Appointment Negotiations

Contacts

Appointment negotiations are conducted by the Executive Board of the University, specifically by the relevant Vice President Medicine, the Vice President Education and Student Affairs, as well as the Vice President Professorships and Scientific Information, and the Vice President Research, in close consultation with the relevant deans. Where the university hospitals are concerned, appointment negotiations are conducted by the Executive Board of the University in agreement with the hospital trustees. A representative of the Professorships Department is also present for the appointment negotiations.

Invitation to Negotiations

Candidates are informed in a letter from the President that they have successfully passed the selection procedure and are invited to attend appointment negotiations. The President’s invitation letter will make initial date proposals, and will ask the candidate to clarify their future working conditions.

Preparing for Appointment Negotiations

The candidate is asked to contact the relevant offices prior to the appointment negotiations, to enable them to set out and substantiate what they require for their future work. Preparatory discussions are held within the University involving, in particular, the deans and the heads of institutes/departments, and the management teams concerned within the University’s hospitals and clinics.

The following issues are discussed and negotiated with the bodies listed:

Allocation of space within the university, ongoing operating costs (operational fund, “Betriebskredit”), as well as human resources, and teaching issues, etc.: Departments/institutes, clinics, and other organizational units
Supplementary funding, teaching or self-administration within the University: Deans
Clinical care, clinical aspects or research space: Management teams of the University’s hospitals and clinic managements
Individual employment terms, specifically grade, start date, salary and social security issues: Executive Board

The candidate is asked to draw up a well substantiated list of requirements, and to present it as part of the appointment negotiations.

Content of Appointment Negotiations

The following topics will be discussed in the actual appointment negotiations with the Vice Presidents concerned:

Individual employment terms and any and all personal matters and concerns
Resourcing, especially start-up support (equipment fund) and all other resource-related aspects within the areas of responsibility that have been determined
Aspects raised by the candidate, as well as
Next steps and timeline.

Following the Appointment Negotiations

On behalf of the Executive Board of the University, the Professorships Department will clarify all outstanding issues and draw up the formal written offer within the time frame that has been discussed. The offer is subject to a month-long period of reflection. Should the offer be accepted, the Professorships Department will draw up an appointment application on behalf of the Executive Board. This is then submitted to the Board or to the Vetsuisse Council.