Considering Retirement? What you Need to Know

By Luke Lara, FA Ombudsperson

Knowing the FA Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) can be helpful in understanding your rights as a faculty member. The FA has recently negotiated a tentative agreement with the MiraCosta College District. Upon ratification by the members of the FA and the MiraCosta College Board of Trustees, there will be a new incentive for early notice of retirement or resignation.

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Tentative Agreement Language for K.4.0:

K.4.0 Incentive for Early Notice of Retirement or Resignation

Any faculty member who notifies the district of their intent to retire or voluntarily resign at the end of the current academic or fiscal year by September 1 will receive a $1000 notification bonus. Payment will be made with the first payroll following the faculty member’s retirement or resignation date.  (bold emphasis added)

The financial bonus for submitting early notice of retirement or resignation will increase from $500 to $1000. The deadline will also move from November 1 to September 1. While this is a personal decision and financial incentive, it also helps departmental planning and requests for faculty replacement positions. 

The chair of the Academic Affairs Committee will typically send an email to all faculty members with information about the full-time faculty hire request timeline and prioritization process by the end of the spring semester preceding the fall semester when requests are initiated. The request for a replacement faculty member is due in early September. Departments are only able to request a replacement position if a faculty member has submitted their early notice of retirement or resignation. Otherwise, faculty position requests will be considered growth positions. 

The process to submit your notice of retirement or resignation is done through Workday. There is a Workday Job Aid titled “Submitting your resignation” that has a step-by-step tutorial.

Deciding to retire or resign may have implications for your retirement plan, health insurance, and other benefits. Consult with a representative of your retirement plan (e.g., CalSTRS and/or CalPERS) so you are fully aware of the implications of your decision. Once a resignation or retirement notice is submitted and accepted by the district, it cannot be rescinded (see Board Policy 7350). Feel free to reach out and consult an executive member of the FA if you have questions about the contract.