Each new postdoctoral appointment is to be made in writing by a letter from the supervising faculty member. The letter must have the approval of the departmental chair or the appropriate dean in the case of professional schools, though the precise mechanism for obtaining this approval is left to the discretion of the department or school. Final administrative approval must also be obtained from the Office for Postdoctoral Affairs (see below). The appointment letter must include the following details:
(i) the term, title, and schedule (full time or fractional) of the appointment;
(ii) the level of support;
(iii) the source of support;
(iv) benefits provided;
(v) a statement of the expected obligations of the appointee during the training period (this statement may refer to a general area of study and need not define a particular project);
(vi) a statement of teaching responsibilities, if any, associated with the appointment (note that any appointee who will be teaching must also be appointed as a lecturer or equivalent academic rank); and
(vii) a copy of these Policies for Postdoctoral Appointments.
Additional information, e.g., the possibility and conditions for renewal, may also be included. The postdoctoral appointee must acknowledge the terms of the appointment, either by signing the letter of appointment or by submitting a separate letter of acceptance.