At this point, the VSIP is available only to permanent employees with at least 10 years of service at Rowan University (as of 4/1/26), who are in job positions represented by the AFT union or are managerial employees.

Participation under the VSIP is completely voluntary.  However, if you choose to apply and your application is approved and you do not exercise your rights to revoke your application, you will be required to resign your employment on one of two approved dates (7/1/26 or 1/1/27).

Should you apply and be approved for the VSIP, you will separate from employment on an approved date.  This separation does not prevent you from parallel application for retirement under the ABP or PERS system (whichever may apply to you) through the normal state processes, and whatever rights you have under those respective systems will take hold as they normally would.  Rowan Human Resources will assist you with your application to ABP or PERS, as it normally would for any employee who is seeking to retire. 

Please note: you are not required to seek retirement upon separation under the VSIP (even if you are fully vested and meet all requirements).  That is a choice you make.

Your payment will depend on your length of permanent university service as of 4/1/26.  For most employees, the payment will be as follows: 

If, however, you are an eligible employee at CMSRU in a position covered by AFT, your payment may be different (if you have between 10-15 years of service), as shown below:

Additionally, if you are an existing user of the Rowan Tuition Benefit for Dependents, Spouse, Domestic or Civil Union Partner Policy, you may continue to utilize the benefits of that policy for anyone currently approved for use of the policy as of 7/1/26.

It is the goal to have as many employees who are eligible to apply for the program and who want to participate in it to be able to participate.  However, the University will have to review all applications to assess whether its operations needs will still be met, and also to gauge overall financial impact.  Therefore, there is a possibility that some applicants may not be approved.

The link to the Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) application can be found under the Important Links section of this webpage. If you would like to apply (after reviewing and considering all information and documents), please read the instructions for the application.  You should complete the information on the application, sign the application, and then submit it to the email address listed on the application.  After the University completes its review of your application, you will receive notification as to whether your application has been approved.

You will have 45 days (starting from the date you have been sent the email from Human Resources indicating your initial eligibility to apply for the VSIP) to consider and ultimately submit your application for the program.  That deadline date is May 4, 2026. You may submit your application prior to May 4, 2026 should you choose to do so.

PLEASE NOTE: THE APRIL 27, 2026 DEADLINE DATE LISTED IN THE AFT MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT IS NO LONGER ACCURATE.  THE MAY 4, 2026 DATE IS THE CORRECT DATE.  

Also, you may revoke your application within 7 days after your submission, should you choose to do so.  Instructions to do so are contained in the application.

The University intends to provide a response as to whether your application has been approved by the end of May or early June 2026.

OWBPA Exhibit A Disclosure:  The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act (“OWBPA”) is a federal law that provides certain substantive and procedural protections for employees who are aged 40 and above who are separating from employment, including instances of voluntary separation plans.  Rowan has included the Exhibit A Disclosure, as required by that law.  This disclosure contains job and age information about who is eligible and not eligible for the program within the context of the larger population of all Rowan AFT and managerial employees.

Memorandum of Agreement between Rowan Federation of Teachers, Local 2373 and Rowan University:  This is the document that contains the negotiated terms of understanding between Rowan and the AFT union with respect to the VSIP.  This document contains further terms and conditions of this program and is applicable to eligible employees who are in positions represented by AFT.

Managerial Employees Terms of Voluntary Separation Incentive Program:  This document contains further terms and conditions of this program applicable to eligible employees who are in managerial positions.

VSIP Application Form:  This document is the form that contains the application, release and waiver for an eligible employee who wants to participate in the program.

All employees are encouraged to review all of these documents carefully before making their decision on whether to apply.  After your review, should you have any questions or inquiries, please feel free to send your questions to 2026VSIP@rowan.edu so that we may try and assist you further.

One of the primary goals of the VSIP is to create overall financial savings for the university.  While there is no absolute prohibition for an employee who separates through the VSIP to re-join the university in some capacity at a later time, please note that the candidacy of any VSIP-separated employee for potential future employment at Rowan will be subject to thorough review in light of the University’s goals for the VSIP.  That being stated, we also reiterate state regulations that require a bona fide separation period for those employees who will also be seeking to retire (either under ABP or PERS) before that employee can work for the university or other state-related employers (even in a voluntary capacity), which can lead to significant financial penalties imposed on the employee if those requirements are not met. 

In short, we very much welcome inquiries from our former employees who may want to re-associate with Rowan in the future in a mutually-beneficial capacity (for example, as an adjunct instructor), but the University will necessarily have to be very steadfast in scrutinizing all relevant factors in a scenario involving a VSIP-separated employee.

With respect to vacation time, unused earned accrued vacation time will be paid upon separation, as it would be for any employee who separates from the university. 

With respect to sick time, the university follows the Supplemental Compensation On Retirement (“SCOR”) payment rules, as embodied by state law.  In brief, AFT professional staff and managerial employees who opt to retire may be eligible to receive up to $15,000 (as calculated by half the daily rate of pay for the employee for each day of unused earned accrued sick time remaining at the time of retirement) upon retiring from service.  Unfortunately, this benefit is unavailable for AFT faculty.

With respect to any other form of unused leave time (including but not necessarily limited to administrative leave and compensatory time), there will be no payment for any employee.

Lump separation payments made under the VSIP will have withholdings made for all required taxes and deductions (for example, but not necessarily limited to federal and state income tax, FICA, Social Security, State Temporary Disability, State Unemployment).  Lump separation payments made under the VSIP will NOT have withholdings for any person optional deductions (for example, but not necessarily limited to retirement payments, benefits contributions, flex spending accounts). 

With respect to any lump sum payment under the VSIP, please note that the percentage payout for anyone approved under the program (regardless of whether you choose the 7/1/2026 or 1/1/2027 separation date) will be based on your base salary on the date of 1/1/2026.  We understand that some employees may have salary raises and/or AFT increment increases between 1/1/26 and the approved chosen date of separation, but the salary used for the calculation will still be what your salary was on the date of 1/1/26.  Please also further note that this salary amount will NOT include any bonuses, secondary assignment payments, supplemental payments or any other form of compensation, but exclusively your institutional base salary on 1/1/26.

Yes, a 10-month faculty member eligible to apply for VSIP may now opt for a 2/1/27 separation date instead of a 1/1/27 separation date under VSIP.  Our understanding is that 10-month faculty members are paid for their fall semester teaching duties through December and payment for those services may run through the end of January.  Given these factors, we will permit 10-month faculty who were seeking to separate on 1/1/27 to now be able to separate on 2/1/27.  Should you select this 2/1/27 separation date and are approved, your first part of the separation payment under the VSIP will now occur on or about 2/1/27 and you will still receive your second part of the separation payment under the VSIP program on or about 7/1/27.  Please note that selecting this 2/1/27 separation date will in no way negatively affect the decision process on approvals under VSIP in any way.

This separation date for those applying for VSIP under the 7/1/26 separation is not changed.

Should you select the 2/1/27 separation date in lieu of the 1/1/27 date, please indicate so in the body of your email when you apply for the program.