Ruth,
Coulldn't your legal team draw up some kind of "memo of understanding" or some other legal document that would obligate the prof. emeritus to the tasks?  Often those w/emeritus status have the time and inclination to work closely with students, and could be a great benefit to the department.
Diana Vincelli
Director of Grant Support
University of Richmond

________________________________

From: Research Administration List on behalf of Ruth Tallman
Sent: Thu 9/6/2007 7:18 PM
To: xxxxxx@hrinet.org
Subject: Re: [RESADM-L] Professor Emeritus status

Our legal department is advising against this because as a retired employee, the university has no "leverage" if something goes wrong.  IMHO, many of the retired professors are still very productive and their continued involvement is a benefit to their department and the students.  I hope many others from the list will respond (I would like to share the responses with our legal department!).

Ruth Tallman

Marie Smith wrote:

 Greetings, colleagues.

 Our institution is contemplating instituting a professor emeritus appointment status for retiring researchers, and we could use your help with a few questions that we have.

 1 - Do you allow someone with professor emeritus status to be the lead PI on a proposal?
 2 - If yes, can they be sole PI?
 3 - Do you allow them to ask for salary?
 4 - If yes, how is that salary paid? As an employee? Some other way?

 Thanks so much for your help.

 Marie

 ***************************************
 Marie F. Smith, CRA
 Grants Administrator
 Compliance Officer
 Institute of Ecosystem Studies
 PO Box AB, 65 Sharon Turnpike
 Millbrook, NY 12545
 Phone: 845-677-7600 x202
 Fax: 845-677-5976
 E-mail: xxxxxx@ecostudies.org
 Internet:  http://www.ecostudies.org <http://www.ecostudies.org/>

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 Instructions on how to use the RESADM-L Mailing List, including
 subscription information and a web-searchable archive, are available
 via our web site at http://www.hrinet.org (click on "Listserv Lists")
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