I'm Retiring, Staff

Staff Steps to Retirement

Step 1

Contact Your Retirement System

We encourage you to contact your retirement system approximately six months to one year in advance of your retirement date to determine what works best for you. 

Medicare- Understanding the Basics Guide

Additional Information on State and Alternative Retirement Plans

Please select from the different retirement systems below. 

Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP)

Ohio Public Employees Retirement System (OPERS)

State Teachers Retirement System of Ohio (STRS)     

Step 2

Submit Retirement Notification

As a staff member, your appointment has been in an academic unit. After you have contacted your retirement system, the next step to initiate the formal retirement process at Kent State is to send written notification of your intent to retire to the administrator of your academic unit (Department Chair, School Director, College Dean or Regional Campus Dean).

• You may prepare a letter of intent to retire or complete, sign and provide your administrator with a Notice of Voluntary Resignation form.
• In this letter, please include your actual retirement date and the date of the last day worked at Kent State University.

By receiving this notification, either letter or form, your unit administrator will set a series of processes in motion within the Division of People, Culture and Belonging which will culminate on the date that you selected to retire.

Don't worry, questions while you make this life-changing decision are normal. Staff members in Academic Personnel and the Division of People, Culture and Belonging are here to help you along the way. 

Step 3

Contact the Benefits Office

Set up an appointment with a Benefits Coordinator by email at benefits@kent.edu or phone at 330-672-3107 to discuss the following:

• KSU health and life insurance coverage end dates
• Medicare Verification of Coverage form (if needed)
• Supplemental Retirement Options 
• Sick leave payout
  • If you have 10 years of service or more, you are entitled to be paid one fourth of your sick leave balance, up to a maximum of 30 days, at your current rate of pay. Upon request, the sick leave conversion would be paid one pay period after your last regular pay according to Administrative Policy (6-11.1 [F]). 
  • Complete the sick leave conversion form which allows for your sick leave to be paid out upon retirement. Email the completed form to HR Records at hr-records@kent.edu. 
• Vacation leave payout
  • If you hold a twelve month appointment, your unused vacation will paid to you according to the procedures described in Administrative Policy (6-11.7 [3][d]).
• Letter for retiree parking pass and Flashcard ID
• Information about Kent State Retiree and Emeritus benefits

Step 4

Prepare for Information Technology Changes

• Email accounts of employees who separate from Kent State University are deactivated. Exceptions include separating employees who are also students, alumni, or who hold Emeritus status.
• You should not have any personal accounts (banking, insurance, social media, etc.) linked to your kent.edu email. If so, please get all accounts transferred to a personal email account before your last day of work.
• Separating employees will retain access to FlashLine in order to access W2s, paystub information and tax documents.

Complete information regarding information technology for separating employees is available here.

Step 5

Maintaining your KSU Connection

As a Kent State Retiree you have many opportunities to stay connected. 

• KSU Retiree FLASHcard: Bring your official written notification of your earned retirement or emeritus status, along with your current FLASHcard to the FLASHcard office (Lower Level Kent Student Center), to get your new Retiree FLASHcard.
• KSU Retiree Parking Pass: Bring your current permit and your retiree FLASHcard to Parking Services to be issued a Retiree permit. When it is time to renew your permit, a letter with instructions for permit renewals will be sent to you. Retiree permit renewals must be done in person at the Parking Services office.
• Join the Kent State University Retirees Association (KSURA). Visit the KSURA Website to learn about this organization for Kent State retirees. There you will see a listing of upcoming events and you can sign up for its listserv, which will keep you informed about activities, professional experiences, and retiree news. 
• Additional Retiree and Emeritus Benefits