Faculty & Staff

Litigation

The PI or Department Administrator should notify the Dean’s Office as soon as he/she becomes aware of any litigation, threatened litigation, or circumstances that could lead to litigation or to a claim against Columbia University. The Department Administrator serves as the point of contact in these situations and should work closely with the PI, Country/Project Director (if applicable), and Office of the General Counsel until the matter is resolved.

Work Visas for Expatriates

Most countries will not allow non-citizens to work in country without a visa.  As such, the lead project person on site must work with local legal counsel to obtain work visas for all University expatriates requiring them.

Hiring Local Staff

In most countries where the University conducts international projects, staff should not be hired unless the entity is legally registered.  Without legal registration, the international project should hire local staff on a short-term basis as consultants, using the Local Consultant Letter Template found in Appendix 13 of the ICAP SOPs.  If and when legal registration is obtained, local legal counsel should guide the process of transferring individuals from consultant to employee status.  For more information, see Hiring Staff and Consultants.