Faculty Life Course Committee

Mission Statement

Goals and Membership Roster 05/06



Resolutions / Proposals:

             Annual Reports:


Proposals April 8, 1997

Resolution on Stopping the Tenure Clock

Resolution on Maternity Leave

Resolution on Parental Leave


1998 -1999

1999 - 2000

2000-2001

2001-2002

2002-2003

2003-2004

2004-2005

2005-2006

Mission Statement:

To address issues likely to enhance faculty life at Emory University across the academic span, from junior faculty to emeritus status. Features targeted should be those likely to improve academic productivity, facilitate faculty retention, and augment the quality of life and sense of community for faculty at Emory.

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Annual Report 1999-2000

Report to the Faculty Council April 11, 2000

The Faculty Life Course Committee composed of Drs. Huiman Barnhart , George Benston, Harold Berman, Eugene Bianchi, John Bugge, Sharon Lewis, Randall Strahan, and Kim Wallen, with Nanette K Wenger, as Chair addressed two major issues this year:

Maternal and Parental Leave Policies

Faculty Retirees and Emeritus College at Emory University

  1. Maternity and parental Leave Policies Discussion Drafts (see attachments). Initial versions of these policies were drafted by the Committee, presented to the Faculty Council for input, and these composite materials were sent to the Provost office.

    These policies have been reviewed by the Deans and Directors and by external legal counsel. A semifinal version, labeled discussion draft, is appended to this report. The Committee suggests that the Faculty Council both endorse these policies and commend the Provost office for working with us and for taking seriously the idea of faculty input and governments.

  2. The Committee invested considerable time in addressing the concept of an Emeritus College as a "home" for retired faculty wishing to continue an active relationship with the University. An Emeritus College exists in a number of research universities throng out the country and Dr. Eugene Bianchi will obtain additional information in this regard as he participates in a San Diego International Conference on Retirement in Higher Education. To date, Dr. George Benston has calculated the potential benefits to the University of early retirement (see attachment ) of full Professors, as might occur with an Emeritus University encouraging their active involvement with the University in Emeritus status. Further, Dr. John Bugge (see attachment ) has calculated potential monetary values for specific services of Emeritus College members.

    There has been interest from the Alumni office in the possible role of Emeritus faculty for alumni education; and the possibility of availability of space at Gatewood House for an Emeritus College office is being explored.

    The Committee recommends to the Faculty Council approval in concept of an Emeritus College, with discussions to occur during the summer with Provost Chopp and others as appropriate and members of the Faculty Life Course Committee.

Respectfully Submitted.

 

Nanette K. Wenger, M.D.
Professor of Medicine (Cardiology)
Emory University School of Medicine
Chief of Cardiology
Grady Memorial Hospital
Consultant, Emory Heart and Vascular Center


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DISCUSSION DRAFT

PARENTAL LEAVE

The university desires to assist faculty members with their attempts to balance professional obligations with parental responsibilities. Accordingly, the university has chosen to make "parental leave" with full salary and benefits available to those full-time faculty members who can certify that they serve as "primary care givers' for one or more of their children below the age of' five years, under the conditions set forth below. Leave may also be available to primary care givers with any dependent children over the age of five who suffer from a serious illness or other condition that creates extraordinary parenting demands

For purposes of this leave, a "primary care giver" is an individual who has primary child-rearing responsibility for his or her child. It is not intended to extend to a parent whose child is primarily in the care era spouse or other caregiver.

A faculty member with teaching responsibilities who is otherwise eligible for parental leave benefits may request relief from those, responsibilities for up to one full teaching lead during any single term, offer up to one-half lead over two terms. The faculty member will be expected to remain in residence and to continue departmental service and advising, and scholarly activities during the affected term(s). Leave under these circumstances will typically be compensated at full pay.

A faculty member with no teaching responsibilities who is otherwise eligible for parental leave benefits may request relief from some or his or her duties for a continuous period not to exceed two terms. The Dean of the school or college by which the faculty member is employed will consider making such reasonable relief available as would be comparable to the relief from teaching described in the paragraph above. Such leave may, at the Dean's discretion, be compensated at full pay.

Under some circumstances, a faculty member may take an additional semester of parental leave at a reduced level of compensation.

Any faculty member desiring parental leave is advised to submit, with as much advance notice as possible, a written request to his or her Dean with a copy to the department chair. The request should affirm that the faculty member is e primary care giver for a child below the age of five years.

Parental leave may also qualify as leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ("FMLA"), in which case it would count against the eligible faculty member's annual 12-week FMLA entitlement.


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DISCUSSION DRAFT

MATERNITY LEAVE

The university desires to recognize the particular needs of birth mothers who are members of the faculty to take time away from their normal duties, and to demonstrate its commitment to their well being. To that end, the university has attempted to summarize the various policies that provide for their maternity leave.

The university recognizes that pregnancy and child birth are natural processes, and that each situation varies depending on the needs of the particular birth mother. For that reason, and in keeping with its legal obligations, the university provides leave with full salary and continuation of benefits to any full time faculty member during the period for which her physician certifies that she is unable to work, for a maxim of six months from the date leave commences.

Leave under these circumstances is treated like leave needed for any other non-occupational medical condition. Accordingly, after the first six months, depending on the nature of the condition and the circumstance surrounding the leave, the faculty member may be eligible to apply to the university's long-term disability insurance carrier for payments equal to a percentage of her current salary. There is an inflation rider for long-term disability insurance available to those employees who elect to purchase it.

Any faculty member who becomes pregnant and desires maternity leave is advised to consult with her department chair and dean as soon as practicable, so as to allow the university the maximum opportunity to provide for coverage of her duties during leave. Maternity leave may also qualify as leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1998 'FMLA', in which case it would count against the eligible faculty member's annual 12 work-week FMLA entitlement.


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Savings to Emory of Early Retirement of Full Professors Ages 55 and above, based on various amounts. Assuming no additional benefits, such as courses taught and doctoral students supervised for no additional cost and no additional gifts to Emory because professors stay in contact with Emory.

Prepared by Professor George J, Benston for the Faculty Life Committee, March 20, 2000.

(all dollar amounts in thousands) average fringe benefits total

salary at 20% compensation

12 month contracts 122.5 24.5 147.0
9 month contracts 107.3 21.5 128.8

Number of Emory Faculty 55 or older: 55 to 64 65+

Medicine (assumption 12 month) 149 32

Other schools (assumption 9 month) 160 40

Total 309 72

 

Saving in compensation cost
Assumptions:
present faculty age 55+ will remain until retirement
salaries increase at 4% annually 4%
absent the plan, faculty would retire at age 72
with the plan, faculty would retire at age 68 5
faculty age 65+ will retire on average in 3 years 3

faculty age 55 - 65 Will retire in average in 8 years 8
replacement cost as % of retiree 50% 75% 85%
Annual savings at early retirement at 1999-2000 compensation
age 65+ faculty:
Medicine 2,352 1,176 706
Other 2,575 1,288 773
totals 4,927 2,464 1,478
age 55 - 64 faculty:
Medicine 10,952 5,476 3,286
Other schools 10,301 5,150 3,090
totals 21,253 10,626 6,376

 

Present value of early retirement; 6% discount rate 6%

faculty 65+, 5 years beginning after 3 years

  • Medicine 10,447 5,224 3,134

    Other schools 11,439 5,720 3,432

     

    Total 21,886 10,943 6,566

    faculty 55 - 64, 5 years beginning after 8 years

    Medicine 44,939 22,469 13,482

    Other schools 42,268 21,134 12,681

     

    Total 87,207 43,604 26,162

    present value totals

    Medicine 55,386 27,693 16,616

    Other schools 53,707 26,854 16,112

  •  

    Total 109,093 54,547 32,729


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    Emory Emeritus College
    March 29, 2000
    Prepared by John Bugge

    Monetary values of specific services Emeritus College members could offer . . .

    • To the College:
  • Occasional substitute teaching on short notice for regular faculty, gratis

    10 class-meetings per academic year valued @ $100 each $1,000

    Guest lectures or presentation in undergraduate courses, gratis

    10 presentations per year valued @ $100 each 1000

    The teaching of Freshman Seminars, offered by select retired faculty in their areas of

    Research expertise.

    6 seminars per year, valued conservatively @ $6000 per course = 36000, less

    actual stipends of $3000 to six EC members = 18000 18,000

    Tutoring of students with special needs, gratis

    4 students per year x 8 hours per semester x $50 per hour = 3,200

    Participation in the Freshman Advising Mentoring Experience (RAME), gratis

    5 members each year @ $1000 5,000

    Participation in recruitment efforts with the Admissions Office, gratis

    10 appearances by member per year @ $100 each 1,000

    • To the Graduate School:
  • Informal or perhaps sometimes formal mentoring of graduate students, gratis

    5 members each year @ $200 per student 1,000

    Service on examination and dissertation committees by request, gratis

    5 members each year @ $5000 2,500

    • To the University:
  • Service by invitation on University committees and panels, gratis

    2 members each year @ $1000 2,000

    Lending of members' expertise to the development of programs at Emory, gratis

    2 members each year @ $1000 2,000

    Advising of regular faculty and staff on financial and other retirement issues, gratis

    4 members each offering 5 one-hour appointments @ $100/hour = 2,000

    • To the Career Center:
  • Counseling of students in emeriti's special areas of expertise business, law, economics,

    Medicine, foreign languages, communication, and so on, gratis

    10 members each year offering 2 appointments, @ 1000 each = 2,000

    • To the Association of Emory Alumni:
  • Participation in monthly lecture series for Atlanta-area alumni, gratis

    10 lecturers each year @ $500 each = 5,000

    Attendance at special events, reunions, and homecoming celebration, gratis

    20 EC members, 2 events each, @ $100 per appearance 4,000

    • To the Office of Institutional Advancement:
  • Assistance by emeritus faculty in public relations and fund-raising, gratis

    10 EC faculty per year, 10 hours each @ $100 per hour = 10,000

  •  

    TOTAL MONETARY BENEFIT ACCRUING TO EMORY $59,700

     

    Number of Emory Faculty* who are 55 or older

     

    School

     

    Age
    55 to 64

     

    Age
    65 end older

     

    Total - Age 5
    and older

    Business
    Emory College
    Law
    Medicine
    Nursing
    Oxford
    Public Health
    Theology

     

    6
    91
    9
    149
    14
    9
    15
    16
    4
    28
    2
    32
    1
    0
    3
    2
    10
    119
    11
    181
    15
    9
    18
    18

    University

     

    309
    72
    381

    *Includes all regular full-time faculty who were active employees as of February 15, 2000.
    Prepared by Daniel Teodorescu, Institutional Planning and Research 2/15/00 Tel: (404) 727-5278



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    REPORT TO THE FACULTY COUNCIL FROM THE AD HOC COMMITTEE: FACULTY LIFE COURSE

    Ad Hoc Committee: Nanette K. Wenger, M.D., Chair; Members: Nancy Eiesland, Ph.D.; Frank Lechner, Ph.D.; Mr. Harold J. Berman, RW Woodruff Professor of Law. Our mandate from the Faculty Council was to explore how faculty life has changed in recent decades and how academic priorities and concerns vary across the life course. Striking was the absence of data about what really matters to faculty and whether this indeed varies by faculty level. These data are needed to characterize the contemporary Faculty Life Course at Emory.

    A. Our first recommendation is to develop a research proposal for a 1-2 year study of Emory's faculty. The Office of Institutional Research may help us learn more about ourselves. Among the broad questions to be explored should be

    Have competing pressures in academic life changed with time; are they currently more and/or different than previously ascertained; and do they vary across the faculty life cycle?

    What are the faculty demographic changes since the last assessment, including differences in faculty gender, age, number of faculty members at each level, site of prior faculty training/experience?

    How do the faculty assess the internal and external resources for enhancing faculty productivity? How do faculty assess the internal and external inhibitors of faculty productivity? Ascertainment should be made as to whether these assessments vary with faculty level and/or by schools within the University. Included in this assessment would be whether the balance of faculty obligations has changes, how they have changes, and the perception as to what has fostered these changes.

    With our current status as a nationally competitive institution, and with more extensive resources available, we must define the Emory faculty profile and ascertain these data from a representative sample of the faculty. Concomitantly, we should investigate whether comparable ventures are being undertaken at comparable institutions.

    B. Given the longer productivity and increased life span of faculty as we approach the 21st century, and the legal issues of age-related position termination, potential new roles for emeritus faculty require identification. We propose a subcommittee of the Faculty Council to study the potential roles of emeritus faculty. Among the questions to be addressed by the committee are:

    What are the desires of faculty members approaching retirement age (potentially polling those aged 60 and beyond).

    • continued scholarly pursuits
    • Interdisciplinary activity
    • mentoring
    • community involvement, including adult education
    • other

    What are the mechanisms whereby such individuals can remain active in university life, yet attain, perhaps as consultants, a retirement status enabling TIAA/CREF pension support.

    How do the Deans/Department Chairs view the potential roles of their emeritus faculty members? Would they value a proactive role in negotiating with potential retirees?

    How is this issue viewed by other active faculty members - credits vs. debits of this approach?

    C. The third research proposal relates to the first 3 objectives of Emory's Strategic Plan, i.e., attaining academic excellence, balancing teaching and research, and fostering interdisciplinary activities.

    The faculty should be queried as to what facilities/resources (investments) the University can make to improve the infrastructure for faculty life. Specifically, what targeted university investments would enhance faculty productivity; and does the choice of these vary with faculty level?

    This should be addressed by a multigenerational faculty committee, essentially defining a "wish list" for university investment in the "infrastructure" designed specifically to enhance faculty productivity - ? computer facilities, faculty club, child care facilities, wellness facilities, faculty teaching center, interdisciplinary fellowships, in-house research grants, center for interdisciplinary studies, lessening of the teaching load, etc.

    Received by the Faculty Council on 18 February 1997
    Approved, in principle, by the Faculty Council on 8 April 1997 


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