Full Retirement

Academic Personnel Services is a good starting point for faculty with questions about retiring from Miami. If you have questions not answered here, please contact Beth Matix at 513-529-6724.

Initiating Retirement

How do I fully retire?

Send written notice to your chair and/or program director, with a copy to your dean and to the Provost (via Academic Personnel). You will receive a written acknowledgement from the Provost.

Contact your retirement system (for most faculty, this will be STRS) and complete an application for retirement benefits.

How much notice do I have to give?

A member of the instructional staff is expected to give the University at least six (6) months' advance notice of the intention to retire (MUPIM 9.2).

Check with your retirement plan for specific dates. STRS requests the completed application ninety (90) days before your retirement becomes effective. (Retirement is effective on the first day of the month following the last date for which you were paid, see www.strsoh.org or 888-227-7877.)

How do I retire and apply to participate in the Miami Retirement with Rehiring Program?

Learn more about the Retirement with Rehiring Program. This program requires six months' notice.

Understanding Retirement Benefits

I've heard that I get a cash-out payment when I retire? What is it for?

This is a cash out of your unused accrued sick leave. Full-time employees earn fifteen (15) days of sick leave per year, which accumulate if unused. Faculty with ten (10) years of Ohio public service are eligible, upon retirement, to receive payout for one-quarter (1/4) of your unused sick leave up to a maximum of thirty (30) days. You can review your sick leave balance through BannerWeb, Employee Services Online or call Academic Personnel to learn your balance and the amount of cash out.

Do I have to request the sick-leave cash out?

No. This is automatically processed by Academic Personnel after receiving confirmation of your retirement dates from your retirement plan.

When do I get the sick-leave cash out?

Miami is required to pay it within ninety (90) days of retirement. Faculty accepted into the Retirement with Rehiring Program receive payment upon retiring with STRS/ARP. Such payment shall be made only once to any employee; there will not be another payout at the end of the three-year period of rehiring.

Typically, faculty who retire in at the end of the academic year in May will receive the payment at the end of May. Faculty who retire in December, at the end of fall semester, can request that the payment be held until January of the following year, if the preference is to receive the payment in the following tax year.

Is the sick-leave cash out taxable income?

Yes. However, retirement deductions are not taken.

Can I put the sick-leave cash out in a pre-tax savings plan such as my 403(b) plan?

Yes. Contact Employee Benefits & Wellness to make those arrangements (Room 15, Roudebush Hall; 513-529-3120).

What about my health insurance? When does it end?

If you retire in May, your Miami-provided health insurance will remain in effect through August 31 of that year. If you retire effective December, your Miami-provided health insurance ends December 31st.

How do I get health insurance after my Miami-provided insurance ends?

You should discuss this with your retirement plan provider. Faculty retiring through STRS may select an insurance plan through a provider affiliated with STRS.

Upon the loss of your Miami-provided health insurance, you will receive information from Chard-Snyder about continuing the Miami insurance (COBRA) at your own expense. This is typically available for eighteen (18) months following employment and includes health, dental and/or vision coverage. If your dependent was covered by the Miami-provided insurance, he/she is also eligible to continue Miami insurance through COBRA.

You may also be eligible for coverage through an employed spouse. You will automatically receive a letter of "creditable coverage" which may be requested by your spouse's employer when you are added to his/her benefits.

Will my Miami-provided life insurance end?

Yes; you will receive information from Employees Benefits & Wellness on how to convert the life insurance to an individual policy.

Do I need to meet with anyone when I fully retire?

It is advisable to visit Employee Benefits & Wellness for a short exit procedure. You will need to check with your department for procedures regarding your office key, etc.

How is Emeritus/Emerita rank bestowed?

Emeritus/Emerita rank is awarded upon "full" retirement for eligible faculty (see Professor Emeritus-Emerita Policy); if accepted into the Retirement with Rehiring Program, it is awarded at the end of participation in the program. You do not apply for this rank; the Provost will automatically forward the names of eligible faculty to the Board of Trustees for approval. After the Board of Trustees' meeting, you will receive a letter from the Secretary to the Board informing you of your status as "Emeritus" or Emerita."

I retired as an Associate Professor, will I be "Associate Professor Emeritus?"

No. The official designation for retired, tenured faculty is "Professor Emeritus" or "Professor Emerita," with no other identification of your previous Miami rank or assignment.

What is "SOME"?

Society of Miami Emeriti. Membership in the Society is open to all faculty appointed to the rank of Emeriti, as well as their spouses and widows or widowers, as approved by the Board of Trustees. Newly-appointed emeriti will receive a letter from Alumni Services regarding SOME and an invitation to participate in activities. The "SOME" brochure outlines many University privileges, such as inclusion in academic processions, continuation of electronic accounts (email), library services, and ability to purchase parking permits. This Society is supported by the Miami University Alumni Association (513-529-5957).

What is "SOMR"?

Society of Miami Retirees. This Society is available to all Miami retirees (not just those who are awarded emeritus rank). Faculty are eligible to join this Society as soon as they retire (without waiting for participation in the Retirement with Rehiring Program to end). However, Academic Personnel has learned that membership in SOMR while still teaching can be confusing: for instance, a SOMR member will receive a new retiree ID card, without as many privileges as retaining the current faculty ID card.

How do names of retirees get on the retiree plaque display at Shriver Center?

Human Resources orders the plaques with the retiree's name, after "fully" retired. HR reviews the names and year of retirement for faculty with Academic Personnel for accuracy.

After I have "fully" retired and my participation in the Retirement with Rehiring Program has ended, can I come back to teach?

Occasionally a department will hire an emeritus faculty member to teach on a per-credit- hour basis, typically for one course. Current compensation is $1,000/credit hour.

Revised November 2015