Emeritus or emerita status is an honorific title awarded to faculty members in recognition of a distinguished and sustained record of teaching, research, and service to the university. To encourage continued engagement with the OU community, individuals granted this status receive certain benefits and privileges, including ongoing access to their university account and email.
Because emeritus faculty may have access to sensitive data and require specific compliance training, the processes for granting and managing access differ between the OU Norman campus and the OU Health campus. Please refer to the Quick Links for each campus for detailed information.
Quick Links
OU Emeritus
When an individual’s employment with OU concludes, departments typically terminate any Emeritus appointment in the HR system. Once this occurs, system access is scheduled for removal approximately 30 days later. Email notifications about the pending removal are sent at 30, 15, 5, and 1 day prior to the access cutoff.
How to Ensure Continued Access
To avoid loss of service, Emeritus or their departmental administrators are encouraged to complete a Exception/Guest account request, selecting the "Emeritus" account type.
- Submit the request 7-14 days before the scheduled loss of service.
- The request must be approved both by the department and the Provost before OU IT can act.
- Important: Once access is removed, accounts and underlying data (e.g. email, OneDrive) are automatically deleted.
Note: In some instances (e.g. engaging with students, performing research, access to sensitive data) the Provost may require the Emeritus to be hired into a non-paid university position. In these instances, the department will need to work through HR and Provost processes.
OU Health Campus Emeritus
Because Emeritus accounts on the OU Health Campus are presumed to contain sensitive data, the Office of the Provost requires departments to appoint Emeritus faculty to an appropriate non-paid position through the HR system. This ensures compliance with university policies, including completion of any required training for access to sensitive systems and data. If an Emeritus does not hold such an appointment, access to university resources is removed immediately upon termination.
How to Ensure Continued Access
To ensure a smooth transition, OU IT strongly recommends that OU Health Campus departments coordinate with the Office of the Provost at least 30 days before the scheduled employment termination. Early collaboration allows the Provost, HR, and OU IT to maintain temporary access while the department completes the required HR appointment and training processes.
Emeritus Account FAQ
Q: I'm an OU Emeritus, retired from the university years ago, and just received a notice that my account is about to expire. Why?
A: In most instances your department hired you into a non-paid position within the HR system and recently terminated the appointment. In these instances, we encourage you to reach out to the department to request them complete the actions noted in the OU Emeritus section, "How to Ensure Continued Access". If you are unsure of the department or a point of contact, please Request Help, via the General IT Help service request and our team will work to coordinate with your department.