Mandatory retirement agreement signed

The University is poised to re-examine age restrictions placed on upper-level administrators in light of an agreement signed last week. The agreement between IU and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission concerning the University's mandatory retirement practices was signed Jan. 24 and will align IU policy with the Age Discrimination Employment Act.\nThe agreement stems from a complaint filed by Paul Newman, professor of linguistics, more than a year ago, in which he claimed IU violated federal law by requiring administrators to retire based on age. \nThe ADEA protects employees from firing or mandatory retirement practices based on age. IU policy, however, permits the mandatory retirement of administrators -- including "bona fide executives" and "high policymakers" -- at age 65. The policy can be waived by the president on a temporary, yearly basis. \nThe agreement was signed by Newman, representatives of the University and the district director of the EEOC.\nNewman planned a public signing ceremony for that date but said IU officials declined his invitation. \n"I decided to just go ahead and sign the agreement and mail it back to the EEOC," he said.\nThe agreement allows Newman or the EEOC to pursue additional legal action should the University fail to comply with ADEA requirements. The agreement also requires IU to apply mandatory retirement policy "only to those individuals qualified as executives and high policy makers."\nSharon Groeger, associate University counsel in charge of the case, said the document was signed in mid-December by University officials and sent immediately back to the EEOC.\nUniversity counsel Dorothy Frapwell told the IDS earlier this month the EEOC resolution would not kill the retirement policy altogether. Rather, the University would rewrite the policy.\nGroeger said the exact changes in the policy have not yet been determined. She said possible changes include imposing a cap on the number of positions to which mandatory retirement policies apply.\n"A conciliation agreement has been entered," Groeger said. "In it, we agree to revise the policy, but itdoesn't say specifically how we need to change it. We need to make sure it complies with the ADEA -- that we only require retirement for bona fide executives and high policy-making positions. We can't speak for how the policy will be changed. That's up to President Brand"