Departures
The content on this page applies to the following career tracks:
- Clinician-Educators
- Investigators
- Team Scientists
Retirement
Retirement (retaining netID, Wildcard and email address)Eligible at 55 years of age
Eligible at 55 years of age
*Note: Coterminous, visiting, and adjunct faculty are not eligible for retirement.
Submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Position Data/Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
- Add this note in the comments: "Retain WildCard and email"
- Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
- NMG records only: On the appointment form of an NMG record, enter an action/reason code of TER/NRT (this is used to evaluate retirement benefits eligibility)
- Retiree Privileges Form (PDF)
- Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)
If also requesting Emeritus status, see our Honorific Appointments page
Retirement (relinquishing netID, Wildcard and email address)Eligible at 55 years of age
*Note: Coterminous, visiting, and adjunct faculty are not eligible for retirement.
Submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Position Data/Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the retirement. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
- Appointment form action/reason code: TER/RTT
- NMG records only: On the appointment form of an NMG record, enter an action/reason code of TER/NRT (this is used to evaluate retirement benefits eligibility)
- Faculty member's letter of retirement (optional)
Phased RetirementEligible at 55 years of age with at least 15 years of service
*Note: Coterminous, visiting, and adjunct faculty are not eligible for retirement.
Submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Phased Retirement Agreement
- Retiring faculty member needs to sign
- Department Chair should co-sign the line for the dean (dean's signature will be obtained by FAO after form is received via OnBase)
- Position Data/Appointment Forms, printed from myHR and updated. Use this guidance to fill out appointment side of form:
- Effective date = start date of phased retirement; appointment end date does not change
- Action/reason code = PAY/PRE
- Reduce salary to 60% of full-time salary
- Basis should remain 100% (effort distribution may change based on salary adjustment)
- After submitting via OnBase, forward the OnBase confirmation to fao@northwestern and indicate whether the department plans to request emeritus status at the time of full retirement. See the Honorific Appointments page for more information about emeritus appointments.
Exiting Northwestern
ResignationVoluntary departure initiated by the faculty member
Submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page).
- Upload the faculty member's resignation letter (if available) separately to its respective button
- Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Resignation Cover Sheet
- Position Data / Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the resignation. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
- Common appointment form action/reason codes:
TER/OTP (resignation for another position)
TER/PER (resignation for personal reasons) - Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
Termination or Appointment Non-renewalInvoluntary departure initiated by the department
Phase 1: Provide Written Notice of Appointment Non-Renewal
Faculty must receive advance written notice from the Department Chair that the appointment will not be renewed; the amount of notice is dependent on the length of the faculty member's current appointment term. If you wish to discuss the case before providing the notification, contact fao@northwestern.edu
Exception: Most faculty who practice clinically are required to remain in good standing at their clinical employer in order to retain their faculty appointment. If the clinical employer terminates their employment, the faculty appointment can be terminated the same day as the clinical employment, without the same advance notice requirements. If this situation arises, please contact fao@northwestern.edu to discuss the case.
- Prepare the letter (template available below) and send to the faculty member:
- Faculty in one-year appointment terms must receive 4 months' advance notice
Intent not to reappoint- appointment ending this year (letter template) - Faculty in three-year appointment terms must receive 1 year's advance notice
Intent not to reappoint- appointment ending in 1 year (letter template)
- Faculty in one-year appointment terms must receive 4 months' advance notice
- Submit a copy of the letter to FAO via the online Faculty Appointment Non-renewal form
Phase 2: Submit Termination Transaction Via OnBase
To process a termination after providing advance notice to the faculty member, submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Position Data/Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the termination. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission. (If a secondary department wishes to retain an appointment for the faculty member, it would submit an additional OnBase transaction separately to propose an appointment change.)
- Appointment form action/reason codes: depends on termination reason, so consult action/reason code matrix
- Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
- Copy of written notification provided to faculty member
Death
Submit via the OnBase submission form (for help, view this OnBase page). Combine the following documents into a single PDF file and upload to the Position / Appointment Form button. When combining documents, use this order:
- Position Data/Appointment Forms
- Download ALL active records (e.g., secondary appointments) and update as needed. If the faculty member has appointments in other departments, notify the other departments of the death. The position/appointment forms to end all appointments should be submitted by the primary department through its OnBase submission.
- Appointment form action/reason code: TER/DEA
- Position form action/reason code: POS/INA
- Obituary (if available)