Section 1. Written Letter of Appointment
MIT shall make best efforts to implement changes to its graduate appointment process consistent with this Article as soon as possible following ratification of this Agreement, but no later than January 16, 2024.
Every appointment of an employee shall be made by MIT in writing and outline the basic terms and conditions of the appointment to the extent known at that time. The appointment terms in the provided letter will be maintained unless the individual’s employment is terminated pursuant to the provisions of Article 6, Discipline and Discharge, or the appointment is canceled.
Section 2. Appointment Timelines
MIT shall send a written letter of appointment at least thirty (30) days before the appointment begins. It is understood by both parties that in certain circumstances (such as where outside funding is involved, uncertain enrollments, or other legitimate reasons) some appointments cannot be finalized in advance of the start of the appointment. When it is not possible to provide a finalized appointment letter in advance of the start of an appointment, MIT shall provide an initial letter with whatever information is known at least thirty (30) days before the appointment begins and then update that information as soon as possible thereafter.
However, MIT will endeavor in good faith to provide as much information as possible in advance of the start of the appointment. The employee will have the opportunity to review and discuss the contents of the letter with MIT.
Section 3. Content of Appointment Letter
The letter of appointment shall include the following information:
A. Appointment title(s);
B. Effective starting date and, if known, termination date;
C. Employment unit;
D. The faculty member(s) and/or supervisor(s) to whom the employee will report, along with their contact information;
a. For teaching appointments, the name of the course, the expected number of students for which the employee will be responsible, and a description of the required duties and instructional materials;
b. For all other appointments, a brief description of required duties, including the cadence and expectations related to required meetings and training, and procedures for evaluation, if any, that may be known as of the date of the letter;
E. A description of any expected or potential supervisory duties;
F. A description of any expected or potential additional duties (e.g., maintaining facilities, editing/proofreading, maintaining organic research material and research materials and supplies, and organizing and hosting events);
G. If an employee will be an EHS representative and, at MIT’s option, an enumeration of responsibilities associated with this role;
H. The cadence and frequency for any mandatory employment meetings known at the time of the appointment letter;
I. Work location, including building and room, if known as of the date of the letter;
J. Expected work schedule, including assigned hours, course and recitation meeting times and locations, and any known or estimated deadlines, if applicable (the parties recognize that schedules and locations may change prior to the start of the term);
K. Pay classification as described in Article 21, Compensation;
L. Amount of compensation;
M. Payment schedule;
N. All relevant payment processing contacts in appointment department and in the employee’s home department;
O. The source of funding (i.e., Cost Object, name of Cost Object, and sponsor name, if applicable) at time of appointment;
P. Travel budget and other resources (where applicable);
Q. Benefits related to the appointment, if different from those described elsewhere in this Agreement;
R. Response requirements of the recipient, if any;
S. A statement that the position is covered by this Agreement;
T. A copy of or hyperlink to this Agreement;
U. Union mailing address, phone number, and website address; and
V. A FERPA Communication and FERPA Release Form as set forth in Article 4, Bargaining Unit Information.
If any of the above information is not known at the time notification is sent, the employee will be informed as soon as is reasonable under the circumstances.