Emeritus Guidance

An emeritus appointment is an honor awarded by the Board of Trustees to distinguished faculty nominated by their respective Schools. Minimum criteria for the rank of emeritus applicable to all Duke faculty are articulated in the Duke University Faculty Handbook (excerpt below). This guidance articulates additional conditions and stipulations that guide reviews of emeritus nominations by the School of Medicine Appointments, Promotion, and Tenure (APT) office and the Dean. All nominations must be approved by the Department Chair, APT Office, and Dean. Approval is reserved for distinguished faculty and is not guaranteed.

1. Per the Faculty Handbook, Chapter 4: Professional Affairs of the Faculty:
   
   Emeritus Status – By action of the Board of Trustees, and after recommendation by the dean and the provost and approval by the president, regular rank faculty members who retire at age sixty-five or over, or who have served the university for at least ten years, may receive the emeritus title of the same faculty rank they held at retirement. Along with this title go certain privileges, such as inclusion in faculty mailing lists and invitations to attend appropriate university functions. In addition, of course, are the financial benefits available to all eligible retired faculty. Duke University Faculty Handbook, Chapter 4, Emeritus Status.
    
2. In addition, the School of Medicine considers the following when evaluating a department’s nomination of a faculty member for an emeritus appointment.
    
   • Retirement from full-time employment at Duke is required and should generally coincide with the end of the full-time career of the faculty member. Exceptions can be considered on a case- by-case basis. If the faculty member intends to access Duke retiree benefits (whether at time of retirement from Duke or at a future point in time), consultation with Duke Benefits is strongly recommended.
      
   • A history of having a full-time, regular rank, Duke faculty appointment for at least 10 years is required. The period of full-time effort must be at least 10 years. However, recognizing the possibility of a stepped retirement process, full-time effort at the time of retirement is not required.
      
   • For former Duke faculty not employed at Duke at the time of the request for an emeritus appointment, contribution and engagement with the Duke mission in the interim since Duke employment is required. An adjunct (non-regular rank) faculty appointment when employed external to Duke is one mechanism to maintain the relationship. Of note, an adjunct appointment may disqualify a faculty member from receiving Duke retiree benefits. If the faculty member intends to access Duke retiree benefits (whether at time of retirement from Duke or at a future point in time), consultation with Duke Benefits is strongly recommended.
      
   • A substantive record of scholarship is required, with impact in at least 2 of the following 4 domains*:
     • Development and dissemination of advances in the clinical care of patients
     • Original research that advances knowledge and understanding
     • Outstanding contributions to the educational mission, especially impact external to Duke
     • Advancing the administrative operations of the institution
       
       * It is anticipated that faculty at the rank of Professor (any track) will have met the requirements for scholarship and impact, and that this list will be most useful for evaluating faculty who have not achieved the rank of Professor.
        
   • Consistent adherence to professionalism and research integrity standards across the entirety of the professional life of the faculty member is required.
      
   • Continued interest, capacity, contribution, and engagement with the Duke mission beyond the retirement date is expected.
      
   • When requested and approved, emeritus faculty may participate in teaching responsibilities on a temporary basis and may be compensated for these activities. Requests for compensation of emeritus faculty should follow standard School of Medicine salary review processes (i.e., SEA change submission with compensation determined by rank, equity, type of effort, and work schedule).
      
   • When requested and approved, emeritus faculty may participate in limited research responsibilities on a temporary basis and may be compensated for these activities. Requests for compensation of emeritus faculty should follow standard School of Medicine salary review processes (i.e., SEA change submission with compensation determined by rank, equity, type of effort, and work schedule). Emeritus faculty conducting research must remain in full compliance with training, disclosure, and other regulatory requirements for research at Duke, including but not limited to: Stewardship and Compliance for Research Investigators (SCRI) training, Annual Conflict of Interest disclosure, Responsible Conduct of Research training, travel reporting, and Proposal and Award attestations. The primary department of the faculty member will remain responsible for assessing and reporting compliance of the emeritus faculty member.
      
     • The relinquishing of principal investigator (PI) research responsibilities is expected. Opportunities to be a PI will be rare and will be considered only under compelling circumstances. Eligibility for PI status is addressed in the Faculty Handbook (Chapter 4) as “conditional on the approval by the Dean and Provost, and upon the availability of departmental and other necessary resources.” All requests to remain PI of an ongoing project or become PI of a new project must go through the Duke Office for Research and Innovation (OR&I) process for requesting PI eligibility. If the request is approved by OR&I based on compelling circumstances, approval by the Dean and Provost is also required.
        
3. Submission and Review Process:
   • Prior to submitting an emeritus appointment request, the faculty member should have a discussion with their Department Chair and/or Division Chief to determine eligibility based on University and School of Medicine criteria.
   • At least 6 months prior to retirement, the following materials are to be submitted to the SOM APT Office, SOMAPT@duke.edu.
     • Letter from faculty member to Department Chair/Division Chief that includes:
       • Official date of retirement
       • Request for emeritus appointment
       • Planned activities after Duke retirement (e.g., continuing mentoring activities, participation in conferences, limited research-related activities, etc.)
     • Current Curriculum Vitae
     • Nomination letter from the Department Chair to the Dean supporting the emeritus appointment, including the official date of retirement as well as potential activities at Duke after retirement (especially if continuing mentoring activities, teaching responsibilities, research-related activities, etc.) [See template below.]
       • Note:  Some departments may require a nomination letter from the Division Chief to the Department Chair requesting the emeritus appointment.
   • The emeritus appointment request and supporting documentation are reviewed by the Dean or delegate.
     • If approved, the Dean submits a signed memorandum to the Office for Faculty.  A copy is sent to the Department APT office for their records. The Department dFac user or DAPT Coordinator submits the promotion/change of status form in dFac.
     • If not approved, the Department Chair is notified.
4. Additional comments about emeritus status:
   • The emeritus title will correspond to the Duke faculty rank at retirement and become effective following retirement and Board of Trustees approval. Additional titles (e.g., “named chair”) may also be included in the emeritus title.
      
   • For former Duke faculty not employed at Duke at the time of the request for an emeritus appointment, the emeritus title will correspond to the last Duke regular rank faculty title.
      
   • Emeritus faculty may be consulted by Department Appointment, Promotion and Tenure committees but are not allowed to vote.
      
   • Emeritus faculty are expected to continue to abide by and be subject to all applicable Duke policies, procedures, and standards of professional conduct, including the Duke School of Medicine Statement on Faculty Professionalism, Values, and Code of Professional Conduct.
      
   • Emeritus status will be reviewed by the primary Department at least every 5 years and may be removed or withdrawn at any time for reasons including, but not limited to, misconduct or violation of the professional standards referenced above.

Revision History

Nomination Letter Template – Please place on Department Letterhead and submit 6 months prior to faculty member’s retirement date.  Include a copy of the faculty member’s letter stating their retirement as well as a current copy of their CV.

[Date]

Mary E. Klotman, MD
Executive Vice President for Health Affairs, Duke University
Dean, Duke University School of Medicine
Chief Academic Officer, Duke Health
124B Davison Building
Duke University
Durham, NC 27710

Dear Dean Klotman:

It is my great pleasure to nominate Dr. FName LName for an emeritus appointment in the Department of [DeptName] effective [insert date]. Dr. LName is currently a [insert rank, e.g., Professor with tenure] and will officially retire from Duke University on [insert retirement date].  S/He does not plan any further compensated clinical, teaching, or research activity at Duke.

[Insert 2-3 paragraphs describing the faculty member’s career at Duke].

[Describe how the faculty member will continue to be involved in activities at Duke (e.g., mentoring activities, teaching responsibilities, research-related activities, etc.)].

Throughout his/her Duke career, s/he has adhered to the highest standards of professionalism and research integrity and will continue to do so as an emeritus faculty member.

In conclusion, I fully support Dr. LName’s nomination for an emeritus appointment. Our department is extremely grateful for Dr. LName’s profound contributions to the Department, School of Medicine, and Duke University.

Sincerely,

Department Chair Signature Block

Attachments:   Dr. LName’s retirement notification letter
                          Dr. LName’s CV