Termination

Description

Faculty mentors may terminate a postdoctoral trainee during an appointment period with three months’ written notice. The termination letter must state the reason for termination, using the postdoctoral trainee obligations as guidance.

Departments and faculty mentors should consult the appropriate administrative office before taking action to terminate a postdoctoral appointment. If the postdoctoral trainee is appointed through Biomedical Postdoctoral Programs (BPP), the faculty mentor or departmental administrator should contact BPP for guidance regarding the termination process and termination letter.

Immediate Termination

Under certain circumstances, immediate termination may be appropriate. Such circumstances may include, but are not limited to, gross or willful misconduct, gross insubordination, prohibited harassment, unethical behavior, disclosure or misuse of confidential information, misuse of University resources, or other violations of University policy.

In such cases, the appropriate administrative office, such as the Office of the Vice Provost for Research, must be consulted and must approve the termination before action is taken.

Penn Policy and Related Guidance

For University policy guidance, faculty mentors and administrators should review the Policy for Postdoctoral Trainees at the University of Pennsylvania.