A local Veterans Affairs hospital has told us that our faculty can no
longer have assignments that exceed four consecutive years.  In the
past, the four-year rule (see below) was said to have applied only to
Federal employees.  We have been told that the VA Office of
Personnel Management just changed the interpretation so that it now
applies to local, state and university employees.

Have other research administrators run across this, and if so, how
did you handle the situation?  Our VA hospital's staff have advised us
that the only solution is to use someone else's name on the IPA
(Intergovernmental Personnel Act of 1970) agreement.  We refuse to
go along with their solution.

Thanks in advance for any help on this one!

Susan Ross
Research Administrator
Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
Northwestern University
(708) 491-3003
FAX: (708) 491-4800
e-mail: xxxxxx@gsa-orsp.crown.nwu.edu

(*)MP5, Part I, Chapter 334-Intergovernmental Assignments;
Specifically1-4c Length of Assignment.