G. Termination Documentation

Ordinarily, non-tenured appointments are made for a specified term. However, regardless of the term length, appointments are always contingent upon satisfactory performance. In the case of involuntary termination before the appointment end date of a non-ladder faculty or research appointment, the issue should first be brought to the attention of the appropriate Assistant Dean for Faculty Affairs (or, in the case of Teaching Assistants, Zoe Fonseca-Kelly, Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs) and the following documents must be provided.

  • A record of communications between the faculty member/researcher/teaching assistant and his/her/their supervisor, documenting a pattern of expectations/benchmarks on specific tasks and corresponding deficiencies. Ideally, these exchanges should state that there will be real consequences if performance does not improve.
  • A documented formal conversation between the faculty member/researcher/teaching assistant and his/her/their supervisor, summarizing the issues and alerting the faculty member/researcher/teaching assistant that his/her/their performance is not consistent with continued employment.
  • A letter terminating the appointment (“fair notice”). There is no standard length of time by which termination is effective; however, 30 days should be given unless circumstances require that less notice be given. It can be less, if stages 1 and 2 have been clear.

Nonrenewal of Researchers

  • Ordinarily, a minimum of 3 months' notice for early termination due to a lack of funding or a non-renewal of a researcher appointment will be expected, except in extraordinary circumstances.
  • Researchers are expected to provide at least one month's notice of resignation. When appropriate to the discipline, it is the obligation of the researcher to ensure that all research materials and records are left in a state to allow continuation of their project(s).