Retirement of Professional Staff in Higher Education: A Three-Phase Transition Model 28 Seth Matthew Fishman Contents Introduction ...................................................................................... 440 Review of Retirement Literature ................................................................ 441 A Typology of Retired Staff ..................................................................... 444 Perquisites for Professional Staff Retirees ...................................................... 446 Departure, Redefinition, and Re-engagement (DRR): A Three-Phase Transition Model for Retirement ....................................................................................... 447 Departure ..................................................................................... 447 Redefinition .................................................................................. 448 Re-engagement ............................................................................... 450 Conclusion ....................................................................................... 451 References ....................................................................................... 451 Abstract This chapter aims to present several issues facing those approaching retirement or current retirees and their relationship to their former institution. A brief review of the higher education retirement literature provides the context to Fishman’ s three-phase staff retirement Departure, Redefinition, and Re-engagement (DRR) model. The chapter next provides a classification typology to serve as a guide for institutions to gauge interest in cultivating a continuing relationship with current and future retired staff members. The chapter concludes by listing common higher education perquisites (e.g., library access, invitations to certain campus events) to provide practical utility to higher education administrators assisting those in the retirement transition process. S. M. Fishman (*) Villanova University, Villanova, PA, USA e-mail: seth.fishman@villanova.edu # Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2018 C. Bossu, N. Brown (eds.), Professional and Support Staff in Higher Education, University Development and Administration, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6858-4_15 439