(Updated September 1, 2007)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Full-time employees who have retired through the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS) and who have met the MCCD eligibility criteria: http://www.maricopa.edu/hrweb/benefits/active_retirement_prgm.htm
Details on the program can be found at the District’s Website: http://www.dist.maricopa.edu/hrweb/retirement/index.htm
The district site provides answers to many commonly asked questions.
The number of years a retiree can participate is based upon a tiered schedule:
Years of Service at MCCD ARP Eligibility
0 – 9.99 no eligibility
10 – 14.99 2 years
15 – 19.99 3 years
20 – 24.99 4 years
25 years + 5 years
Employees may retire at any time, but participation in the ARP is linked to the college budget process.
An invitation to participate in the next fiscal year will be issued in the Fall; the deadline for requesting participation will be October 1st of each year.
Participation in the ARP is year-to-year, based on college need for services.
The employee responds to the fall survey, indicating the desire to retire in the next fiscal year.
During the Budget Development Process, the requests to participate in the Active Retirement Program will be “matched” with job requests submitted by various college departments.
When a match occurs, the employee and the supervisor will be notified.
An Assignment Request form will be sent to the employee by the College Human Resources Office.
The employee and supervisor will indicate the duties to be performed and the total hours to be worked.
The employee and supervisor approves and signs the request. Return the form to the College HR Office.
The area Vice President and College President approves and signs the request.
The completed form is returned to Administrative Services/Human Resources.
Following approval, the Active Retiree funds will be budgeted for the next fiscal year.
As soon as the Active Retirement assignment has been identified, the employee should draft her/his retirement letter.
The letter should indicate the last day you will work.
Submit letter to Dr. Atwater with copies to College HR and the appropriate Vice President.
- An Active Retiree who wishes to continue in the program for the next fiscal year will respond to the Active Retiree Survey from Administrative Services/Human Resources by October 1st.
- When a match occurs, the employee and the supervisor will be notified.
- An Assignment Request form will be sent to the employee by SMCC Human Resources.
- The employee and supervisor will indicate the duties to be performed and the total hours to be worked.
- The employee and supervisor approves and signs the request. Return the form to the College HR Office.
The area Vice President and College President approves and signs the request.
- The completed form is returned to Administrative Services/Human Resources.
- The hours worked cannot be changed during a given year.
- Active Retirees will work a percentage (49%, 30%, 20%, etc.) of the full time hours required of the employee group to which the job is assigned.
- The Governing Board-approved Employee Group Calendar will be used to determine the percentage of the salary to be received by each Active Retiree.
- Full-time 12-month non-faculty employees are responsible for 2080 hours.
- Instructional faculty for 1020 hours (30 load hours), and
- Service faculty for 1190 hours.
- Pay shall be based on the ARP assignment and not based upon the salary of the position from which the employee retired.
- Candidates can apply to another college or the district office, but their work would generally be funded by the receiving college not the home college.
- Depending on the work you will do next year, you may be paid by contract or you may be paid through the Time and Labor system.
- Administrative Services/Human Resources will contact you in the Spring semester for completion of the necessary paperwork for the new fiscal year.
- Contracts will be created per the following dates:
- July 1- June 30- for most MAT, PSA, M&O, and Crafts assignments starting by July 5th
- Aug thru Dec and/or Jan thru May- For faculty assignments starting first day of semester
- Other dates- contracts are created depending on the start date of your assignment
It is important to watch the day that you retire. If an employee wants to retire on June 30th, s/he should back the date up by two days. Example: The last day of work on June 28, retire on June 29, and become ASRS eligible for June 30. S/he would then get the first pension check about August 15. If they are ASRS eligible on July 1, their first ASRS check would be issued about September 15 -- a whole additional month wait because of one day.
If an employee retires in the new fiscal year, they are limited to working the 19 hours per week. This is mostly an issue for faculty who want to work full-time one semester and be completely off the second semester. In the first year of retirement, if the retirement is in the first half of a new fiscal year, the faculty would not be able to work full-time either semester in that fiscal year. In the second fiscal year following retirement, they can do the one on, one off schedule.
Payoff of vacation and sick leave will be on the first pay period following retirement, provided District has received all time entered into the HRMS for Time and Labor. It is critical that ASRS contributions are withheld on this final check, if you qualify for the last 5-year average of salary.