Retirement
Pension Plans
If you work 600 hours or more in a calendar year you may be eligible to participate in a retirement plan offered by Western Oregon University. You may be eligible to enroll in one of these plans six full months after you begin working, and should receive enrollment information from the Human Resources Office before you become eligible to participate.
PERS (Public Employees Retirement System)offers classified and unclassified employees a defined benefit pension plus an individual account. Pension plans are based on your date of hire, years of service, and earnings. You accumulate assets in an individual account that is invested for you by PERS. Pension benefits are generally available when you reach normal retirement age.
ORP (Optional Retirement Plan) is a defined contribution alternative to PERS for unclassified employees whose career mobility may take them outside Oregon and to other employers. ORP participants select mutual funds and annuities for their investments, and participants manage their accounts with education and retirement planning services provided by TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments. A vested participant’s account is portable to another employer’s plan or may remain invested in the ORP if they leave an Oregon Public University.
OPURP Quarterly Newsletters
2019-20 Fiscal Year: Summer 2019 | Fall 2019 | Winter 2020
2018-19 Fiscal Year: Summer 2018 | Fall 2018 | Winter 2019 | Spring 2019
2017-18 Fiscal Year: Summer 2017 | Fall 2017 | Winter 2018 | Spring 2018
2016-17 Fiscal Year: Summer 2016 | Fall 2016 | Winter 2017 | Spring 2017
Voluntary Retirement Savings Plans (Supplement Your Pension)
Two voluntary retirement savings plans offer a way to increase your retirement income through regular, planned investing. You determine how much to save each month, and your contributions are made to your account through payroll deductions. Using these plans will not reduce your retirement benefits or eligibility for PERS, the ORP, Social Security, or Medicare. You supplement your retirement benefits through as simple workplace savings plan that you may set up as soon as your first month of work, or anytime.
The voluntary retirement savings plans are available to all classified and unclassified Oregon Public University employees.
TDI (Tax-Deferred Investment 403(b) Plan) is exclusively for Oregon Public University employees to supplement their retirement pensions. TDI savings offer tax advantages, either as pre-tax investments or as post- tax Roth accounts that allow qualified investment earnings to be withdrawn tax-free after retirement. TDI participants may choose mutual fund and annuity investment programs, and participants manage their accounts with education and retirement planning services provided by TIAA-CREF and Fidelity Investments. For more information, check out the 2020 Universal Availability Notice.
OSGP (Oregon Savings Growth Plan) is offered to Oregon public employees by PERS. The Oregon Investment Council manages a selection of investments on behalf of participants in the plan. An Oregon Public University employee may select the OSGP, the TDI or both plans.
