Voluntary Separation Incentive Program (VSIP) for Tenured and Tenure-Track Faculty

As part of an effort to reduce the structural budget deficit, San Francisco State University (“SFSU”) is implementing a VOLUNTARY SEPARATION INCENTIVE PROGRAM (VSIP) specifically intended to encourage eligible tenured and tenure-track faculty to voluntarily separate with severance on December 31, 2025 or on June 30, 2026.This is a non-precedent setting program.

If you are a tenured or tenure-track faculty member who is at least 50 years of age with five years of service, you may be eligible to participate in the program, You must meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the VSIP Terms and Conditions document for eligibility requirements.

SECTION II – TERMS AND CONDITIONS

SFSU hereby implements the VSIP for tenured and tenure-track faculty with the following terms and conditions:

1. Employee Eligibility – Tenured (Permanent) and Tenure-track (Probationary) faculty must meet all the criteria below to participate in the VSIP.

1.1. Employee Status

As of the application deadline on December 23, 2025 or March 13, 2026, and continuing up until the date and time of the employee’s separation determined in accordance with the VSIP, an employee must be a current:

1. San Francisco State University state-side tenured and tenure-track faculty member in a permanently funded position;
2. Temporary faculty unit members are not eligible.
3. All other employee groups, represented and non-represented, are not eligible.

1.2. CalPERS Service Retirement Eligibility Required

As of June 30, 2026, an employee must be CalPERS service retirement eligible. To determine your eligibility, please contact CalPERS at 1-888-CalPERS (1-888-225-7377). Please note that there is no requirement to retire, only that the employee is eligible to retire. Human Resources is not authorized to determine CalPERS eligibility.

1.3. Years of Service to the University

As of June 30, 2026, employees must have at least five (5) or more years of service to SFSU to be eligible. Service does not need to be served consecutively and excludes student employment.

1.4. No Faculty Early Retirement Program (FERP)

Faculty that are currently participating in the FERP program are not eligible to participate in the VSIP.

1.5. No Rehired Annuitants

Rehired annuitants are already CalPERS retired, are not permanent employees and, therefore, are not eligible for the VSIP.

1.6. Previous Notice of Retirement or Separation

i.          Employees who have already established a retirement date effective December 31, 2025, are eligible for this program, if they comply with all terms and conditions of the VSIP pursuant to Section II. Severance i.

ii.         Employees who have already established a retirement date effective June 30, 2026, are eligible for this program, if they comply with all terms and conditions of the VSIP.

2. Severance

i.          Tenured and tenure-track faculty who voluntarily separate by December 31, 2025 as part of the VSIP will be offered severance pay. In exchange for voluntarily separating and executing the separation agreement (which includes a release of all claims), they (not including faculty who elect to FERP) will receive an amount equivalent to 50% of the employee’s annualized base salary, up to a maximum cap of $55,000. Faculty who elect to FERP will not be eligible to participate in the VSIP program. The separation must occur by December 31, 2025, depending on the agreement between the employee and Human Resources. Please see Section 3.2 for exceptions.

ii.         Tenured and tenure-track faculty who voluntarily separate by June 30, 2026 as part of the VSIP will be offered severance pay. In exchange for voluntarily separating and executing the separation agreement (which includes a release of all claims), they (not including faculty who elect to FERP) will receive an amount equivalent to 90% of the employee’s annualized base salary, up to a maximum cap of $110,000. Faculty who elect to FERP will not be eligible to participate in the VSIP program. The separation must occur on June 30, 2026, depending on the agreement between the employee and Human Resources. Please see Section 3.2 for exceptions.

Employees, after receiving approval to participate in the VSIP and after signing the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE, may opt for either of the payment options below:

Option 1:
The employee shall receive one hundred percent (100%) of the calculated severance amount in a single lump-sum payment issued on the employee’s final day of employment. For those eligible employees separating or retiring by December 31, 2025, the severance will be paid in January 2026.

Option 2:
The employee shall receive fifty percent (50%) of the calculated severance amount in a lump-sum payment issued on the employee’s final day of employment, with the remaining fifty percent (50%) to be issued in a lump-sum payment during the first week of the following calendar year (only available to those eligible faculty members separating or retiring in 2026.

Note 1: For the purpose of calculating the amount of severance pay under this paragraph, only the employee’s base salary for employment eligible in Section 1.1 above will be considered, up to 1.0 time base. Examples of items not included in an employee’s base salary include, without limitation, salary or other pay for appointments in excess of a 1.0 time base, temporary appointments, salary or other pay for employment not eligible under Section 1.1 above.

Note 2: Severance pay is taxable income and will be paid through the State Controller’s Office. This income is not considered compensation earnable for purposes of calculating CalPERS retirement benefits. The payment will be taxed with applicable withholdings applied.

3. Limitations

3.1. No Entitlement

Submission of an APPLICATION is not an entitlement and not a guarantee of participation. All provisions of the VSIP are subject to change.

3.2. Critical Positions and Functions

At the sole discretion of SFSU management, some participants may be offered a deferment of their employment separation date. This separation from the standard period set forth above would allow SFSU to meet its operational needs and provide business continuity. These positions might include tenured and/or tenure-track faculty serving in critical or hard-to-fill positions, with critical knowledge or skills, working on time-sensitive projects, may have their separation date deferred past June 30, 2026, to allow for management to ensure business needs are met. These decisions will be made in consultation with Human Resources, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the Divisional Vice President and/or President.

3.3. Order of Application

i.          APPLICATIONS must be received by SFSU on or before the close of business on December 23, 2025 for those eligible faculty separating or retiring by December 31, 2025 to be considered for an amount equivalent to 50% of the employee’s annualized base salary, up to a maximum cap of $55,000. Completed APPLICATIONS will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis in the order in which the APPLICATIONS are received by Human Resources. Incomplete APPLICATIONS will not be processed and will be returned to the employee. There is no guarantee that an APPLICATION will be processed before the termination of the VSIP. Termination of the VSIP may occur at any time at management’s discretion, including but not limited to the expenditure of funds.

ii.         APPLICATIONS must be received by SFSU on or before the close of business on March 13, 2026, for those eligible faculty separating or retiring by June 30, 2026 to be considered for an amount equivalent to 90% of the employee’s annualized base salary, up to a maximum cap of $110,000. Completed APPLICATIONS will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis in the order in which the APPLICATIONS are received by Human Resources. Incomplete APPLICATIONS will not be processed and will be returned to the employee. There is no guarantee that an APPLICATION will be processed before the termination of the VSIP. Termination of the VSIP may occur at any time at management’s discretion, including but not limited to the expenditure of funds.

3.4. Funding

A one-time allocation of funds has been earmarked for the VSIP in December 2025 and 2026. Once these funds have been assigned to approved participants, the VSIP will be closed to further applications. Termination of the VSIP may occur immediately and without notice.

3.5. Departmental Exclusions Based on Critical Operational Needs

To maintain business continuity, comply with accreditation and licensure requirements, and preserve instruction in high-demand or hard-to-staff academic programs, SFSU has identified certain departments as essential to ongoing operations. Due to these operational needs, the following departments are excluded from participating in the VSIP and individuals appointed within them are not eligible to apply:

• Physical Therapy
• Mathematics
• Race and Resistance Studies
• Family, Interior, Nutrition & Apparel
• Computer Science
• American Indian Studies
• Philosophy
• School of Music
• Public Health
• Special Education
• Social Work
• Nursing

These exclusions are based solely on legitimate business and academic continuity requirements, including but not limited to instructional capacity; accreditation or licensure-related obligations; curriculum sequencing; and the University’s inability to sufficiently replace or consolidate faculty expertise in these areas. The application of these exclusions is consistent, non-discriminatory, and aligned with management’s rights under applicable policies and collective bargaining agreements.

4. Approval Process

4.1. Application

The APPLICATION must be completed accurately and signed by the employee. Approval of the Division Vice President and/or President is required for separations occurring after June 30, 2026. Please note that in this instance, the employee still must sign the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE after submitting the APPLICATION. It is the employee’s responsibility to collect all pertinent information before submitting the required documents to Human Resources.

4.2. Deadline

i.          APPLICATIONS must be received by the close of business at 5:00 pm PST on December 23, 2026, for those eligible faculty retiring or separating by December 31, 2025 and can be submitted via Adobesign or mail. Employees are highly encouraged to use Adobesign to facilitate the timely receipt of APPLICATIONS.

ii.         APPLICATIONS must be received by the close of business at 5:00 pm PST on March 13, 2026, for those eligible faculty retiring or separating by June 30, 2026 and can be submitted via Adobesign or mail. Employees are highly encouraged to use Adobesign to facilitate the timely receipt of APPLICATIONS.

4.3. Irrevocable after Execution of Separation Agreement and Release

Employee agrees that participation in the VSIP and receipt of the severance pay is conditioned on their voluntary resignation of employment from SFSU (including from any and all appointments and/or positions held with SFSU) and execution of the separation agreement. Employee acknowledges that their resignation is voluntary, permanent, and will be irrevocable as of the date of the execution of the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE. Employee is required to waive any rights they may have under any applicable law, regulation, Collective Bargaining Agreement or policy to revoke or rescind their resignation.

4.4. Separation Date

Unless the separation date is deferred as per Section 3.2 Critical Positions and Functions, the separation date shall be on December 31, 2025 or June 30, 2026. In all instances, the separation date is determined in conjunction with the appropriate administrator to ensure business continuity. If the employee intends to retire, it is highly recommended that the employee immediately contacts CalPERS, as the CalPERS retirement processing may take up to 3–4 months.

4.5. Execution of Separation Agreement

Human Resources will review the employee’s APPLICATION to confirm their eligibility to participate in the VSIP based on these TERMS AND CONDITIONS specified in this program and determine if the positions fall under Section 3.2 Critical Positions and Functions. If it is determined that the position falls under Section 3.2 Critical Positions and Functions, Human Resources will consult with the employee and the Division Vice President and/or the President to determine a modified separation date.

If Human Resources confirms that the employee is eligible to participate in the VSIP, then Human Resources will conditionally approve the employee’s APPLICATION. The approval is conditioned on the employee’s timely execution of the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE depending on the payment option selected.

Human Resources will notify the employee of the conditional approval by email and send the employee the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE. The employee will have fourteen (14) calendar days from the date Human Resources sends the employee the notice of the conditional approval and the SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE to return an executed SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE to Human Resources via Adobesign or mail. Failure to return the executed SEPARATION AGREEMENT & RELEASE within this period will result in the University rescinding the conditional approval.

5. Non-Waiver of Management Rights

The VSIP is not to be construed as a waiver of management’s rights. The University retains and reserves unto itself, without limitation, whether exercised or not, all powers, rights, authorities, duties, and responsibilities which have not been specifically abridged, delegated, or modified by any current and respective Collective Bargaining Agreement. Nothing in this VSIP shall constitute a waiver of management’s rights to enforce any articles under any Collective Bargaining Agreement, including but not limited to articles related to layoff.

Severance:

For eligible faculty retiring or separating as of December 31, 2025, they are eligible for 50% of employee’s base annual salary, up to a maximum cap of $55,000.

Severance pay is calculated using an employee’s monthly base salary at the time of the application deadline by 5:00 PM PST on December 23, 2025.

For eligible faculty retiring or separating as of June 30, 2026, they are eligible for 90% of employee’s base annual salary, up to a maximum cap of $110,000.

Severance pay is calculated using an employee’s monthly base salary at the time of the application deadline by 5:00 PM PST on March 13, 2026.

No,  there is no requirement to retire, only that the employee is eligible to retire. an employee is not required to retire after separating from SFSU through the VSIP. 

This is a one-time program strictly designed for participation for eligible tenured and tenure-track faculty.

No, this is a voluntary program.

Unfortunately, this program is open to tenured (permanent) and tenure-track (probationary) faculty only who meet the eligibility requirements as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.

If you wish to separate and not retire, please contact Benefits Services for additional information related to COBRA.  Benefits generally end following the month of separation. For example, if separation occurs June 30, 2026, employee benefits will end on July 31, 2026. 

If you wish to remain benefits-eligible into retirement, the CalPERS retirement date must be within 120 days of the separation date from the benefits-eligible position.  Therefore, if you retire after 120 days, you would be eligible for your pension but no longer eligible for health benefits into retirement. 

At the sole discretion of SFSU management, some participants may be offered a deferment of their employment separation date. This separation from the standard period set forth above would allow SFSU to meet its operational needs and provide business continuity. These positions might include tenured and/or tenure-track faculty serving in critical or hard-to-fill positions, with critical knowledge or skills, working on time-sensitive projects, may have their separation date deferred past June 30, 2026, to allow for management to ensure business needs are met. These decisions will be made in consultation with Human Resources, in consultation with and subject to the approval of the Divisional Vice President and/or President.

Application Deadlines:

• Employee must submit by December 23, 2025 for December 31, 2025, and 
• Employee must submit by March 13, 2026 for June 30, 2026

Eligible employees must submit the Application form via DocuSign/AdobeSign or by mailing the completed forms to:

SFSU Human Resources

ATTN: Sr. AVP Ingrid C. Williams

1600 Holloway Ave, ADM 252

San Francisco, CA 94132

Mailed applications will be considered received as of the postmarked date as outlined in the Terms and Conditions.

Faculty eligible to participate must separate or retire by December 31, 2025 or June 30, 2026. 

Due to these operational needs, the following departments are excluded from participating in the VSIP and individuals appointed within them are not eligible to apply:

• Physical Therapy
• Mathematics
• Race and Resistance Studies
• Family, Interior, Nutrition & Apparel
• Computer Science
• American Indian Studies
• Philosophy
• School of Music
• Public Health
• Special Education
• Social Work
• Nursing

No, your Dean is not required to approve participation in the plan. However, Human Resources will work in conjunction with the Dean's Office to ensure business continuity.  Please review the Terms and Conditions as tenured and tenure-track faculty who are assigned to specific departments may be excluded from participation.

You may inform your Dean of your intent to participate in the VSIP when submitting your application. Upon approval and receipt of the executed Separation Agreement and Release, Human Resources will notify your Dean and the Provost of your separation or retirement date.

Severance:

For eligible faculty retiring or separating as of December 31, 2025, they are eligible for 50% of employee’s base annual salary, up to a maximum cap of $55,000.

Severance pay is calculated using an employee’s monthly base salary at the time of the application deadline by 5:00 PM PST on December 23, 2025.

For eligible faculty retiring or separating as of June 30, 2026, they are eligible for 90% of employee’s base annual salary, up to a maximum cap of $110,000.

Severance pay is calculated using an employee’s monthly base salary at the time of the application deadline by 5:00 PM PST on March 13, 2026.The severance will be paid in a lump sum, less all applicable payroll deductions, on June 30, 2024.  

No, a Golden Handshake retirement incentive is administered and directed by the Governor’s Office.  SFSU does not have the authority to make service credit decisions.  The VSIP only provides a financial incentive.

Human Resources is unable to provide you with this information.  We highly encourage you to contact CalPERS at 1-888 CalPERS (1-888-225-7377) or you may sign into your myCalPERS account and use the Calculate My Retirement Estimate tool to determine an estimate of your retirement benefit package.  You can log into your myCalPERS account by following this link to the myCalPERS login page.

Employees must retire through CalPERS in order to be considered as a retired annuitant.  Rules governing retired annuitants may be found by following the CalPERS Retired Annuitant link.  Please note that there is a wait period of 180 days before a retiree can return to a CalPERS employer.

Yes, there is nothing prohibiting an employee from applying to another position at SF SFSU.

Yes, you may participate in the VSIP if the dates of retirement are December 31, 2025 and June 30, 2026 and meets the parameters of the program.

No, if you participate in the FERP program, you are not eligible to participate in the VSIP.

If the employee does not meet the Terms and Conditions outlined, it is possible that the employee may be denied participation.