Donate
  • About
  • Rent College Pads
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
Search
News
Opinions
Sports
Classifieds
Comics
BMA
Events
Subscribe

Wednesday, May 18, 2022
Print Archive

Eastern Echo
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
  • Search
  • News
  • Sports
  • Opinions
  • Comics
  • Podcast
  • BMA
  • Events
  • Classifieds
Search

Subscribe to the Echo

Donate to The Echo

You can support the Echo by donating through the EMU Foundation and selecting to apply your gift to a specific fund. Any of the funds listed below will provide support to the Echo.

01049 -- EMU Echo Editor Endowed Scholarship:  Provides financial support for the current EMU Echo Editor.

02414 -- Scott Stephenson Eastern Echo Scholarship:  This expendable scholarship is for the benefit of student(s) in the School of Communication, Media & Theater Arts in the College of Arts & Sciences.  It will be awarded to a full or part-time junior or senior EMU student majoring in journalism and working for the Eastern Echo.  The student should be working to self-finance their education and not be eligible for need-based grants.

00825 -- Student Media Development:  Provides support for the Student Media program.

Thank you for supporting the Echo and EMU Student Media.

Give Now


9/4/2019, 1:17am

142 Eastern Michigan University employees accept early retirement buyouts

Within the next year, 142 EMU employees are set to retire from the university through the Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Plan.

By Ashlee Buhler
142 Eastern Michigan University employees accept early retirement buyouts

An aerial view of the southwestern corner of Eastern Michigan University’s campus. (photo courtesy of Eastern Michigan University)

Share

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Mail
  • Print

One hundred forty-two Eastern Michigan University employees are set to retire from the university within the next year.

In May, the university announced a Voluntary Early Retirement Incentive Plan (VERIP) that gave full-time faculty and staff the opportunity to accept a payout and retire.

More than 600 employees were eligible for the offer. Of the 142 employees who accepted the buyout, there were 42 professors, 10 full-time lecturers, one athletic head coach (swimming team) and 21 administrative professionals including the director of the Student Center.

The plan offers employees their 2019 base salary in monthly payments over the course of five years. The plan also covers 100% of the employee’s current health, dental and vision premiums for three months following their exit date.

Faculty and full-time lecturers who took the buyout are set to exit Aug. 31 or Dec. 31. Other staff members are scheduled to exit on Sept. 30. Depending on their job position and the university’s operational needs, some employees may be asked to stay for up to a year beyond their elected exit date.

Tim White, who served as the aquatics coordinator at the REC/IM for the last 19 years, decided to take the buyout after contemplating it several years. White is set to retire on Sept. 30.

“They offered the buyout a couple of years ago, and I put in for it then,” White said. “20 minutes before it was finalized, I pulled my paperwork with the idea that there was too many things left outstanding and my leaving would affect too many students and athletes with the swimming teams and the dive team … This time when it came through, I had already been considering leaving just because I had become somewhat disenchanted with my job and what it took. The offer was there, I was looking at maybe retiring in 6 months or a year from now, anyhow, so for them to offer some other incentive, I might as well go ahead and do it.”

Eastern Michigan President James Smith said in a statement that nationwide drops in enrollment and the growing demand for new technology and online learning has left colleges and universities continuously changing how they serve students.

“The VERIP initiative is one step in our ongoing efforts to shape our future in the context of this ‘new normal,’” Smith wrote. “Some may understandably view these disruptions to higher education with concern and fear. I believe, however, that it is far more productive to view this opportunity with optimism. Change is inevitable and often exciting.”

Geoff Larcom, executive director of media relations, said the amount of savings that come from the program won’t be determined until after the university assess the effected positions and decides what the appropriate steps are in terms of consolidation or hiring replacements.

Share



Related Stories

An aerial view of the southwestern corner of Eastern Michigan University’s campus. (photo courtesy of Eastern Michigan University)

Eastern Michigan University faculty and staff offered early retirement buyouts

By Ashlee Buhler

NAACP President Kya Fordham reads off the list of demands of affected students at today's rally.

Recent Campus Hate Incident Displays EMU’s Lack of Protective Policy

By Malaya Elgarico and Arica Frisbey

picnic.jpg

Campus Picnic and T-Shirt Exchange celebrate homecoming

By Olivia Grills


The Eastern Echo welcomes thoughtful discussion on all of our stories, but please keep comments civil and on-topic. Read our full guidelines here.


Most Popular


5/16/2022, 8:00am

Review: Jack Harlow gets hit with the sophomore slumps with new album 'Come Home The Kids Miss You'

By Aaron Hughes

Jack Harlow was a name you could not avoid over the past two years. After seemingly being on fire, his new album may extinguish that flame.


5/12/2022, 8:00am

Great places to visit during a trip to Chicago


5/12/2022, 5:31pm

Stamp Out Hunger food drive returns Saturday


5/16/2022, 8:00am

EMU announces new dean for the College of Education


Podcast


2/26/2022, 7:45pm

Podcast: February 23rd, 2022


5/14/2022, 6:20pm

Podcast: May 14th, 2022


4/22/2022, 11:14am

Podcast: April 21, 2022


4/14/2022, 9:26am

Podcast: April 14, 2022


Tweets by TheEasternEcho
Eastern Michigan Echo To Homepage
  • About
  • Jobs
  • Freelance
  • Submissions
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Distribution

All Rights Reserved

© Copyright 2022 The Eastern Echo

Powered by Solutions by The State News.