Full-time faculty members may, with District approval, participate in the early-retirement Reduce Workload Program whereby they may reduce their workload from full-time to a minimum of fifty percent (50%) of a regular load and have their retirement and other benefits based on full-time employment. To qualify for this program, the faculty member shall comply with the following:
18.2.1 The faculty member must reach the age of 55 prior to the first day of the semester for which the reduced work load is requested.
18.2.2 The faculty member must have been employed full-time in the District in a faculty position for at least ten (10) years. The immediately preceding five (5) years must have all been full- time service in the District.
18.2.2.1 The faculty member may not have had a break in service during the five years immediately preceding the reduction in workload.
18.2.2.2 For purposes of this section, sabbaticals, other approved leaves of absence, and unpaid absences from the performance of creditable service for personal reasons do not constitute a break in service.
18.2.3 Effective May 22, 2009, all faculty members who apply for the Early Retirement Program from PERS/STRS, shall be eligible to participate in this program for no more than five years. Once participation in the Early Retirement Program is completed, the faculty member shall retire. The faculty member may elect to retire fully prior to the completion of anticipated participation in this program. The effective date of retirement must occur at the completion of an academic assignment.
Faculty members who applied prior to May 22nd, 2009 and are current participants in the Early
Retirement Program from PERS/STRS are eligible to continue in this program for no more than ten years at which time the faculty member shall retire. Once participation in the Early Retirement Program is completed, the faculty member shall retire. The faculty member may elect to retire fully prior to the completion of anticipated participation in this program. The effective date of retirement must occur at the completion of an academic assignment.
18.2.3.1 During the first year of the reduction in work load in the early retirement program, the faculty member may submit a written request to return to full-time employment at the beginning of the next academic year. Such a request shall be granted if it is received by the District on or before April 1st of the academic year in which it is submitted.
18.2.3.2 The option of part-time employment shall be exercised at the request of the faculty member and can be revoked only with the mutual consent of the faculty member and employer.
106
The option of participation in said program shall be initiated by the faculty member. A formal written request must be submitted to Human Resources by April 1 of the preceding Academic year. The specific assignment must be mutually agreed upon by the faculty member and employer. The District must inform the member in writing, of action on the request at least thirty (30) days prior to the beginning of the effective semester.
18.2.5 The minimum 50% of an annual regular work load may be one semester full-time or two semesters half-time or any variation that will result in completing the minimum of 50% employment within one fiscal year.
18.2.6 The faculty member shall receive a salary which is the pro-rata share of the salary the faculty member would have received in full-time employment.
18.2.7 The faculty member shall retain all other rights and benefits for which the faculty member and/or the District makes payments that would be required if the faculty member remained in full-time employment.
18.2.8 The faculty member and employer agree to submit contributions to the S.T.R.S./P.E.R.S. based on compensation which the faculty member would have earned for full-time service. 18.2.9 All leave benefits afforded a faculty member shall be earned by the Early-
Retirement Program participant on a pro-rata basis of a full-time workload.
18.2.10 During the first year of a faculty member's participation in this program, said faculty member shall be deemed to be on a leave for that portion of the workload that has been reduced. If the faculty member wishes to be re-instated to a full-time position, the faculty member must notify the District in writing of the intent to return no later than April 1 of the year of participation in this program. When a faculty member notifies the District of intent to be reinstated, the District shall do so.
18.2.11 Early retirees will have the option of making up days of non-paid absence per year based upon their percentage of load (one day for each 10% of load) by performing additional duties approved by the college.
18.2.12 A faculty member whose contract has been reduced under this article shall fulfill the appropriate pro-rata share of other faculty duties that would have been required had the faculty member continued as a full-time faculty member.
18.2.13 Faculty in a STRS/PERS Reduced Workload Program may teach an extra/overload assignment above the agreed upon load, The extra/overload assignment is considered an “other assignment” under STRS regulations and reported as such by the District as not to have any impact on the reduced workload assignment.
Although the “other assignment” as noted above is not part of the reduced workload, the faculty member will be paid as if on full time status until they reach a 1.0 workload during the semester. Classes taught above the 1.0 during a full academic year will be considered an overload assignment and paid in accordance with the appropriate adjunct salary schedule.
107