Faculty and Staff Transition Information

Faculty Appointments

Notification of Separation

In keeping with the Board of Regents Bylaws, faculty who hold tenured, tenure-leading, faculty of practice, and research faculty appointments in eliminated departments will receive 12 months’ notice.  As required by the NU System Office, the notices of separation will be delivered by email early in January 2026 and the effective separation date will be twelve months later. Once degree completion pathways have been designed and approved, modifications to the planned separation date may be made as needed to support degree completion plans. These extensions will be offered as we move forward.

Faculty who hold special appointments as Post-Doctoral Associate, Visiting, Lecturer, and Lecturer-T will not receive a separation notice but will continue to adhere to the terms of their current offer letter. Appointment extensions beyond the current contract end date may be possible to support degree completion plans. Colleges may elect to send a courtesy notice reminding faculty that their appointments will be ending in accordance with their offer letter. 

Aligned with standard payroll procedures: 

  • Academic-year faculty who are paid on a “9 over 12” basis with a separation date in January, will have pay and benefits continue through February. 
  • Academic-year faculty who are paid on a “9 over 12” basis with a separation date in May, will have pay and benefits continue through August. 
  • Calendar-year/fiscal-year faculty will have benefits continue through the end of the month in which their separation date occurs and pay will be prorated based on working days that month, if the separation date is not the last working day of the month. All accrued vacation and floating holidays will be paid out on in the final paycheck, which will be delivered on or near the end of the month. 

Appointments as Courtesy Faculty in other UNL academic units will also end upon the separation date from the primary faculty position. 

Reemployment Assistance and Support

Faculty who may be interested in pursuing other employment opportunities on campus should send their current CV to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Faculty Affairs. When new faculty positions are approved for hire, the AVC for Faculty Affairs will be notified by Human Resources staff prior to the position being posted. If a position appears to be a potential fit for impacted faculty, the AVC for Faculty Affairs will share the opportunity with the faculty members as appropriate. Faculty who are interested in an open posting can also proactively contact the AVC for Faculty Affairs.

Faculty Reemployment Assistance is available from the date of notification of separation through the 12-month period immediately following their separation date and only applies to faculty positions that are hired through open and competitive searches and that are comparable or lower in rank to the one held by the faculty member seeking assistance. Faculty who apply to an open and competitive search and who meet minimum qualifications will be offered a first-round interview. Guidance will be provided by the AVC for Faculty Affairs to search committees who need to navigate this scenario.

Faculty who are interested in Reemployment Assistance for staff positions can contact the AVC for Faculty Affairs. 

Apportionment

Per Board of Regents Bylaws, apportionment may be changed by mutual agreement between the faculty member and their supervisor. Any changes to apportionment should balance the needs of phasing out units and programs with the needs of the faculty member to continue their research and teaching. While apportionments for tenure-line faculty may need to be shifted towards a heavier teaching apportionment to meet critical needs for degree completion pathways, this need should be balanced with the importance of continuing research as it intersects with graduate student degree completion, while supporting the faculty member’s career transition to another academic position. 

Promotion and Tenure

Faculty under review for promotion and/or tenure in AY 2025-26 will complete that process. Faculty who are awarded tenure in the 2025-26 cycle will not have a continuous appointment that extends beyond their separation date. Promoted faculty will still receive the associated salary increases.

Faculty will not be eligible for promotion/tenure review through the eliminated departments after the current AY 2025-26 cycle.

Annual Evaluation and Merit 

Faculty should still prepare for and be given annual performance evaluations, and they remain eligible for associated merit increases.

Temporary Overload/Additional Compensation

Faculty should receive temporary overload/additional compensation for teaching, mentoring, or other duties assigned beyond their 1.0 FTE to support degree completion efforts for students (including summer responsibilities for 9-month faculty). While the maximum allowable is 20% of the base salary without presidential approval, college Dean’s Offices should consult with Faculty Affairs if a situation arises that necessitates compensation beyond 20%. 

Summer Sessions

It is expected that summer sessions will be an important component to support degree completion plans. Academic-year faculty summer salaries remain at a maximum of 2.8% of AY (academic year) base salary per credit hour. Colleges determine if less than the maximum amount per credit hour should be used. Academic-year contract faculty can earn a maximum of 1/3 of their academic-year salary, over the course of the summer. This includes instructional and non-instructional salary. Faculty cannot earn more than 1/9 of their academic-year salary in any given month during the summer for research, regardless of the funding source.

Benefits and Leaves

There is no impact to benefits or eligibility for benefits prior to separation date/final payment date for academic year faculty paid “9 over 12”. 

  • Elected benefits will end on the last day of the month in February for academic-year faculty who are paid on a “9 over 12” basis with a separation date in January. 
  • Elected benefits will end on the last day of the month in August for academic-year faculty who are paid on a “9 over 12” basis with a separation date in May. 

Faculty who have received a notice of separation are not eligible for Faculty Development Fellowships but are eligible for other types of leaves of absence.  Consult with the AVC for Faculty Affairs if there are questions about eligibility or process. 

Contact the Benefits Office at 402-472-2600 to discuss status and options available upon separation regarding health and life insurance benefits and retirement and reimbursement accounts. They can also answer questions about COBRA, a health insurance program that enables eligible employees to have continued health insurance coverage after leaving the university.

Resignation, Retirement and Emeritus Status

We recognize that some faculty may consider resigning or retiring before the official separation date. Faculty should submit a letter of resignation or retirement to the chair and dean. To support planning for student degree completion, faculty are asked to provide written notice as early as possible. 

Faculty remain eligible for retirement if they are aged 55 or older with at least 10 years of service, or age 62 or older with no minimum service requirement. Additional retirement planning resources are available on the Retirement and Emeriti webpage. 

Eligibility for emeritus status requires that a faculty member be at least 55 years old and have a minimum of 10 years of service at the University of Nebraska. Emeritus status is not automatic upon retirement. It is an honorary rank in recognition of significant service in teaching, research, extension, or administration. Nominations originate with a vote of the departmental faculty and must be endorsed by the chair and dean. 

Retired faculty who hold emeritus status in one of the eliminated departments will continue to have emeritus status. Associated privileges will not be impacted.

Adjunct Faculty Appointments

An unpaid Adjunct Faculty appointment may be appropriate for supporting supervision of graduate students who are completing their degrees at UNL and continued facilitation of research grants that will remain at this institution. The appointment also permits the continuation of access to UNL and department facilities.

Graduate Faculty Status

Faculty may elect to maintain Graduate Faculty status following their separation date in order to continue to serve as part of a graduate student’s supervisory committee but cannot serve as chair of record. The graduate chair of record for a student’s supervisory committee must be assumed by a member of the Graduate Faculty who has an active, paid appointment as a UNL faculty member. For more detailed information, contact the Office of Graduate Studies. 

Change of Tenure Home/Department Home

The process to change a faculty member’s tenure home, department home, or reconfigure a joint appointment (e.g., reassigning a partial FTE) begins with a request initiated by the faculty member. Approval requires identification of a funding source and a vote by the faculty of the new department.

Other Faculty Appointments

Existing Courtesy Faculty appointments in one of the eliminated departments will end on the termination date indicated in the appointment letter, or on December 31, 2026, whichever is sooner. Notification of cancellation of the unpaid appointment will be provided if the appointment is ended prior to the stated end date in the appointment letter.

Existing Adjunct Faculty appointments in one of the eliminated departments will end on the termination date indicated in the appointment letter, or on December 31, 2026, whichever is sooner. Notification of cancellation of the unpaid appointment will be provided if the appointment is ended prior to the stated end date in the appointment letter.

Staff Positions

Notification of Separation

In keeping with the University of Nebraska Reduction-In-Force policy, staff employees will receive notice of position elimination appropriate to their position classification. As required by the NU System Office, the notices of separation will be delivered by email early in January 2026 and will include an effective separation date ninety days later.

The position end date may be extended beyond the original communicated end date based upon the needs of the department to support student degree completion and departmental needs as determined by leadership. Any extension(s) of the end date of employment will be provided in writing and do not nullify the reduction-in-force action, but extends the end date of employment to a new date specified in the written communication.

Reemployment/Reinstatement Rights and Support

The University of Nebraska Reduction-In-Force policy outlines specific reemployment and reinstatement rights. Staff employees notified at the time of hire that their position is grant funded do not have reinstatement rights; but do receive preference in the hiring process. In addition to specified reemployment/reinstatement rights, staff employees receive preference in the hiring process for posted staff positions. Preference starts immediately upon notification of position elimination and continues for six months following the end date of employment. 

Preference includes:

  • Impacted employees are responsible for applying for interested staff positions prior to the posted review of application date. 
  • Human Resources receives notice that an impacted employee has applied for a specific position.
  • Application materials for the impacted employee are forwarded to the hiring authority.
  • The hiring authority is required to review impacted employees’ materials first and separate from all other applicants that have applied and make one of the following determinations:
    • Interview the impacted employee prior to reviewing any other applicant materials. Based upon interview and qualifications, the hiring authority may proceed with hiring the impacted employee. The posted search will be closed once the impacted employee has been selected for hire.
    • Upon reviewing the impacted employee’s materials, the hiring authority may determine they would like to interview the impacted employee, as well as interview other top candidates and following that process make a final determination of hire.
    • Upon reviewing the impacted employee’s materials, the hiring authority may determine the impacted employee does not meet minimum qualifications for the position and decide not to proceed.

Each impacted employee has a Transition Coordinator to assist with questions related to the position elimination and assistance throughout the employment search process. Contact Human Resources at 402-472-3101 for additional information.

Benefits and Leaves

Staff pay and benefits continue through the employee’s last day worked. Upon separation, employees will receive their final pay according to their regular payroll cycle (bi-weekly or monthly). This final pay may include hours worked through their last day, along with any accrued and unused comp time, vacation, and/or floating holidays, as applicable to their position.

Any elected insurance benefits remain in effect through the last day of the month in which employment ends. For example, if an employee’s last day worked is April 8, 2026, the last day of elected insurance benefits will continue through April 30, 2026.

Employees who are eligible to retire at the end of their employment may elect to extend their employment by using accrued and unused vacation. Retirement eligible employees elect this option to extend the use of insurance benefits. For example, an employee whose department is being eliminated and who is retirement eligible on their end date of April 8, 2026, may elect to retire and use accrued vacation through May 4, 2026, to have insurance benefits useable through May 31, 2026.

Contact the Benefits Office at 402-472-2600 to discuss status and options available upon separation regarding health and life insurance benefits and retirement and reimbursement accounts. They can also answer questions about COBRA, a health insurance program that enables eligible employees to have continued health insurance coverage after leaving the University.

Resources

Campus Resources

  • The Employee Assistance Program provides an array of services that may be useful, including counseling, conflict resolution, and an employee emergency loan fund.
  • Upon request, faculty and staff can receive a license for Coursera while they remain at UNL so that they can develop or build on skills that may help qualify them for new positions. Contact Kevin Shriner for more information.
  • Faculty members can access NU Advance professional development opportunities at a low cost. 
  • University Libraries can consult on ways to increase visibility of faculty research. Contact  Scout Calvert with questions.  
  • NUtech Ventures can help advise faculty who plan to start their own business based on university intellectual property. This includes connections to the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps program. Reach out to Joy Eakin to learn more.
  • As impacted faculty begin to think about phasing out their research projects, they can refer to the PI Regulatory Off-boarding Checklist. They may also reach out to Sponsored Programs with questions about items such as properly ending compliance protocols or transferring data and materials to other institutions.
  • Professional development resources are available to faculty through UNL’s institutional membership to NCFDD.
  • The Writing Centeroffers a supportive environment where faculty can work with consultants on application letters, statements, and other professional writing. It can also connect faculty in transition with accountability partners to help build a network of community and support. Sign up for an appointment. 
  • The Office of Graduate Studies has helpful resources for developing CV, resume, cover letter, and teaching portfolios. While these resources are aimed at graduate students seeking their first academic employment, there may still be useful and current tips for faculty members who have not needed to apply for positions recently.
  • The Center for Transformative Teaching can consult on teaching statements, portfolios, and compiling evidence of teaching effectiveness. Contact Amy Ort with questions.  
  • Organizational Development and Training has training that can help individuals develop skills. 
  • The Clifton Strengths Institute can provide a coaching session to help build self-awareness and confidence through career transition. Contact cliftonstrengths@unl.edu for more information. 

External Resources