ABSTRACT
This chapter presents the historical backdrop to the program, explores its evolution—including initial faculty reluctance to use the program and reasons for the 2008 restructuring—and discusses present-day deficiencies and benefits. Higher education institutions nationwide have a large number of faculty nearing retirement age, in part because of the influx of faculty members in the 1960s and 1970s, the elimination of mandatory retirement in 1994, the tenure system, and the significant economic downturn that began in 2008. The more flexible implementation of the phased retirement program reflected the underlying premise of the profile system and the long-held Bentley view that faculty contribute more than the number of courses taught, articles written, or committees assigned. It is therefore possible that a senior lecturer who has converted to a tenure-track position might fulfill the eligibility requirements of age and length of service while still a tenure-track faculty member.
