The Academic Senate supported the demands to stop the underfunding of science and education

At its second meeting, the UP Academic Senate adopted a resolution in which it supported the representation of universities in the demands to stop the underfunding of science and education. He agreed with the abolition of the Confucius Institute. The Institute of King Sejong, which will find a new location at the Faculty of Arts of UP, will also not be a UP workplace. With the amendment proposal, AS UP also adopted amendment No. 4 of the internal wage regulation.

With regard to the difficult financial situation, which has not been resolved in higher education for a long time, the Academic Senate of Palacky University adopted a resolution in which it drew attention to the persistent overall underfunding of science and education in the Czech Republic from public funds. He commented on the current funding situation of universities as a situation that threatens the stability and functioning of the entire educational system. The Academic Senate of the UP supported the representation of universities in the demands to stop the underfunding of science and education in the Czech Republic and demands an increase in financial resources directed to higher education through an increase in the share of expenditure on higher education in relation to the gross domestic product. In his resolution, he emphasized that in the current situation, higher education is an uncompetitive employer and is losing quality educators and researchers who are the bearers of education for future generations.

During the November meeting, the senators agreed to the proposal to appoint a new member of the UP Internal Evaluation Council, namely Professor Martin Modrianský from the UP Faculty of Medicine (Prof. Zdeněk Kolář, Faculty of Medicine UP resigned). They also approved the Report on the internal evaluation of the quality of educational, creative and related activities of UP, as presented after incorporating the comments of EK AS UP. In its resolution, the UP Academic Senate approved the abolition of the UP Confucius Institute and the King Sejong Institute as a workplace of Palacký University, as of January 1, 2024. From the new year, the King Sejong Institute will be organizationally and economically included under the Department of Asian Studies of the Faculty of Philosophy. Palacký University senators also heard information about the upcoming Statute of the Ethics Commission, i.e. the commission, which is an advisory body to the rector of UP. The newly prepared document, which should be effective from January 1, 2024, will undergo several changes, for example, the fact that the proposals that reach the UP Ethics Commission will be received directly by the chairman of this commission.

During the meeting, the AS of UP requested the UP faculty senate’s resolution to nominate delegates from the respective faculties to the Assembly of the University Council. He also invited members of the senate to nominate AS UP representatives to the Council of Universities. The Academic Senate also called for the submission of proposals by the UP AS representative to the UP Internal Evaluation Council. A proposal for a person to be appointed as a member of the UP RVH can be submitted to the president of the AS UP within the specified period through the AS UP Office by the dean, the faculty senate, a senator or a group of senators of the AS UP. During the session, the senate also heard information about the elections to the UP Dormitory Council. Tereza Jamrožová, a student at the Faculty of Law, became the chairwoman of this twelve-member committee with a term of office of 2023-2025.

Palacký University senators also approved Draft Amendment No. 10 of the UP Statute, as presented. They also accepted the submitted draft of the Internal Regulations of the PdF UP on the implementation of the Study and Examination Regulations of the UP as amended. They also agreed to the purchase agreement between UP and the company Pragolab, which refers to the equipment called High Resolution HPLC and Mass Spectrometry, which is being purchased for the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine of the LF UP. The UP Administrative Council will still discuss the contract. After a broader debate, the AS UP also approved the proposed amendment number 4 of the internal wage regulation of the UP as amended by the Legislative Commission of the UP AS. At this point, the discussion focused first on the temporal development of the submission of the mentioned document, then mainly on the process of communication and implementation of collective bargaining. It is the result of the collective bargaining with the unions at the UP that does not yet allow the internal standard to be sent to the Ministry of Education and Culture for registration and subsequently enter into force.

In its resolution, AS UP also thanked everyone who participated in the organization of the 450th anniversary celebrations of the University in Olomouc. The next meeting of AS UP (outing) will take place on December 7-8 in Hrubá Voda. Adopted resolutions here. More about AS UP here.