REGULATION ON RESEARCH ASSISTANTS

Purpose

ARTICLE 1- (1) The purpose of this Regulation is to regulate the principles to be applied in the appointment of research assistants at Izmir University of Economics, determination of their duties and responsibilities, re-appointment, termination of their contracts and structuring of their relations with Izmir University of Economics.

Basis
ARTICLE 2- (1) This Regulation has been prepared in accordance with the Higher Education Law No. 2547, the “Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Central Examination and Entrance Exams to be Applied in Appointments to Academic Staff Other than Faculty Members”, which came into force after being published in the Official Gazette No. 30590 dated 09.11.2018, and other relevant legislation.

Definitions

ARTICLE 3- (1) The references in this regulation is as follows;

a) Research Assistant: Academic staff who assist in the education, research, examination and experiments carried out in higher education institutions and perform other related duties assigned by the authorized bodies,

b) Relevant faculty/school/vocational school/graduate school: Faculty, school, vocational school, graduate school affiliated to Izmir University of Economics,

c) Graduate program: Master's programs with thesis and doctoral programs,

ç) Rector: The Rector of Izmir University of Economics,

d) Senate: The Senate of Izmir University of Economics,

e) University (IUE): Izmir University of Economics,

f) CoHE: The Council of Higher Education.

Application, evaluation and initial appointment

ARTICLE 4 – (1) Prospective research assistant who requests to be employed in the announced position at IUE, must fulfill the provisions of the “Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Central Examination and Entrance Exams to be Applied in Appointments to Academic Staff Other than Faculty Members”, which came into force after being published in the Official Gazette No. 30590 dated 09.11.2018,  the foreign language score requirement accepted by the Senate and other conditions specified in the announcement.

(2) The prospective research assistant attaches the file containing the information and documents specified in the announcement to his/her application to be used in evaluation.

(3) The prospective research assistant submits his/her file to the relevant faculty/school/vocational school/graduate school for preliminary examination. Jury assignments, exams, announcements of exam results, evaluations, the nature of the decisions of the administrative board of the faculty/school/vocational school/graduate school and similar issues regarding the application of the prospective research assistant are carried out by the relevant faculty/school/vocational school/graduate school where the application is made in accordance with the provisions of the “Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Central Examination and Entrance Exams to be Applied in Appointments to Academic Staff Other than Faculty Members.”  

(4) The application files of prospective research assistant are decided by the authorized boards and persons specified in the Higher Education Law No. 2547.

(5) Research Assistants are appointed for a period of 1 (one) year by the Rector upon the proposal of the relevant dean/director by fulfilling the conditions specified in the “Regulation on the Procedures and Principles Regarding the Central Examination and Entrance Exams to be Applied in Appointments to Academic Staff Other than Faculty Members.” 

Duties

ARTICLE 5 – (1) Issues related to the duties of Research Assistants are specified in their contracts. Research assistants may be assigned to educational activities and research in academic units, and promotion, social contribution projects, cultural and social activities if necessary and other activities deemed appropriate by the administration.

(2) Research assistants devote their working hours to IUE-related studies. Without prior written approval from the Rector and/or the necessary committees, the research assistants are not allowed to work elsewhere during or outside the working hours specified in the contract.

(3) Graduate research assistants shall submit the documents they will obtain in writing from the higher education institution they are a student of regarding the courses they are enrolled in the graduate program to the head of the department they are affiliated with at IUE for each academic semester.  Regardless of the institution of graduate education, graduate research assistants may be granted a total of 1 (one) working day off per week in the fall and spring semesters by the relevant dean's office/directorate following the approval of the department head in order to attend their courses at the higher education institution where they are enrolled without disrupting their duties at IUE.  This leave is granted within the academic year of the institute of the higher education board where they receive graduate education. In exceptional cases, the leave period can be extended for a maximum of 1 (one) working day in a semester.

Renewal of Contract

ARTICLE 6 – (1) In research assistant contract extensions, information is given regarding whether the contract will be renewed or not, taking into account the notice periods stipulated in the Labor Law No. 4857.

(2) At least 3 (three) months before the end of the contract period, research assistants submit their petition requesting the renewal of the contract, their current comprehensive academic curriculum vitae and the table of the scores obtained from the performance indicators since the last contract date to the faculty dean / school directorate / vocational school directorate / graduate school directorate to which they are affiliated. The Dean / Director, who receives the petition and its annexes, submits the renewal of the contract to the Rector's approval within three working days at the latest, taking into account the written opinion of the relevant department head or program supervisor, if any. In the evaluation, the extent to which the research assistant has worked jointly and harmoniously with other academic staff working in the department/program since the last contract period and the way he/she fulfills the duties assigned to him/her may be taken into consideration.

Extension of contracts of graduate research assistants who continue their education

ARTICLE 7 – (1) Research assistants who continue their graduate education are appointed for a period of 1 (one) year.

(2) At the end of one year, they can be reappointed for a period of 1 (one) year if they meet the following conditions:

a)  Research assistants attending master's programs with thesis must have a GPA of at least 3.00 out of 4.00 at the end of each academic year and obtain at least 10 (ten) points from Table 1.

b)  Research assistants attending doctoral programs must have a GPA of at least 3.25 out of 4.00 at the end of each academic year and obtain at least 10 (ten) points from Table 1.

Research assistants who have completed their master's degree with thesis

ARTICLE 8 – (1) The second paragraph of the Additional Article 38 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547 states, “The positions of those who are appointed to research assistant positions and who have completed their doctorate or specialization in dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine or proficiency in art training are extended by one year, in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (d) of the first paragraph of Article 50. At the end of the one-year period, the position of research assistants who meet the performance-based criteria of the higher education institution where they are employed may be continued for another year. At the end of these periods, research assistants' positions are automatically terminated. The positions of those who are appointed within the scope of clause (d) of the first paragraph of Article 50 and have completed their master's degree with thesis will continue for a maximum of six months. Those who do not start their doctorate or art proficiency training in their field at state higher education institutions within a six-month period will automatically be dismissed from their positions as research assistants.”

In accordance with this provision;

The contracts of research assistants who have completed their master’s degree with thesis continue for a maximum of six months. At the end of a six-month period, their contracts automatically expire.

Research assistants who have completed their doctorate

ARTICLE 9 – (1) The second paragraph of the Additional Article 38 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547 states, “The positions of those who are appointed to research assistant positions and who have completed their doctorate or specialization in dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine or proficiency in art training are extended by one year, in accordance with the provisions of subparagraph (d) of the first paragraph of Article 50. At the end of the one-year period, the position of research assistants who meet the performance-based criteria of the higher education institution where they are employed may be continued for another year. At the end of these periods, research assistants' positions are automatically terminated. The positions of those who are appointed within the scope of clause (d) of the first paragraph of Article 50 and have completed their master's degree with thesis will continue for a maximum of six months. Those who do not start their doctorate or art proficiency training in their field at state higher education institutions within a six-month period will automatically be dismissed from their positions as research assistants.”

In accordance with this provision;

1. The contracts of research assistants who have completed their doctoral education are extended for one year. At the end of the one-year period, research assistants' positions are automatically terminated and their contracts expire.
2. Among those who have completed their doctoral education, those whose contracts have been extended for one year in accordance with subparagraph a of this article, must earn at least 10 (ten) points from Table 1 for each academic year they work at IUE, and when completed, must get at least 6 (six) points from Table 2 to have their contracts extended for a second and last year.  Contracts of research assistants are evaluated within the scope of the justification to be presented by the relevant dean/director. The contracts of those who are deemed necessary to continue their position may be extended for another year by the Rector, taking into account IUE's budget and staff principles. At the end of the one-year period, research assistants' positions are automatically terminated and their contracts expire.

Teaching by research assistants who have completed their doctorate

ARTICLE 10- (1) Article 36 of the Higher Education Law No. 2547 states, “Lecturers and research assistants working in applied units, those who have successfully completed their doctorate and gained the title of specialization in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and veterinary medicine, or proficiency in one of the certain branches of art determined by the Council of Higher Education upon the recommendation of the Interuniversity Board, including those within the scope of the second paragraph of Article 34 of the Law on Amendments to the Higher Education Law No. 7100 and Certain Laws and Decree Laws dated 22/2/2018, may be given lecture assignments upon their request and if the university administrative board deems it appropriate.”

In accordance with this provision;

Research assistants who have completed their doctoral education must receive at least 6 (six) points from Table 2 to be able to teach as a doctoral research assistant if deemed appropriate by the university administrative board and must complete the training given by the University's “Teaching and Learning Research and Application Center (TLC)”.   

Termination of contract

ARTICLE 11 – (1) A research assistant's duty ends if s/he resigns or is dismissed from graduate student status before the contract expires.

(2) A research assistant's duty may be terminated with the approval of the Rector upon the proposal of the relevant dean/director, in accordance with the relevant legislation and/or in cases specified in the contract, before the contract expires.

Non-Provisional Cases

ARTICLE 12- (1) In cases where there are no provisions in this Regulation, the provisions of the relevant legislation in force, the decisions of the CoHE and the Interuniversity Board, internal regulations and board decisions shall apply.

Amendments

ARTICLE 13- (1) This Regulation may be amended by the decision of the Senate.

Effectiveness
ARTICLE 14- (1) This Regulation takes effect on the date it is approved by the Board of Trustees of Izmir University of Economics.

Enforcement
ARTICLE 15- (1) The Rector of Izmir University of Economics enforces the provisions of this Regulation.

PROVISIONAL ARTICLE 1- (1) The provisions of this Regulation apply to research assistants who are appointed and sign a contract after this Regulation enters into force.

(2) The provisions of this Regulation apply to those who are permanent research assistants at IUE as of the effective date of this Regulation, in cases where their contracts expire after the effective date of this Regulation, and in cases where their reappointment and renewal of their contracts are requested.

PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

This Regulation entered into force with the decision of the Senate dated 06.03.2024 and numbered 525-2024/05-C/1 and the decision of the Board of Trustees dated 15.03.2024 and numbered 87.