Employment relationship and contract

As defined in the USI statute, Faculty comprises:

• Professors (full professors, associate professors);
• Assistant Professors;
• Lecturers;
• Lecturers-Researchers.

Lecturers and Lecturers-Researchers may obtain the title of “Adjunct Professor” and “Private Docent”.  

USI employment contracts for members of Faculty are individual contracts. The contract sets forth terms and conditions, duties and salary. The general regulatory framework is in the Code of Obligations and – specific to USI – the Regulations on the general terms of employment for academic staff at USI and - where promotion is concerned - the Regulations for the promotion and tenure of academic staff.

As defined in the USI statute, Assistants (junior academics) comprise: 

• assistants;
• doctors lecturing on clinical practice;
• architects responsible for atelier duties;
• research staff;
• teaching staff;
• language teachers / language assistants.  

Assistants are categorized as follows: doctoral assistants, qualified assistants, senior assistants. Assistants responsible for atelier duties are categorized as follows: junior collaborator; senior collaborator; master collaborator.

USI employment contracts for Assistants are individual contracts. The general regulatory framework is in the Code of Obligations and – specific to USI – the Regulations on the general terms of employment for academic staff at USI.

Assistants are hired on the basis of a fixed-term contract, generally for one year, renewable for a maximum of five consecutive years, with 'assistant' status, compatibly with available funding (internal and/or external).

The individual contract, signed by the employee and by the director of administration, defines at least: function, duties and responsibilities, salary, start date and duration of the contract, location, percentage of occupation, and reference to the Regulations on the general terms of employment for academic staff at USI, as an integral part of the contract.

USI sets the salary bases for the different categories of Assistants. In particular, USI refers to the salary bases for doctoral assistants applied by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Salaries are paid at the end of each month.

As defined in the USI statute, Administrative staff comprise: 

• administrative staff;
• library staff;
• technical staff.

At present, USI has a Collective Employemnt Agreement for administrative, library, technical staff. The general regulatory framework is in the Code of Obligations and – specific to USI – the Regulations on the general working conditions of administrative, library, technical and auxiliary staff - Collective Employment Agreement.