The use of faculty as a human resource: The emeritus college as a new uses for an old idea

Abstract

Higher education institution’s largest expenditure is human capital, specifically, faculty members. As faculty members retire, their expertise, experience, and value have the potential to create a value-added academic environment if they can be strategically engaged. The purpose for conducting the study was to explore the uses of emeritus faculty as a human resources asset for higher education institutions. Using a research-team developed survey instrument, academic leaders were asked about their perceptions of how emeritus faculty might be engaged with their former institutions, and what a structure for engaging them might look like. Using the framework of the emeritus college, survey respondents identified specific areas for engaging former faculty members. The study concludes that former faculty members can play an important role in assisting their former institutions, and that there are identifiable activities that these emeritus colleges can play in meeting the needs of both the retired and current faculty.