Resignation Letters

[writingprof]

I plan to resign/retire by simply not showing up one fall.  This will cause my department chair an afternoon of inconvenience.  Perhaps two afternoons.  I am sorry.  (Also: I am not really that sorry at all.)

[mamselle]

....recommended resignation date of May 15 but I assume there are no consequences for not satisfying this.

If you dont comply, what are they going to do?  Fire you?

Well, that's an AAUP suggestion, it's not the university's requirement.

I'm afraid not showing up is skating very close to passive aggression, though (per previous note above...

[Hibush]

I plan to resign/retire by simply not showing up one fall.  This will cause my department chair an afternoon of inconvenience.  Perhaps two afternoons.  I am sorry.  (Also: I am not really that sorry at all.)

That will be more effective that a sharply worded resignation letter. If retribution is the goal, anyway. Or personal satisfaction.

[clean]

..recommended resignation date of May 15 but I assume there are no consequences for not satisfying this.

If you dont comply, what are they going to do?  Fire you?


Well, that's an AAUP suggestion, it's not the university's requirement.

ok....a rewrite:
IF you dont comply, what are they going to do?  Take away your AARPAAUP Card?

[writingprof]

I plan to resign/retire by simply not showing up one fall.  This will cause my department chair an afternoon of inconvenience.  Perhaps two afternoons.  I am sorry.  (Also: I am not really that sorry at all.)

That will be more effective that a sharply worded resignation letter. If retribution is the goal, anyway. Or personal satisfaction.

No, I like my job.  But all this talk about health benefits being cancelled in May has scared me.  I'll be damned if I'm going to let that happen to me.  They owe me benefits until the end of my contract, in July, and they shall provide them until then.

[polly_mer]

I was surprised at how quickly I was thrown off the U's email system when I resigned.  I had stored a lot of stuff in my inbox and thought I would have more time to forward some of it.  They did let me get back on, but for only 24 hours. BTW, the AAUP has a recommended resignation date of May 15 but I assume there are no consequences for not satisfying this.

It is surprising to hear how quickly some resigning faculty are being cut off.  When I left my university employment some years back I had to turn in my keys and staff ID on my way out on the last day at work.  But I was just a staff member, not any kind of faculty.

Properly functioning places like a two-week notice minimum and might even hold a small going away party.

Iffy places from which people are fleeing tend to call security upon receipt of the notice, have security watch the resignee pack personal items, take all keys, and turn off computer access before COB.

The distinction is not faculty/staff/administrator, but instead institutional practices.

[spork]

I recommend submitting your resignation letter on the last possible day. Check with HR to find out how benefits align with contractual period of employment. Find out when employees who are leaving are supposed to notify the university. Don't worry about providing time to find replacements for your fall semester courses, that's the department chair's job.

Start emptying out your office now. Move items to your car very early in the morning when there are few people on campus. If anyone sees you and asks why you've got boxes, say you're creating a home office because of the pandemic.

I know two faculty members who left this university in the last twelve months. One was fired late last summer; she had to clean out her office that day and her university email, etc. user account was immediately disabled. Another informed administrators about taking a job elsewhere in late March. His account was disabled as soon as spring semester final grades were submitted.

[Caracal]

Don't worry about providing time to find replacements for your fall semester courses, that's the department chair's job.

With all of this advice, I would say that if the school really does have a history of retaliation, you should do what you need to do to protect yourself. However, you want to weigh all of this against professional norms. These aren't just about protecting your institution, but also about respect for your colleagues and maintaining your own reputation.

It is your department chair's job to fill your courses, and you aren't required to deal with significant financial hardship to make his life easier, but as a professional you don't want to create avoidable problems. It also isn't just about the chair. Giving more notice might be helpful to your colleagues, the person who ends up teaching your classes, and the students in those classes. If the school treats people badly who resign, you can feel like you aren't responsible for those effects, but I don't think you would want to quit at the last minute out of an abundance of caution.

[clean]

Don't worry about providing time to find replacements for your fall semester courses, that's the department chair's job.

With all of this advice, I would say that if the school really does have a history of retaliation, you should do what you need to do to protect yourself. However, you want to weigh all of this against professional norms. These aren't just about protecting your institution, but also about respect for your colleagues and maintaining your own reputation.

It is your department chair's job to fill your courses, and you aren't required to deal with significant financial hardship to make his life easier, but as a professional you don't want to create avoidable problems. It also isn't just about the chair. Giving more notice might be helpful to your colleagues, the person who ends up teaching your classes, and the students in those classes. If the school treats people badly who resign, you can feel like you aren't responsible for those effects, but I don't think you would want to quit at the last minute out of an abundance of caution.

IF you are not looking out for Your, then NO ONE is!

" but as a professional you don't want to create avoidable problems"  Hmmmm... So arent the HR folks that decided that the state is not required to pay for health insurance of faculty (even after the faculty paid for their summer insurance fees) because you notified them you are not returning in September 'creating an avoidable problem'? 

In my experience, faculty, in general, are not proactive, but are rather reactive.  Look at your faculty senate's legislation.  What percentage of it is to prevent a possible action as opposed to preventing the reoccurrence of a problem that has happened before!  (I learned in my first job that most of the things that do not make sense, only dont make sense until you know the history). 

Caracal mentioned 'retaliation'.  IN my experience, few of the actions regarding job separation, especially by HR folks are taken in retaliation.  Shutting off email access, cancelling health insurance, take the parking decal off your car...  these are simply the steps someone put on a checklist of how to handle the check out policies of a departing employee.  They are not mad you are leaving, they are simply implementing a poorly thought out plan.  A plan developed by a 'professional'.

THE ONLY way to get those fixed is to work with your faculty senate to get the policies changed, and for the department chairs and deans who have to deal with the fallout from faculty looking for their own interests to advocate for changes as well. 

So, I would counter that YOU ARE supporting your institution and profession when you advocate, to change them, even if that means you provide only a 2 week notice, BECAUSE that is the system that THEY developed!!

And good luck, in these days of COVID19 budget uncertainty to argue that the administration SHOULD pay the state's/university's share of the health insurance for a faculty that has announced that he/she is not going to be back in the fall.  (My employer pays over $500 a month in health insurance premiums for a single faculty member. That is $1500 for the summer, and if 20 faculty are leaving, that is enough to pay for .....  15 adjuncts?  student workers for a department for a year?  PPE masks, hand sanitizers, taping off every other chair in a building...

IN the end, I agree with Caracal that one should not withhold a resignation letter out of an 'abundance of caution', but I advocate that IF the university's own rules lack sense or are abusive, then Play By the Rules THEY Wrote and look out for YOUR interests as clearly they are looking out for Their Interests!.

[polly_mer]

Talk with HR regarding the rules.

For example, I gave months of informal notice at one institution so my colleagues could plan for my replacement in hard-to-cover courses.  However, my official notice was two weeks before end of contract due to insurance concerns.

Super Dinky was notorious about walking people out the door the day they gave notice.  However, I had a quiet talk with HR regarding the position I had and arrangements were made with the president and provost to spent my last month in a smooth transition with no announcement until my last week.  They were much more willing to deal after the previous three people in important positions gave one day's notice and operations were disrupted.

[PI]

I am interested in hearing these responses.
OP: May I ask if you have already accepted the new job and how long ago did you sign those papers? When is your start date for the new job?  I have faced issues in my current institute, which I don't believe will change simply upon my suggestion during my exit. It comes down to bad leadership on a couple of levels.

I may have a similar situation to face. I have a lab to move and several people with me. I have been wondering about similar questions and when I would let my chair know (can't move the lab without letting them know). There are complications on what I may be able to take with me (even if purchased from my grants or start up funds a long time ago).

[Caracal]

With all of this advice, I would say that if the school really does have a history of retaliation, you should do what you need to do to protect yourself.
IN the end, I agree with Caracal that one should not withhold a resignation letter out of an 'abundance of caution', but I advocate that IF the university's own rules lack sense or are abusive, then Play By the Rules THEY Wrote and look out for YOUR interests as clearly they are looking out for Their Interests!.

Sure, no argument here.

[Vkw10]

Talk to HR about effective end of insurance coverage. Say you are considering an opportunity when you talk to people. Until you have the rules clear, do not say you are leaving in conversation, email, or any other way.

Once you understand the rules, you can make decisions. For example, my university considers the last day to submit grades as end of faculty employment unless the faculty is returning for next long semester. T/TT faculty are presumed to be returning unless notice is given in writing. That means faculty can tell chair they're leaving, but keep insurance through August by waiting until August 1 to give written notice. HR actually has "notice in April" and "notice in August" examples on their website, so they aren't trying to trick faculty.

PI, you mentioned moving lab. You may want to talk with your new institution about getting you on payroll early to facilitate moving lab. Not all universities can or will start faculty early, but some will for established researcher who is moving a lab. They may even have staff who are familiar with grant rules about lab equipment. I suspect the equipment purchased with startup funds belongs to university, but equipment purchased with grants may be subject to grant rules.

Protect yourself from rigid rules by asking questions without giving notice. Many HR people and administrators will be reasonable about providing information you need to make decisions, but you have to ask first. Once you give notice, their job is to protect the university's interests and they'll enforce the rules.

[PI]

Vkw10,
Thanks for those suggestions. I assumed you can't be on the payroll in two places at once. Can there be any overlap in dates at all?
I am still considering whether we should move. The whole situation with the pandemic is putting. lot of stress on the family and we are not able to enjoy these new possibilities. My spouse is onboard. But my kids are very unhappy about this and they are all already under stress due to the online schooling.

[Ruralguy]

There can be a little bit of overlap due to odd pay periods and such. But it should only be days, not weeks or months.
I arranged this with my previous employer because I took a week to travel across the country, and wanted to be covered until I knew my present employer started up. They were willing to do that. As Polly said, at some point you really do have to involve HR of both places, not that either needs to know what the other is doing.