Can I get an office in a university as an independent scholar? I have a math-related PhD but currently work as a software developer. One day, when I retire from software development, is it possible to "join" a local university's math/cs department as an independent scholar?  All I need is a PhD student desk and access to the libraries. I can fund my own travel &amp; overhead fees. Has this ever been done before? I just don't want to move around for a job and face the immense pressure of publish or perish.
If you know someone at the university, you can discuss getting an adjunct appointment, which is probably the closest thing to what you're looking for.