Retirement guide for faculty, by faculty
Created by more than 30 faculty members, a new Faculty Retirement Planning Guide brings information and resources together in one place.
Carolina faculty members are using their teaching and mentoring skills to help their colleagues plan for retirement.
More than four years in the making, the UNC-Chapel Hill Faculty Retirement Planning Guide is a joint project of the Retired Faculty Association and the offices of the provost and human resources.
“Informed by problems they had encountered, all retirees involved hope the guide will help each active and future faculty member plan an individualized path to retirement with fewer snags and hurdles,” said Tom Clegg, retired professor of physics.
Thomas Clegg
Clegg said he first recognized the need for the guide during a Retired Faculty Seminar at the Institute for the Arts and Humanities. Through a series of weekly discussions, the eight faculty members in the group began to exchange information and share experiences about their retirement planning.
They reached the same conclusion. “This retirement information needs to be in a manual,” Clegg said. “We need to help faculty understand the process and resources from the time a new faculty member walks into the University through a full career here.”
Clegg and others worked to develop subsequent seminars to provide comprehensive retirement information and share important resources, from choosing retirement plans and health care to getting emeritus status in the University’s directory.
The result is a 30-page guide, also available online, that provides key advice and information for faculty members at all stages of their careers:
- Resources to guide the mandatory initial choice of a retirement program.
- Practices and habits to develop early, which become more important as faculty members grow older.
- Suggestions for supplemental investment advisory programs.
- Steps for making a smooth transition from active employment to retirement.
- Ways to continue supportive University relationships after retirement.
The guide will be updated each year, Clegg said, in partnership with the Office of Human Resources.
