Emerit Status – Faculty, Academic Staff & University Staff

Emerit status is an honor bestowed by the University in recognition of sustained excellence in past contributions to the University. Emerit appointments confer no monetary advantages and are not granted automatically upon retirement.

Eligibility and Criteria

Emerit status is typically made at the time of a faculty, academic staff, or university staff member’s retirement, when a Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Annuity has been activated. Sustained excellence in past contributions to the University and one’s professional field is an expectation. To be eligible for emerit status, faculty must have held a tenured position, and academic and university staff must have served in a university position for a minimum of seven years and with an appointment of 50% or higher.

Privileges of Emerit Status

Award of emerit status carries with it the faculty, academic staff, or university staff member’s title code at the time of retirement (e.g., Professor Emerit, Academic Advisor Emerit, or University Staff Emerit). In addition, the following privileges are provided:

1. Emerit colleagues will retain their university identification cards for use in University Libraries, as well as certain other campus facilities requiring a university identification card.
2. Emerit colleagues will be provided emerit university parking privileges, pursuant to expectations of the UWM Parking and Transit Office.
3. Emerit faculty, academic staff, and university staff may attend open meetings (pursuant to the Wisconsin Open Meetings Law) of the University Faculty, Academic Staff, and University Staff, respectively, but have no voting privileges at such meetings.
4. Emerit faculty and academic staff who sustain an on-going professional involvement on campus may be provided office space and access to appropriate support facilities and services, subject to availability. Availability will be determined by the Dean/Division Head, upon recommendation of the department or program involved. Any such arrangements will be subject to university policies regarding use of university facilities, services, and technology.
5. Emerit faculty, academic staff, and university staff may continue to have access to campus information technology services, including e-mail and internet access; they will also be listed in campus directories, both electronic and printed formats. Information technology access shall be subject to all applicable IT policies and may be limited as provided for therein.

Responsibilities of Emerit Faculty, Academic Staff and University Staff

All appropriate State of Wisconsin, UW System, and UW Milwaukee rules and regulations, including those governing the use of university facilities and conduct on university property apply to emerit appointments. Emerit faculty, academic staff, and university staff are expected to continue to exemplify the professional excellence that gained them their status after they have discontinued their official employment with the University.

Revocation of Emerit Status

Emerit status may be terminated for cause. Termination may be initiated by the applicable dean/division head and Provost/Vice Chancellor providing joint or separate recommendations for revocation of emerit status to the Chancellor. A copy of such recommendation(s) shall be provided to the individual for whom emerit title is sought to be revoked, and that individual shall have five business days to provide a response to the Chancellor. The Chancellor shall make the final, unappealable decision on termination of emerit status.

Procedure for Granting Emerit Status to Faculty and Instructional and Research Academic Staff Assigned to Academic Departments

1. The applicable Executive Committee of the department or equivalent reviews all retiring faculty and instructional and research academic staff assigned to academic departments for emerit status using the criteria above. In the case of faculty joint appointees, the Executive Committee of the faculty member’s tenure home is the appropriate reviewing body.
2. Recommendations for emerit status are forwarded to the applicable school/college dean, who will review and indicate an endorsement of or opposition to such recommendation, then forward all such documentation to the Provost/Vice Chancellor. In the case of faculty joint appointees, the dean of the faculty member’s tenure home is the appropriate reviewing entity.
3. The Provost/Vice Chancellor makes the final decision on granting of emerit status. Emerit status officially commences immediately following the Provost/Vice Chancellor’s approval or the date of retirement, whichever is later.

Procedure for Granting Emerit Status to Academic and University Staff

1. For academic and university staff (other than instructional and research academic staff assigned to academic departments), the individual’s supervisor will develop the recommendation and provide it to the dean or division head for transmittal to the appropriate Vice Chancellor or Officer. If a limited appointee (e.g., Assistant Dean, Director, etc.) is recommended for emerit status, the individual must have possessed an academic staff or university staff backup position.
2. The Vice Chancellor or Officer makes the final decision on granting of emerit status. Emerit status officially commences immediately following the Vice Chancellor’s approval or the date of retirement, whichever is later.

April 15, 2004

Original

February 2, 2022

Revised

May 25, 2022

Revised

September 26, 2022

Revised

May 23, 2023

Revised