Faculty Retirement Procedures

Faculty members who are considering retirement are encouraged to discuss their plans with their Department Chair and/or the Associate Dean of Faculty. The following procedures should be followed for faculty retirements:

• After confirming their eligibility, the faculty member should inform their chair or unit director, in writing, of their intent to retire, and the effective date of the retirement (typically 12/31 or 6/30). This notification should ideally be sent at least six months in advance of the retirement date.
• The faculty member should discuss their retirement with a retirement officer in the UK Employee Benefits Office.
• The chair or unit director should forward the retirement notification letter to the Associate Dean of Faculty.
• The faculty member should consult with the College Grants Officers about procedures for any of the faculty member's active sponsored projects.
• Prior to the Board of Trustees meeting closest to the faculty member's retirement date, a retirement officer in UK Employee Benefits will create a recommendation for retirement form and send it to the faculty member's department. This form must be signed by the department chair and the Associate Dean of Faculty before it is returned to UK Employee Benefits. 
• The department should complete an Employee Exit Checklist.
• Please note: All tenured faculty members who retire after receiving tenure at the University of Kentucky are automatically considered Faculty Emeriti upon retirement. See AR 2:1-1 for additional information about the rights and privileges of emeriti faculty. Emeriti Faculty are encouraged to participate in the Association of UK Emeriti Faculty.