Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP)

Whether you are contemplating participating in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) or already enrolled, this page is intended to provide you with valuable information about your benefits and pay while enrolled in the Program. The Faculty Early Retirement Program is administered by Faculty Affairs and Success. The source of much of this information is Article 29 of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the Board of Trustees of CSU and CFA, which you are encouraged to read in its entirety.

FERP is a program available to tenured faculty, counselors, and librarians that provides a transition from full-time teaching to full-time retirement. It allows a faculty member to receive their retirement income plus receive up to one-half of a year’s salary for teaching one semester each year or half-time both semesters each year. The program allows a faculty member to work a maximum of ninety (90) days per year (or 50% of the faculty member’s regular timebase in the year preceding retirement) while receiving full retirement income from the Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS).

Links

• CalPERS Publication 33: A Guide to CalPERS Employment After Retirement (PDF)
• Unit 3 Bargaining Agreement
  • Article 29: Faculty Early Retirement Program (PDF)
  • Article 30: Pre-Retirement Reduction in Time Base (PDF)
• Emeritus and Emerita Status

Forms

• Notification of Intent to FERP (PDF)
• Sick Leave Carry Over (PDF)
• Application for Leave of Absence Without Pay (PDF)
• Request for Change in FERP Period of Employment
• Pre-Retirement Time Base Reduction Program Request Form (PDF)

Eligibility

• Eligible tenured faculty unit employees who have reached their retirement formula age (age 55, 60, or 62 depending on your date of hire) may participate in the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP).
• The collective bargaining agreement between the California State University and the California Faculty Association states that eligible tenured faculty members who have reached the age of 55 may participate in the FERP. However, this language pre-dates the 2011 and 2013 changes to retirement formulas. State and federal law place additional restrictions on post-retirement employment for individuals who have not reached “normal retirement age”, which tracks with the retirement formula age. As a consequence, faculty hired after 1/1/2011 will not be eligible to enter the FERP until they reach the age of their retirement formula (age 60 or 62). If you have questions about your retirement formula or retirement benefits, please contact the Human Resources Benefits Office at 530-898-5436.
• Eligible employees must have been granted Service Retirement effective on or before the first day of the academic year in which participation in FERP is to begin.
• Eligible employees must submit written notification to the President (via the Notification of Intent to Participate in FERP form (PDF)) at least six (6) months prior to the academic year in which FERP participation begins (generally by mid-February).

Length of Participation

An employee who opts to participate in FERP shall be entitled to the yearly period of employment for no more than five (5) consecutive academic or fiscal years.

FERP CBA Provision Restrictions

FERP faculty are not eligible for the following collective bargaining provisions:

• Promotions (Article 14)
• Sabbatical Leaves (Article 27)
• Difference in Pay Leaves (Article 28)
• Unlimited Sick Leave (Article 24.3)

See Article 29.22 for more information.

Questions?

If you have questions regarding the Faculty Early Retirement Program, please contact Faculty Affairs and Success at 530-898-5029. If you have questions regarding pay earned during FERP participation, you may call the Payroll Office at 530-898-6771. If you have questions regarding CalPERS retirement, please call the Benefits Office at 530-898-5436, the CalPERS Regional Office or visit the CalPERS website.