Retirements and Recalls

Transitioning to retirement is an exciting and significant life change. It’s important to plan ahead. Listed below are some of the many resources UC offers.

Retirement Dates for Academic-Year Appointees

Recall to Service after Retirement

Retirement Dates for Academic-Year Appointees

Academic-Year appointees serve from the beginning of the service period in fall to the end of the service period in spring. The service periods for each quarter are published in the University Academic Calendar. Although Academic-Year appointees work nine months, they are paid 12 months, and are pre-paid to some extent for each quarter of service. Academic-Year pay periods are:

July 1 – October 31 – Fall Quarter Pay Period

November 1 – February 28 (29) – Winter Quarter Pay Period

March 1 – June 30 – Spring Quarter Pay Period

(See APM 600-20, 600-21 and APM 600 Appendix 6)

When an Academic-Year appointee is considering retirement mid-year, it is important to remember that the date of separation must correspond to the Pay Period End Date for the quarter, even though the appointee will need to complete the service period for that quarter. Otherwise, payment beyond the Pay Period End Date for the quarter could result in overpayments that the appointee would be required to pay back.

For example, Professor Academic-Year would like to retire at the end of Fall Quarter on December 31st, and wants to take an annual annuity retirement option, rather than a lump sum. Professor Academic-Year is paid for Fall Quarter service with paychecks for July (received on or about August 1st), August (received on or about September1st), September (received on or about October1st) and October (received on or about November 1st). Professor Academic-Year provides service to the University in Fall Quarter (late September, October, November and December). The last day on pay status would be October 31st and Professor Academic-Year would not receive pay checks for December 1 or January 1. Any payments beyond November 1 would result in overpayment which the academic would need to repay to the University. Should Professor Academic-Year wish to continue benefits coverage after November 1, Professor Academic-Year would need to contact the UCD Benefits Office and/or Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) to continue coverage payments.

Retirement Planning Classes

"Transitioning to Retirement" Workshops

"Transitioning to Retirement," is a program with separate sessions for UC Davis faculty/academics and staff, providing valuable information and tools to assist with planning a successful strategy for retirement. This four-part workshop series encompasses several different aspects and themes of retirement planning.

All sessions require pre-enrollment. Information about the program along with enrollment instructions are available on our website (Pre-Retirement Workshops website) and the Retirement Planning section of the UC Davis Retiree Center’s website. These workshops are offered at both the Davis and Sacramento campuses and are intended for employees/appointees considering retirement within the next five to eight years. When sessions are offered, space is limited, so early registration is advised and available through the Learning & Organizational Development website.

For more information, e-mail the UC Davis Retiree Center or call (530) 752-5182.

Additional workshops on Retirement Services

The UC Davis Benefits Office sponsors several financial workshops, presented by the representative from Fidelity Retirement Services. Workshop topics include the UC Retirement Savings Program, building a portfolio, preparing savings for retirement, establishing and maintaining an estate plan, and others. Please visit myretirement.com/Classes and choose your location to see the schedule of upcoming classes near you. You can review the Description of Classes document for details on the available courses. Some classes may also be offered as a webinar (see schedule for available offerings). In addition to the workshops offered by Fidelity Retirement Services, the campus Benefits Office offers a Retirement Planning class throughout the year. The class presents an overview of the pension and survivor benefits provided by the University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP), as well as information about health insurance eligibility for retirees. It runs approximately 3 hours and is designed for UC employees who are within 5 years of retirement. The retirement preparation classes are listed on the Staff Development and Professional Services (SD&PS) website (search for "retirement").

Retirement Benefits

The Retirement Administration Service Center (RASC) at the Office of the President in Oakland offers information and counseling for academic and staff employees for individual retirement planning. For information on pre-retirement savings programs, retirement income and medical benefits after retirement visit the UC Davis Human Resources Retirement & Savings website.

The Retiree Center also offers a variety of services to help with pre-retirement planning and the transition to retirement, as well as ways to stay engaged in campus community life after retirement. This unit also supports the work of the Emeriti and Retirees' Associations.

If you’re a longtime UC faculty member, you may be surprised to see that the amount of your retirement check is not far off from your final paycheck. To create a similar comparison of your paycheck and potential retirement check, there are tools available at UCnet and UC Retirement At Your Service (UCRAYS).

To view your estimated retirement benefit, sign in to UC Retirement At Your Service (UCRAYS) (https://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/retirees/ucrays-how-to-guide.html), and click on “Retirement Estimates”. Additionally you can create a more detailed estimate through Create a Retirement Estimate to model a different retirement scenario. Beneficiary designations can also be managed here. Note that, if you choose your spouse or domestic partner as your contingent annuitant, he/she would receive both the survivor and contingent annuitant benefit.

Retiree health insurance premium costs are available at: http://ucnet.universityofcalifornia.edu/compensation-and-benefits/health-plans/medical/retiree-plan-costs.html

Emeritus Status

Emeritus status is automatically granted to members of the Academic Senate at the time of retirement, for the following titles:

Associate Professor, Associate Professor of Clinical X, Associate Professor in Residence
Professor, Professor of Clinical X, Professor in Residence
Associate Professor of Teaching
Professor of Teaching

For those who held an academic position at the time of retirement and who are not members of the Academic Senate, the academic appointee may be nominated and reviewed for conferral of the Emeritus title.

See APM 120 and UCD 120 for policy and procedures on the nomination and review process.

For information on which emeritus title code to enter into the payroll system, please consult the Emeritus Title Code Map.

For Non-Senate Retirees refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Regarding Non-Senate Retirees

Recall to Service after Retirement

If you return to active appointment in the future, including recall appointment, we recommend you consult a tax professional regarding how your retirement account distributions may be affected by the recall appointment. Additionally, please review the Returning to UC Employment After Retirement fact sheet which contains additional information about distributions options when returning to work at UC after retirement.

For those who held an academic title prior to retirement, a recall appointment to active service may be an option. It’s possible for a recall appointment to be paid or without salary. APM 205 outlines the general university policy and procedure on recall appointments. Based on departmental needs and resources, recall activities might include:

extramurally funded research
teaching - including possible opportunities for teaching in Summer Sessions, developing and leading a Summer Abroad program
volunteering to teach Freshman Seminars
advising students
serving on committees
serving in an administrative position

Recall appointments may not exceed a total of 43 percent time per month, inclusive of all recalls and are paid as fiscal-year appointments. The maximum salary rate for recall appointments that include teaching, research, or other non-administrative duties is the individual’s annual base salary rate (including any off-scale salary) for the academic position held at the time of retirement, range adjusted forward, then multiplied by .43. Please use the Recall Title Code Guide to select the correct title code.

Please note, as a retired academic appointee with a recall appointment, you are considered an “active” or “in-service” employee. Internal Revenue Code (IRC) governs in-service distributions from the UC retirement and savings plans - University of California Retirement Plan (UCRP), 403(b), 457(b), and Defined Contribution Plan accounts (including the accounts for Safe Harbor or Saving Choice participants). Because the IRC rules for each account type vary, and because these rules may affect access to your retirement funds while you are an active recalled appointee, we recommend that you contact your tax professional or retirement advisor to determine if returning to active recall appointment will prevent you from taking distributions from your retirement accounts during your recall appointment and to examine your options. You may also review the aforementioned fact sheet which has additional information about distributions options while working at UC after retirement.

For Non-Senate Retirees refer to the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Regarding Non-Senate Retirees

Fiscal Year Appointees - at time of retirement (excluding Health Sciences Compensation Plan members)

The formula for a Fiscal Year appointee who had an off-scale at the time of retirement is:

A [total base] + B [off-scale salary] = T [total salary at the time of retirement]

(Note: The total salary at the time of retirement must be range adjusted forward to the current base scale at the same rank and step. The off-scale increment is then multiplied by the percent of adjustment applied to each scale for each range year.)

T ÷ 12 = M [monthly rate at 100%]
M [monthly rate at 100%] X .43 [maximum percent allowable under recall]
= Z [maximum allowable monthly salary under recall]

For example, the maximum allowable monthly salary for a Professor –Fiscal Year, Step I, with a base salary of $92,900 and an off-scale salary of $7,100 for a total salary of $100,000 on recall would be $3,583.33:

$100,000 (total base + off-scale salary) ÷ 12 = $8,333.33 (monthly rate at 100%);
$8,333.33 (monthly rate at 100%) X .43 (maximum allowable percent under recall) =
$3,583.33 (maximum allowable monthly salary under recall)

Academic Year Appointees - at time of retirement

The formula for an Academic Year appointee who had an off-scale at the time of retirement is:

A [total base] + B [off-scale salary] = T [total salary at the time of retirement]

T ÷ 9 = M [monthly rate at 100%]
M [monthly rate at 100%] X .43 [maximum percent allowable under recall]
= Z [maximum allowable monthly salary under recall]

For example, the maximum allowable monthly salary for a Professor –Academic Year, Step I, with a base salary of $80,100 and an off-scale salary of $7,900 for a total salary of $88,000 on recall would be $4,204.45:

$88,000 (total base + off-scale salary) ÷ 9 = $9,777.78 (monthly rate at 100%);
$9,777.78 (monthly rate at 100%) X .43 (maximum allowable percent under recall)
$4,204.45 (maximum allowable monthly salary under recall)

Health Sciences Compensation Plan members - at time of retirement

Membership in the Health Sciences Compensation Plan (HSCP) as a recalled academic appointee is determined by the HSCP salary structure. See APM 205-18-b for additional information.

Recall to active service, whether paid or without salary (WOS), requires pre-approval. All recall requests must be submitted as an Exemption request by the department using UC Davis Recruit, which will route through the chair, to the dean, and to the Vice Provost--Academic Affairs for final approval.

Research Professor Title

The working title of "Research Professor" may be used on grant applications by Emeriti Professors, who wish to continue to apply for research grants, provided they are on an active recall for teaching and extramurally funded research, or for extramurally funded research only.