Special Retirement Situations
Leave to Retirement, Tenured System Faculty Consultantship, and other Special Agreements
If you are planning to retire from MSU by using the Leave to Retirement option, the Tenured System Faculty Terminal Consultantship option, or other special signed agreements between you and your department (or college, or university), then you'll need to complete the manual Special Retirement Form. (note: If none of these special situations apply, you must submit your Retirement Form via the EBS Portal)
You MUST use the manual Special Retirement Form for the following options:
- Leave to Retirement: This option is for any MSU employee who has not yet become vested for retiree benefits (meaning they have not yet met one of the two minimum requirements of either having 25 years of service at any age OR at least 15 years of service and age 62 or older), AND is exactly two years or less from meeting the minimum requirement. The Leave to Retirement MUST end the day before the employee's "Date Vested for Retirement Benefits" (as shown in your EBS Portal's Personal Profile tile). Your department must also submit a Leave of Absence form before your Special Retirement Form can be approved by Human Resources. If this is not completed within 7 days, your Special Retirement Form may be rejected, and you will need to resubmit a new Form. More detail and information can be found at Leave to Retirement.
- Tenured System Faculty Terminal Consultantship: This option is only available to MSU faculty members who were appointed in the tenure system prior to January 1, 1992, and requires a signed memorandum from the department Chairperson/School Director and Dean. Your faculty consultantship must be approved by the Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs office before Human Resources will approve your Special Retirement Form. More detail and information can be found in the Faculty Handbook.
- Signed Special Agreement: This option is only available to MSU employees who have a signed agreement from the university, college, or department.
- Other unique special situation (retiring from Long-Term Disability/Workers Compensation, Layoff, etc.)
Instructions
Complete the Special Retirement Form by:
- Completing section A: Enter your name, MSU NetID email, date of birth, and department/college.
- Check the appropriate box in section B and enter any applicable dates.
- Enter your Retirement Date in section C and sign: Enter your retirement date (the next calendar day after your last day of employment at MSU) in the applicable area, print your name, provide your ZPID or last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, sign and date the form.
- Submit the Special Retirement Form, along with any applicable documentation: Submit the Form and applicable documentation to MSU Human Resources by any of the means listed on the Form (email, mail, fax or HR drop box).
Next steps:
- You will receive an email from Human Resources acknowledging receipt of your Special Retirement Form.
- Once your Special Retirement Form has been approved by all necessary areas (including any applicable steps by your department, the office of Faculty and Academic Staff Affairs, HR Employee Relations, etc.), MSU Human Resources will send you an email acknowledging your approved Form, and will provide information for your transition to retirement in the Retirement Letter (sent via email to your NetID email address).
- FACULTY, ACADEMIC STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS: Emeritum status may be awarded to faculty, academic staff and administrators who officially retire from MSU. Emeritum status is not granted automatically, it is requested and reviewed through an approval process. Please review the policy that governs Emeritum decisions, and the process to request Emeritum status.
Contact Information
If you have questions regarding the Special Retirement Form, contact HR Solutions Center at 517-353-4434 or SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.
