Initiatives – ACIDUL

Since 2003, the committee and general secretariat have undertaken various initiatives at UNIL. Most of the time, these initiatives involve interactions with the University authorities.

Below you will find a non-exhaustive list of the initiatives that have occupied us in recent years.

Main demands

Improvement of the Library Commission’s functioning (2024, ongoing)
Creation of permanent positions for UNIL’s intermediate staff (2024, ongoing)
Equitable and transparent distribution of teaching responsibilities for FBM PhD students on external funding (2024, ongoing)
Guarantee of better pensions for researchers affiliated with the Retraites Populaires pension fund (2023, ongoing)
Revision of Directive 0.4 from the Direction to ensure explicit sanctions for proven harassment (2023)
Reduction of economic precarity for PhD students with scholarships such as the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (2023)
Mobilisation with other Swiss intermediate staff associations against the ending of the SNSF’s Doc.CH program (2022)
End of the extension of hybrid teaching at UNIL, implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic (2022)
Revision of Article 24 of the Règlement sur les assistants, which discriminates against women (2021)
Translation into English of UNIL’s website, regulations, and laws applicable to researchers (since 2021)
Facilitated and free access to continuing education provided by UNIL for PhD students (2019)
Introduction of transparent criteria for stabilisation requests as Senior Lecturers (MER) and the mention, upon hiring as a maître assistant, of the possibility of stabilisation (2018)
Access for ACIDUL to the distribution list for researchers who are members of the administrative and technical staff (2017)
Creation of a structure dedicated to harassment to support victims, identify situations, and inform staff; organisation of a poster campaign by the University to combat workplace harassment; introduction of awareness training for PIs; and clarification of entry points for individuals experiencing harassment or discrimination on campus (2017)
Integration of ACIDUL and the University Feminist Association into discussions on harassment initiatives, submitted to the Conseil de l’Université (2017)
Clarifications on responsibility and acceptable deadlines for issuing work certificates upon leaving the university (2016)
Reduction of the work rate of SNSF PhD students with children, with the possibility of a contract extension, based on existing measures for graduate assistants (2015)
Access for ACIDUL to distribution lists for PhD students and intermediate staff at UNIL (2015)
Implementation of clear guidelines in case of non-reduction of contract for graduate assistants (2014)
Submission of a resolution to the Conseil de l’Université requesting a 500-franc increase in the stipend (indemnité) paid to SNSF doctoral students, to achieve salary equality between graduate assistants and SNSF doctoral students (2014)
Position statement of ACIDUL and the FAE for the removal of Directive 5.4, « Posting and Promotional Activities on the University Campus »
Introduction of a research engineer per faculty to support young researchers in their career development (2011)
Creation of an environmental commission, in collaboration with the FAE (2010)
Guarantee of access to UNIL’s IT for retired Senior Lecturers (MER) (2010)
Systematisation of cahier des charges for assistants (2009-2010)
ACIDUL-FAE position statement for better regulation of the student assistant status and for the hiring of researchers on external funds according to a clear and fair procedure (2010)
Opposition, through a petition, to the introduction of the « PhD student on external funds » status, which is not subject to the Règlement sur les assistants and implies a salary reduction (2007-2008)

Petitions, organisation of events, etc.

Organisation of a conference on the cahier des charges for intermediate staff researchers at UNIL (2024)
Petition against inequalities among PhD students with a UNIL contract, in collaboration with the Public Services Union (2023, ongoing)
Discussions with the Graduate Campus and SASME to find ways to reduce economic precarity for PhD students without a UNIL contract (2023)
Update of ACIDUL’s information brochure and creation of a flyer (2023)
Organisation of an annual conference on unemployment rights for research staff at UNIL, in collaboration with the Public Services Union (since 2022)
Survey on private research funding at UNIL, in collaboration with the Research Service and the Graduate Campus (2022)
Facilitated access to a Unisciences page for PhD students without a UNIL contract (2021)
Petition for the automatic extension of all precarious contracts, related to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching and research (2020)
Hosting of the Forum de la relève suisse – University.Now (2019)
Introduction of ACIDUL’s emergency fund for PhD students, now called the « PhD Student Solidarity Fund » (2018)
Access for ACIDUL to the distribution list for researchers who are members of administrative and technical staff (2017)
Petition for full-time employment of FBM postdoctoral fellows employed at 80% for 100% actual work, in collaboration with the Public Services Union (2017)
Launch of a platform to list the job descriptions of intermediate staff (2016)
Organisation of the second États généraux de la recherche, to combat the degradation of research conditions in Switzerland and envision a different university (2015)
Mobilisation for PhD students whose assistantship contracts were arbitrarily terminated at the end of the first year (2015)
Support for the petition for accessible health insurance and a salary adjustment for UNIL researchers, following the end of the special regime for foreign researchers (2014)
Participation in the strike for public sector pensions, with the Public Services Union and SUD (2013)
Organisation of information booths on the cahier des charges for researchers (2013)
Support for the federal initiative of the Union of Swiss Students (UNES) to make education more accessible, and communication of ACIDUL’s position to the State Council of Vaud regarding the inter-cantonal agreement on the Swiss higher education area and the convention between the Confederation and the cantons on cooperation in the field of higher education (2012-2013)
Support for the motion submitted to the Grand Conseil for the introduction of paternity leave for employees of the State of Vaud (2012)
Position statement following the meeting with young researchers organised by the SNSF. Among the 10 demands: the random selection of members of the SNSF commissions and the abolition of renewable mandates for these members; the end of the evaluation of projects from the social sciences and humanities based on the natural sciences model; and the increase of PhD students’ salaries (2012)
Organisation of the first États généraux de la recherche, to combat the degradation of research conditions in Switzerland and envision a different university (2012)
Position statement following the retention of tiles featuring private companies on the walls of the Internef cafeteria, which are contrary to UNIL’s independence (2012)
Translation of ACIDUL’s brochure in English (2012)
Organisation of a forum-discussion on the doctorate, attended by the Secretary General of the CUSO, the Deputy Director of the SNSF, the Rector of UNIL, and a researcher working on higher education policies (2011)
Update of ACIDUL’s information brochure (2011)
Organisation of a forum on statuses related to teaching and research, including discussions on the revision of the Loi sur l’Université (2010)
Creation of ACIDUL’s information brochure (2009)
Formation of a working group on the multitude of roles and statuses at UNIL, particularly for mid-level staff (2008-2009)
Petition « Position statement on Directive 1.31 (PhD students funded by external funds) » (2008)