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Policy 1318
Emeritus Staff

Date of Current Revision: November 2011
Responsible Officer: Director of Human Resources

1. PURPOSE

James Madison University recognizes the important contributions to the institution that have been made by those staff members who rendered many years of dedicated service before retirement. This policy establishes the guidelines for requesting the appointment of emeritus status for staff members at the university.

2. AUTHORITY

The Board of Visitors has the authority to enact personnel policies for all employees of the university. Where it has not exercised that authority, it is delegated to the president.

3. DEFINITIONS

Staff Member
Full-time classified employee

4. APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all emeritus staff designations at the university.

5. POLICY

In appropriate cases, retired staff members may be recognized by being designated as emeritus staff upon retirement.

6. PROCEDURE

6.1 Eligibility

A retired staff member is eligible to be nominated for emeritus status if she or he:

  • has been an active, full-time classified employee for a minimum of 10 years at James Madison University;
  • has retired in good standing;
  • has been nominated in writing by a senior vice president or the executive assistant to the president; and
  • has a record of noteworthy contributions throughout her or his JMU career.

Emeritus status is granted by the President. Emeritus status is a privilege and is neither a right nor an entitlement of any retired staff member.

6.2 Status as Emeritus

The emeritus status will be that held by the staff member once the nomination has been approved. Emeritus status may be removed by the university at any time.

6.3 Privileges

An emeritus staff member is eligible to use university facilities and participate in university activities. These may include but are not limited to the following:

  • an e-mail account
  • a JACard
  • access to university Dining Services meal plans
  • a parking permit
  • use of the libraries
  • use of recreational facilities  
  • bookstore discounts
  • on-campus waiver of tuition
  • participation in appropriate university events

Use of or access to these services is determined at the discretion of the service provider. Emeritus staff members do not normally receive remuneration, although they may be hired by the university on a part-time basis. Affiliate employees may not use an emeritus parking tag for parking during work hours.

6.4 Procedures for designation

A senior vice president or the executive assistant to the president should contact Human Resources to determine a staff member's eligibility. Once eligibility is reviewed by Human Resources, the nominator sends a written nomination to the President.

6.4.1 If approved by the President, a letter will be sent to the recipient indicating approval of her or his emeritus staff designation.

6.4.2 A copy of this letter will also be sent to Human Resources for processing the emeritus staff designation in the Human Resource Management System.

6.4.3 Human Resources will notify the department to complete an Affiliate Form for the employee.

7. RESPONSIBILITIES

A senior vice president or the executive assistant to the president is responsible for reviewing nominations with Human Resources and for providing written nominations to the president.

Human Resources is responsible for verifying eligibility for all nominations for emeritus staff status.

8. SANCTIONS

None

9. EXCLUSIONS

This policy does not apply to instructional faculty, administrative and professional faculty, wage employees or part-time employees. This policy does not apply to emeritus faculty, that policy can be found Policy 2105.

See JMU Policy 2105 for information on emeritus status for instructional faculty and administrative and professional faculty.

10. INTERPRETATION

The authority to interpret this policy rests with the President and is generally delegated to the Director of Human Resources.

Previous Version: December 2009
Approved by the President: April 2008


Index of Terms
Emeritus staff