While it is generally understood that defined benefit pension systems concentrate benefits on career teachers and impose costs on mobile teachers, there has been very little analysis of the magnitude of these effects. The authors develop a measure of implicit redistribution of pension wealth among teachers at varying ages of separation. Compared…

Uncapping the mandatory retirement age is unlikely to alter retirement age by much, but it will lead to substantially higher pensions for faculty members who continue to work. Institutions must monitor retirement-age behavior in order to restructure pension and other benefits appropriately to meet income and retirement objectives. (Author/MSE)

A survey of 322 University of Queensland (Australia) faculty found changes in attitudes about retirement age and about terms and conditions of employment at later ages. Implications are discussed and barriers to more flexible faculty employment are examined, including the current structure of retirement benefits, taxes, and flexible retirement;…

Across the nation, schools increasingly are tapping into a vast resource pool--retired educators. The potential effects of the retirement boom--baby boomers reaching retirement age--have been well documented. An April 2009 "New York Times" article estimates that by 2013, more than one-third of the nation's 3.2 million teachers could…

As many baby boomers prepare to retire in the next decade, there are not enough young junior faculty members in the professoriate to replace them, according to a recent study by the American Council on Education (ACE). The ACE report, "Too Many Rungs on the Ladder? Faculty Demographics and the Future of Leadership in Higher Education," highlights…

The traditional teaching career is collapsing at both ends. Beginners are being driven away by antiquated preparation practices, outdated school staffing policies, and inadequate career rewards. At the end of their careers, accomplished veterans who still have much to contribute are being separated from their schools by obsolete retirement…

An analysis of the impact of increasing the minimum mandatory retirement age on the retirement patterns of older adults across the entire economy suggests that because of the strong disincentives to work embedded in social security and many employee pensions, most workers will continue to retire in their early sixties. (MSE)

California public community colleges (n=106) were surveyed regarding projected retirements at age 65 of certificated college staff and faculty members for the years 1977-78 through 1981-82. Survey responses identified 1,041 persons employed at least 60% of full-time that would reach age 65 between 1977 and 1982. By year, these figures were: 125 in…

This study examines the age distribution of faculty retirements at 101 colleges and universities offering at least the baccalaureate degree, representing 35,000 faculty. It examines both historical retirement patterns and distributions of faculty by age and discipline. The study also examines data from a survey of 518 retired faculty members…

A study of the historical connection between pension, mandatory retirement age, and retirement behavior in higher education suggests that raising the mandatory retirement age from 65 to 70 will have relatively small, short-term effects on the retirement timing of tenured faculty members. (Author/MSE)

This volume offers 15 papers on the "graying" of the college and university work force in the context of national demographic trends. The papers are arranged in groups which address: growing older, the graying of America, adapting to changing times, retirement and retirement planning, and the corporate example. The following papers are presented:…

Tenure arrangements are long-term contracts. If their duration is clear, they will protect academic freedom, provide institutions with the flexibility needed to meet changing circumstances, and comply with age-discrimination laws. Policy for the termination of tenure must be redesigned to satisfy competing needs and goals. (Author/MSE)

Late-career decisions are made by faculty who vary widely in career achievement, personal circumstances, and now, retirement patterns. (Contains 10 tables.)

This article contains suggestions for teachers wishing to remain active in the field of education but not on a full-time basis, especially considering that the oldest of the baby boomers have begun to retire, that people are living longer, and a growing segment of the workforce views retirement as a transition to a new venture, not the end of an…

Analyzes the impact of market conditions and instructional practices on faculty composition in the next few decades. (Editor/JT)