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Association of Senior Researchers and Teaching Staff

Frequently Asked Questions

The following list of FAQ will be updated regularly (for the time being, most of the FAQ concern members of FFL with "Habilitation").

Please be aware that occasional errors cannot be excluded in the following answers. When in doubt, please contact info@vffl.uzh.ch

Re-organisation of the bodies

Which are the representative bodies at UZH?

There are four representative bodies:: Students, Junior Researchers, Senior Researchers and Teaching Staff, Administrative and Technical Staff

Who belongs to the Senior Researcher and Teaching Staff Representative Body (FFL)?
Persons holding a position as an academic associate, attending physicians, persons who teach in a study program at UZH and who are also employed in a teaching position under a private law agreement, and persons employed at hospitals who are active in teaching and who are remunerated
according to a posting agreement are are assigned to the Senior Researcher and Teaching Staff Representative Body (FFL). You can find detailed rules on the assignment here

Who decides which of the representative bodies I am assigned to?
The assignment is done based on the HR database by employing criteria of employment and qualification. You can find rules on the assignment to bodies here

What do I do if I have been assigned to the wrong body?

If you believe that you have been assigned to the wrong body, you can request to be re-assigned:

https://www.uzh.ch/cmsssl/en/explore/management/staende/standeswechsel.html

 

Commissions

How do I become a delegate in commissions of the UZH?
The FFL holds elections every two years (next elections in 2024), during which all FFL seats are newly elected. All body members receive a call for elections (usually at the end of March of the respective election year). You are then free to submit a candidature for the commission you wish to serve on.

How can I become member of an appointment commission of the UZH?
The FFL can send at least one representative to most of the UZH appointment commissions.  If you are interested in serving on such a commission in the future, you can register at the following link. Call up the 'Course' "FFL Delegates in Appointment Commissions"https://lms.uzh.ch/url/RepositoryEntry/17292918830) on OLAT and select one or more areas of expertise in your faculty. Under "Expertise" you can upload additional information about yourself. If a commission is formed, we will contact you.

What are the tasks of FFL representatives in Appointment Commissions?
The participation of the delegates includes attendance at meetings, presentations and active involvement in the committee. As a rule, this also includes writing short written reports. After the selection procedure and the subsequent presentations, you draw up an appointment list with those candidates (usually three) who are most suitable for the position from the perspective of your body and present this opinion and its justification to the list meeting of the committee. Furthermore, delegates should check that all rules are adhered to during the appointment process in accordance with the "Guidelines on the selection procedure in the appointment process" and the "Guidelines on Selection Procedures in Professorial Appointments" and the "Guidelines on Recursal in Professorial Appointments and Promotions". Attention must also be paid to gender equality. In terms of the body, it is important to ensure that applicants of the FFL body are treated equally and in accordance with the rules during the appointment process.
Important: The FFL delegates in the Appointments Commission represent their body, but do not work on a mandate basis. They are therefore free to express their own opinions. For further specifications and guidelines, please consult our Guidelines for Delegates of Senior Researchers and Lecturers (FFL) in Appointment Commission (PDF, 236 KB)

What are the rules on impartiality for delegates of the bodies in Appointment Committees?
As a general rule, representatives of the bodies in Appointmen Commissions may not be directly subordinate to other committee members. In addition, the obligation to recuse yourself applies if you are related to a party up to the third degree, represent that party or have worked for that party in the same matter. Further rules on recusal can be found in the Guidelines on Recursal in Professorial Appointments and Promotions.

Habilitation

What rights are associated with the habilitation?
In principle, the habilitation at UZH has no consequences in terms of personnel law or academic rights. According to the partially revised University Act and the current University Regulations, the venia legendi awarded with the habilitation is not linked to an entitlement to teach within study programmes, but habilitated academics are to be given appropriate consideration in the allocation of teaching.

 

How long may I hold the PD title?
According to the current university regulations, the PD title and the venia legendi are awarded permanently, i.e. for life. There is no longer an obligation to teach, and - unlike in the past - there is no longer a periodic review of teaching and research performance.

Frame Regulations of Habilitation UZH
Regulations Habilitation THF
Regulations Habilitation RWF
Regulations Habilitation WWF
Regulations Habilitation MEF

Regulations Habilitation VSF (PDF, 341 KB)

Regulations Habilitation PhF
Regulations Habilitation MNF

 

Adjunct professorship

Does the adjunct professorship still exist?
Yes, it is anchored in the partially revised University Act and in the current University Regulations.

Are there any significant changes to the adjunct professorship with the partially revised University Act?

It is now also possible for senior researchers without habilitation to be appointed as adjunct professors.

 

Are senior researchers who have completed their habilitation also eligible for a adjunct professorship?

Yes

 

What are the requirements for a adjunct professorship?
The requirements are defined in the Framework Ordinance on Titular Professorships. The framework ordinance defines the principles of appointment in general terms. In practice, the faculty ordinances are authoritative. They are based on the framework ordinance and may differ in individual points.

How long is the title valid for a adjunct professorship?
The title is awarded for six years with the possibility of multiple renewals. A new application of the faculty to the Extended University Board is required for each renewal.

 

What are the requirements for the extension of the adjunct professorship?
The faculary ordinances regulate the details. The prerequisites for renewal will be that the area of expertise has continued to be promoted through special achievements and that the renewal is also in the interest of the university.

 

May I continue to hold the title of adjunct professor after retirement?

Yes, adjunct professors who reach the statutory AHV retirement age have the right to continue their title.

 

May Adjunct Professors and PDs continue to use UZH services after their retirement?
Adjunct professors and PDs may apply to use selected UZH services (e-mail account, access to e-journals, use of UZH software, UZH Card) after their official retirement. To do so, you need to submit an application to your institute. The application will be reviewed by the institute directorate/seminar management. They will make the final decision on the application. Further information and the application form can be found here:
Information on services for adjunct professors and PDs after retirement (PDF, 61 KB)
Application form for services for adjunct professors and PDs after retirement (DOCX, 46 KB)

 

Which Rights are associated with a adjunct professorship, which are not?

A adjunct professorship entitles the holder to use the title "Professor" (Prof.). Under personnel law, however, adjunct professors do not count as professors. In principle, the appointment neither affects salary nor is associated with the academic rights of a professorship, although some faculties deviate from this partially - for example, with regard to the right to award doctoral degrees. Adjunct professors have no right to employment or to teach within the framework of study programmes at UZH.

Frame Regulations Adjunct Professorship
Regulations Adjunct Professorship ThF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship RWF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship WWF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship MeF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship VSF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship PhF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship MNF

 

Right to award doctorates

The right to award doctorates varies at all UZH faculties. At MeF, for example, only selected TPs have the right to award doctorates, whereas at PhF all PDs/TPs do. Below you can find links to the Promotion Ordinances of the UZH faculties:

Promotion Ordinance ThF (PDF, 112 KB)

Promotion Ordinance RWF (PDF, 57 KB)

Promotion Ordinance WWF (PDF, 120 KB)

Promotion Ordinance MeF (PDF, 35 KB)

Promotion Ordinance VSF (PDF, 86 KB)

Promotion Ordinance PhF (PDF, 237 KB)

Promotion Ordinance MNF (PDF, 165 KB)

Teaching

 

Is there a teaching obligation for post-doctoral lecturers?

No, this obligation was abolished when the amended University Regulations came into force on 1 August 2018. But please note: Some faculties will continue to require regular teaching for qualification for a titular professorship.

 

Is there a right to teach for habilitated persons?

Habilitated persones do not have a right to teach within study programmes. However, according to the university regulations, habilitated persons are given due consideration in the allocation of courses within study programmes. In any case, habilitated persons may teach courses outside study programmes, but only up to the age of 65 and only if the course is booked by a minimum number of enrolled students. This is determined by the respective faculty.

 

What does "teaching outside degree programmes" mean?

These are courses for which students receive ECTS credits, but which do not count towards a degree at UZH. These courses are listed in the university calendar and the university provides the rooms for them.

 

Is there a right to payment for hablitated persons for their teaching?

In principle, teaching within the framework of study programmes is compensated, either as part of the salary for a UZH employment or as salary for a private-law teaching employment. Teaching outside of study programmes is not compensated.

 

Can I still teach after reachung the retirement age?

Yes, but only by decision of the relevant faculty and only within the framework of fixed-term teaching appointments. This applies in the same way to teaching outside of study programmes: Beyond the age limit, an explicit exception must be made by the competent faculty.

 

When and by whom are the notifications of teaching loads for external teaching staff made?

The content and scope of the teaching workloads are discussed and agreed upon by the responsible organisational units with the teaching staff at an early stage as part of the curriculum planning.

Officially, the teaching load is communicated by the Human Resources Department, if possible at least three months before the start of the semester. Only with this teaching workload notification, which must be countersigned by the teacher, is the employment relationship updated for the semester in question.

Can I also refuse the notified teaching workloads?
Yes

Can the teaching positions also be invoiced on a monthly basis?

Yes, the teaching allowances can be paid monthly. If you wish to make use of this option, you must submit an appropriate informal application to the Human Resources Department. Please note: If the event does not take place or the scope of teaching changes, salaries may be reclaimed.

 

As an external teacher, am I also insured against non-occupational accidents?

According to the Federal Law on Accident Insurance and the relevant implementing provisions, employees whose weekly working hours with an employer are not at least eight hours are only insured against occupational accidents and occupational diseases, but not against non-occupational accidents. Two semester hours per week corresponds to an employment rate of 15%. This is below the legal minimum. We therefore recommend that the teachers concerned make private non-occupational accident insurance.

 

What is the threshold for joining the BVK pension fund?

The threshold for joining the BVK is currently an annual income of CHF 21,330.

Legal Basis

You can find the most important university decrees here:

UZH Legal Documents

University Regulations of the University of Zurich

UniO

University Act

UniG

 

Regulations Habilitation

Frame Regulations of Habilitation UZH
Regulations Habilitation THF
Regulations Habilitation RWF
Regulations Habilitation WWF
Regulations Habilitation MEF

Regulations Habilitation VSF (PDF, 341 KB)

Regulations Habilitation PhF
Regulations Habilitation MNF

 

Regulatons Adjunct Professorship

Frame Regulations Adjunct Professorship
Regulations Adjunct Professorship ThF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship RWF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship WWF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship MeF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship VSF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship PhF
Regulations Adjunct Professorship MNF

 

Regulations on the Employment of External Teachers at the University of Zurich

Regulations Employment of External Teachers

Federal Law on Accident Insurance
UVG

Accident insurance guidelines for the staff of the Canton of Zurich

Accident Insurance ZH

 

Election Regulation of the UZH Bodies

Election Regulations