Any sections of this chapter to the contrary notwithstanding:

(1) The term “employee” as used in this chapter shall exclude all designated faculty and designated professional staff of the University of Delaware who are first employed by the University after June 1, 1970.

(2) Faculty and designated professional staff of the University of Delaware who, as of January 1, 1971, have less than 5 years of credited service, exclusive of service credited under § 5501(e)(4) or (5) of this title, and are in a position covered by the Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association Retirement Plan shall cease to be employees under this chapter on January 1, 1971, and shall have their accumulated contributions with interest refunded upon the filing of an application on or after January 1, 1971, in a form prescribed by the Board.

(3) Faculty and designated professional staff of the University of Delaware who, as of January 1, 1971, have had 5 or more years of credited service, exclusive of service credited under § 5501(e)(4) or (5) of this title, and are in a position covered by the Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association Retirement Plan may, effective January 1, 1971, elect to either:

a. Continue to be an employee under this chapter and continue to make the contributions required under § 5543 of this title; or

b. Cease to be an employee under this chapter and leave their accumulated contributions in the State Employees’ Retirement Fund; or

c. Cease to be an employee under this chapter and have their accumulated contributions with interest refunded upon the filing of an application on or after January 1, 1971, in a form prescribed by the Board.

(4) Faculty and designated professional staff who leave their accumulated contributions in the State Employees’ Retirement Fund in accordance with paragraph (3)b. of this section shall become eligible to receive a service pension or acquire a vested right to a service pension in accordance with §§ 5522 and 5523 of this title, respectively, provided that their age and total years of credited service under this chapter plus their years of service with the University of Delaware after January 1, 1971, meet the requirements of § 5522 or § 5523 of this title. The amount of the monthly service pension payable to any such faculty or designated professional staff shall be one sixtieth of their final average compensation as of January 1, 1971, multiplied by the number of years, taken to the nearest twelfth of a year, in the period of credited service under this chapter, subject to a maximum of $1,000.

(5) Faculty and designated professional staff who leave their accumulated contributions in the State Employees’ Retirement Fund in accordance with paragraph (3)b. of this section shall become eligible to receive a disability pension or, in the event of death before commencement of service or disability pension payments, a monthly survivor’s pension shall be payable to their eligible survivor or survivors only if they are eligible to receive a service pension under § 5522(a)(2) or (3) of this title as of January 1, 1971. All other such faculty and designated professional staff shall not become eligible to receive a disability pension or, in the event of death before commencement of service pension payments, a monthly survivor’s pension shall not be payable to their eligible survivor or survivors. In the event any such individual dies after commencement of service or disability pension payments, § 5528(b) of this title shall apply, provided that such individual had 15 years of credited service under this chapter, exclusive of service credited under § 5501(e)(4) or (5) of this title, as of January 1, 1971.

(6) By October 1 of each year beginning with 1970, the University of Delaware shall submit to the Board a list of the faculty and designated professional staff who are not employees under this chapter and are covered by the Teachers’ Insurance and Annuity Association Retirement Plan, showing the estimated salaries of such faculty and professional staff for the fiscal year beginning July 1 of the following year. The Board shall apply the normal rate of contribution determined in accordance with § 5544 of this title to the total estimated salaries of such faculty and professional staff and report the resulting amount to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget of the State by November 1 of each year beginning with 1970. The State shall appropriate such amount from the General Fund to the University of Delaware each fiscal year, payments of which shall be made in equal monthly installments beginning with the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1971.

(7) a. The term “employee” as used in this chapter shall exclude all professional staff of the University of Delaware who are first employed by the University after June 1, 1974. All professional staff, who as of January 1, 1975, have less than 5 years of credited service, exclusive of service credited under § 5501(e)(4) or (5) of this title, shall cease to be employees under this chapter on January 1, 1975, and shall have their accumulated contributions with interest refunded upon the filing of an application in a form prescribed by the Board.

b. All professional staff who, as of January 1, 1975, have 5 or more years of credited service, exclusive of service credited under § 5501(e)(4) or (5) of this title, and were not previously permitted to make an election in accordance with paragraph (3) of this section shall, effective January 1, 1975, elect 1 of the 3 options in paragraph (3) of this section; paragraphs (4) and (5) of this section shall apply to any such professional staff who elect to leave their accumulated contributions in the State Employees’ Retirement Fund in accordance with paragraph (3)b. of this section, except that January 1, 1975, shall be substituted for January 1, 1971, wherever the latter appears in paragraphs (3) and (4) of this section.

(8) Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section to the contrary, hourly and salaried staff employees who become professional employees may elect to continue to be employees under this chapter and make contributions into and be covered by the State Employees’ Retirement Fund.

29 Del. C. 1953, § 5505; 57 Del. Laws, c. 592, § 1; 57 Del. Laws, c. 724; 57 Del. Laws, c. 741, § 38A; 58 Del. Laws, c. 180, § 2F; 59 Del. Laws, c. 478, § 1; 63 Del. Laws, c. 423, § 4; 65 Del. Laws, c. 458, § 1; 70 Del. Laws, c. 186, § 1; 75 Del. Laws, c. 88, § 21(13); 79 Del. Laws, c. 174, § 1.