ABSTRACT
In the fall of 2008, the faculty and administration at Princeton University sought to develop a fair and transparent retirement program that would encourage faculty to retire. This chapter describes how Princeton supports the continuing scholarly work of its faculty after retirement, and Princeton’s plans for the continuing enhancement of a smooth transition into retirement for faculty. The new plan is an age-based retirement-incentive plan that offers a bonus at the time of signing an agreement to retire as well as an opportunity to enter phased retirement for some number of years after signing. Senior scholars have no specific responsibilities in teaching or research but are encouraged to participate in department, center, and institute programs and to interact with faculty, researchers, and students in informal settings. As part of the application process for the Alfred P. Sloan Award for Best Practices in Faculty Retirement Transitions, the American Council on Education surveyed both currently active Princeton faculty and the retired faculty.
