What does one year fixed term position mean at a University?

Answer 1

This sounds like a faculty employment. A person can be employed to teach at a university for a certain period of time, typically a year, with no right to be rehired. This is different from a professor who either has tenure (you are there forever so long as you do your job and don't do something terrible) or is on tract to get tenure after a certain number of years. Typically fixed term ("sessional") positions go to younger people who have recently gotten a Ph.D. . From the standpoint of universities such positions are very cost effective.