCSC is pleased to offer a special option to senate faculty who intend to retire and would like to make a smooth transition from everyday expectations in research, teaching, and service to an engagement with the University that is tailored to their special circumstances. A Pathway to Retirement (”Pathway”) agreement can create a multi-year period of transition that includes special provisions before retirement as well as additional provisions after retirement. 

Creating a Pathway to Retirement

A Pathway agreement provides for a thoughtful, structured transition to emerita/emeritus/emer. status. Crafting the agreement includes the following steps:

• A senate faculty member considering retirement initiates meetings with the faculty liaison. These meetings are completely confidential and cover whatever concerns the faculty member has about the retirement process, including the kind of things that could be negotiated as part of the retirement.
• The faculty member drafts a list of requests that would make their transition to retirement smoother. Typically they will review this with the faculty liaison, who can provide feedback regarding what is customary to request, what is usually granted, and what arguments to strengthen.
• The faculty member meets with the department chair to draft a first version of the Pathway agreement. The department chair should coordinate with the divisional dean. The Pathway faculty liaison does not usually participate in these negotiations. However, the faculty liaison can provide input or participate in these meetings at the request of the faculty person considering retirement.
• Once an agreement that is satisfactory to all parties (faculty member, department chair, divisional dean) is reached, the agreement is forwarded by the division to the Academic Personnel Office for policy and legal consistency review, after which the final agreement is signed by the faculty member, chair and dean, with the dean as the approval authority.
• The finalized agreement is “self-executing” in that the faculty member need do nothing further to separate as of the agreed-upon date.
• The retiring faculty member must take additional steps in order to retire and receive retiree health and pension benefits. This process takes time and should be started at least four months before the separation date.

Chair and Dean Participation

The chair’s role is to:

• Be familiar with the Pathway to Retirement program.
• Provide the faculty liaison’s contact information when a senate member contacts you regarding retirement, in case they are not already aware or in contact.
• Participate in retirement plan negotiations, including Pathway Agreements.
• Contribute departmental resources (space, etc.) as negotiated.

• Participate in retirement plan negotiations, including Pathway Agreements, and provide approval.
• Provide divisional resources and funding for the agreement as negotiated.