Faculty offered early retirement

For many professors, Dec. 10 was the start of a much-needed winter break after a long fall semester. Mathematics professor Martha Gregg recalled opening her inbox while on the ski slopes with her brother, expecting the usual messages from a student or colleague. She was confronted with something far more serious. 

The email detailed an offer of the 2025 Early Retirement Incentive Program (ERIP). The criteria consisted of any individual who had taught for 15 years or more and who was over the age of 62 by May 2025.

Gregg and English Professor Debbie A. Hanson were two candidates. After teaching at Augustana for 36 years, the administration asked Hanson to retire early at the age of 64.

Currently, the U.S. Social Security Administration defines the typical age of retirement to be 65 years old. The offer did not come as a surprise to most faculty candidates for reasons such as a national decline in university enrollment rates, fewer international students and recent budget cuts, despite Augustana receiving the largest student body in its history this past fall. 

“As you may know, the university is already experiencing budget pressures in the current fiscal year that have required us to reduce operating budgets and eliminate certain administrative positions,” Herseth Sandlin’s email to faculty said.

In an uneasy educational climate and an unpredictable political landscape, Hanson understood why she received the offer. But she did not accept it. 

“There are a variety of different reasons that people have mentioned to me as to why they’ve turned this offer down, and one of them was always money,” Hanson said. “A lot of them just turned it down right away, but I figured it was a good time to check in with my [financial adviser] anyway, so when I did turn it down, I’d be able to tell them why.”

After contacting the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, which provides services to educators like retirement planning, Hanson concluded that she would be better equipped financially if she worked for a few more years instead of accepting the plan. 

“I told [the administration] that it would go from a 97-98% chance of me having enough money to last to the age of 95 to a 77% chance, and that’s not a risk I’m willing to take,” Hanson said. 

The 2025 ERIP resembled a previous plan offered in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ten professors were offered ERIP in 2025, including Hanson, communication studies Professor John Bart, School of Business Professor Marcia Entwistle and Associate Professor of Mathematics Martha Gregg. Others declined to comment or did not respond to requests for an interview.

Gregg accepted the offer. She spoke of retirement being a very personal decision for individuals, referencing how the loss of her husband, John Kutchiak Gregg, in 2023 rearranged her priorities.

“John was eight years older than I am, so he was already retired,” Gregg said. “He was waiting for me to be ready to retire so that we could go do things together, and now we’re not going to get to do that.”

Gregg’s preparation for retirement was unexpectedly rushed, causing her to consider how to live on her own, her current career and what she wanted to do in the future. 

“What do they say? ‘If you want to make God laugh, make a plan,’” Gregg said. 

A major hurdle of retiring early is health insurance, Gregg said, which is usually tied to one’s job. The early retirement offer included a health-insurance plan that would ensure coverage even when not working full-time.

Gregg had only ever taught post-secondary education at Augustana, establishing a personal relationship over the past 17 years with the university. 

“I was shocked when I got the email, but I probably shouldn’t have been,” Gregg said. 

The ERIP said it would address uncertainty, a feeling Gregg resonated with. The future for post-secondary education is unpredictable and suggests there are not enough 18 to 22-year-olds to fill the expected enrollment rates of universities, she said.

“So we have an oversupply [of spots available] and an under-demand for positions of students, and that probably means that some colleges and universities are not going to survive the next two decades,” Gregg said.

As reported by National Public Radio, college enrollment rates have been declining since 2010, and in the first half of last year, more than one college each week announced its closure.

In response to this, Gregg affirmed that some positions would likely not be refilled if staff members accepted the ERIP. It is common for businesses to replace retirees with lower-paid entry-level hires, Gregg said, and added that faculty who have been teaching for decades could make similar wages as those who just started — if Augustana is trying to save money, she believed they would do so by having fewer faculty members.

Marcia Entwistle, another recipient of the email, has taught at Augustana for 35 years. She currently has a joint appointment between computer science and business; last year, Entwistle regained her position as computer science chair. 

Entwistle did not take the offer and was not ready to retire.

“From the university’s view, I think they’re trying to get ready and prepare for a landscape of such an unknown environment right now,” Entwistle said. “But I can’t say that I felt pressured to accept. I really just tried to make the best decision for myself, my family and my own timing on what I wanted.”

Entwistle echoed the sentiments of her colleagues in saying it was not an easy decision to make. All over campus, administrators, educators and students are doing their best to navigate a period of change and uncertainty.

However, what ultimately reassured Entwistle about her choice to stay was returning to campus after winter break and stepping into the classroom again.

“When I was back with my students, I realized I’m just not quite ready to leave,” Entwistle said.