This article reports on the University of North Carolina's "phased-retirement" plan, which lets professors formally ease their way into retirement. The challenges of personnel planning in the North Carolina system, made tougher when higher education was stripped of a mandatory retirement age 14 years ago, have lessened because the program has given administrators "a better idea of who was retiring in the future." Meanwhile, they are able to have their most seasoned faculty stay on a half-time basis and be mentors to junior faculty coming in. North Carolina's phased-retirement program was offered in 1998 on a trial basis before becoming a permanent offering in 2001. Since its inception, 765 faculty members have used the program, and 230 professors are now in phased retirement.