Preparing for Retirement

For many faculty who have spent much of their adult life in the world of academia, the prospect of planning for the next chapter of their lives can be quite daunting. The University offers resources to help faculty understand their retirement options and the associated  financial considerations. CFETI also works with the Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) on events that support faculty as they contemplate, make and then adjust to this major transition.

• CFETI Retirement Workshops

  • Co-hosted with ERFA, these workshops are a great place to engage in discussion about the social and professional dimensions of retirement. Topics include the basics of CalPERS retirement, applying for the Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP) and emeritus status, and more.

    Save the date for the upcoming AY2024-25 meetings:

    • Zoom: Thursday, October 17, 2024 from 12:00 - 1:15pm
    • In Person: Monday, February 10, 2025 from 12:00 - 1:15pm

• Retiring Faculty Celebration

  • Each spring, the University President and Provost host a reception to honor faculty who are retiring or who have entered/exited FERP status. 

    Save the date for the AY2024-25 reception, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, April 22, 2025.

• Interviews with Retired Faculty

  • A series of brief videotaped interviews with retired SJSU faculty. We have sought to provide a window onto their experience as they contemplated, completed and then adjusted to retirement. Watch the videos on their advice for current faculty.

• Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association

  • The Emeritus and Retired Faculty Association (ERFA) serves San José State University Emeritus and/or retired tenured faculty, faculty participating in FERP, retired lecturers, and retired academic administrators who are CalPERS annuitants. The organization promotes continued connections with campus and colleagues through social events and special projects.

    The ERFA website is the place to learn more about the organization and it's activities. 

SJSU Campus Resources

• Retirement Programs at SJSU

  • UP-FS maintains this comprehensive collection of resources to help you understand your retirement options, including calculating your retirement benefits, retiree health insurance, and CalPERS information.

• Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP)

  • A program that provides a transition from full-time teaching to full-time retirement. It allows a faculty member to receive his/her 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.

• Pre-Retirement Reduction in Time Base (PRTB)

  • This program allows eligible faculty to work less than full time while still earning full service credit toward retirement for up to five years prior to taking retirement.

• Emeritus Faculty Status

  • Emeritus status enables faculty to retain their SJSU credentials (ID) which gives them access to their SJSU email account and all other faculty resources at SJSU—and free parking on campus.

Off-Campus Resources and Readings

• CalPERS Online

  • A portal for viewing your individual retirement information.

• Advancing an Agenda for Excellence [pdf]

  • A brief report by the American Council on Education [pdf] with takeaways from their 2011 conference on retirement transitions.

• Center for Retirement Research of Boston College

  • Research and educational tools for the academic community.

• Retirement Planning Research Laboratory

  • A site dedicated to the study of when, why, and how effectively individuals plan for retirement.

• “Successful Retirement”

  • A compilation of research on retirement by Dr. Jill Steinberg, SJSU Professor Emerita of Psychology and former Director of the Peer Mentor Program.