MU Scientific Board
Rules of procedure
In accordance with section 36, subsection 2 of Act No. 111/1998 Coll., on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports registered the Masaryk University Scientific Board Rules of Procedure on 19 January 2017 under Ref. No. MSMT- 2152/2017.
Mgr. Karolína Gondková
Director of the Department of Higher Education Institutions
(effective as of 1 Feb 2017)
Section 1
Introductory Provisions
(1) These Regulations set out rules applicable to the conduct of the Masaryk University Scientific Board (hereinafter referred to as "MUSB").
(2) MUSB members must be important representatives of fields in which Masaryk University (hereinafter referred to as "MU") carries out its educational, scientific and research, development and innovation, artistic or other creative activities (hereinafter referred to as "creative activity"). At least one third of the board members must be associated with an institution other than MU.
(3) The MUSB is chaired by the Rector. The Rector appoints and dismisses the remaining MUSB members subject to prior approval by the MU Academic Senate (hereinafter referred to as "MUAS").
(4) MUSB members, with the exception of members born after 1 December 1971, are obliged, in connection with their appointment, to comply with Act No. 451/1991 Coll., determining some further prerequisites for certain positions in state bodies and organizations of the Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, the Czech Republic and the Slovak Republic, as amended, i.e. to submit a lustration certificate issued by the Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic and an affidavit in accordance with section 4, subsection 3 of the same Act.
Section 2
MU Scientific Board Activity
In accordance with Act No. 111/1998 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (i.e. the Higher Education Act), as amended, (hereinafter referred to as “Act”) and the Masaryk University Statutes, the MUSB:
a) discusses, following a proposal submitted by the Rector, proposed strategic plans of educational, scientific and research, development and innovation, artistic or other creative activities (hereinafter referred to as "creative activity") and annual updates specifying the implementation of such strategic plans prior to submission to the MUAS,
b) discusses proposed MU Annual Activity Reports prior to submission to the MUAS,
c) exercises competence in professor appointment procedures and habilitation procedures in an extent stipulated by law,
d) approves proposals for the submission of applications for habilitation procedure and professor appointment procedure accreditations submitted by the Rector following a proposal made by faculty scientific boards; in the case of procedures not taking place at a faculty, without such a proposal,
e) approves, following a proposal submitted by the Rector, proposals for the submission of institutional accreditation applications in an area or areas of education and proposals for the extension of institutional accreditation in another area or areas of education,
f) approves, following a proposal submitted by the Rector, proposals for the renouncement of institutional accreditation, proposals for the cancellation of a degree programme or proposals for waiving the accreditation of a habilitation procedure or a professor appointment procedure,
g) submits to the Rector proposals for the appointment of Masaryk University Internal Evaluation Board (hereinafter referred to as "MUIEB") members,
h) discusses the Rector's proposal to appoint or dismiss MUIEB members,
i) discusses the proposed rules of the quality assurance system for educational, creative and related activities and the internal quality assessment for educational, creative and related MU activities, submitted by the Rector prior to its submission to the MUAS,
j) discusses a proposed report on the internal quality assessment of educational, creative and related MU activities, submitted by the MUIEB chair prior to its submission to the MUAS, as well as proposed amendments to this report,
k) approves proposals for awarding MU medals, honorary doctorates or other MU awards,
l) discusses proposals for the employment of adjunct professors,
m) provides opinions on issues presented by the Rector.
Section 3
MU Scientific Board Sessions
(1) MUSB sessions are convened by the MUSB chair, as required, usually twice per semester.
(2) The session agenda is set by the MUSB chair and communicated to MUSB members in advance. The session agenda may be altered by the MUSB chair at any time.
(3) Sessions are chaired by the MUSB chair or a vice-rector of MU authorized by the MUSB chair (in this case, the vice-rector represents the full authority of the chair).
(4) MUSB members actively participate in MUSB sessions and activities.
(5) MU sessions are public with the exception of non-public discussions preceding votes on proposals for professor or associate professor appointments. In justified cases, the chair may decide to close additional parts of the meeting to the public.
(6) The MUSB forms a quorum if the majority of all of its members is present at a session, unless otherwise stipulated by additional regulations
(7) The proceedings of MUSB sessions are recorded in minutes.
Section 4
Correspondence Voting
(1) A correspondence vote, i.e. a vote taking place outside of an MUSB session, may be declared by the MUSB chair in urgent matters or in the case of a proposal where convening a session is either impossible or not expedient. In such cases, voting is carried out electronically.
(2) This method of voting may not be employed in the case of proposals which require the MUSB to vote by secret ballot.
(3) A correspondence vote is announced electronically to MUSB members by the MUSB chair. Members subsequently receive the text of the proposal in question along with relevant documents and information on the voting method as well as the voting time.
Section 5
MU Scientific Board Quorum Requirements
(1) A valid MUSB resolution requires the approval of at least two thirds of its present members, unless otherwise stipulated by law or internal MU regulations.
(2) In cases stipulated by law or by an internal MU regulation, the MUSB decides by secret ballot. In all other cases, the voting mechanism is determined by the chair.
(3) When discussing a proposal which personally concerns a MUSB member (e.g. a proposal for an appointment to professor, a proposal for the presentation of a university award), his or her membership in the MUSB is suspended for the relevant part of the session; he or she thus does not participate in the non-public part of the session and refrains from voting on the proposal in question.
Section 6
Qualification Procedures
(1) A proposal for the appointment of a professor or an associate professor requires the agreement of a simple majority of all MUSB members.
(2) A discussion of a proposal for the appointment of a professor is held in the presence of the committee chair or an authorized committee member and the applicant. The committee chair introduces the applicant and informs the committee of the outcome of the discussion. The applicant subsequently delivers a lecture presenting his or her concept of scientific work and teaching in a given field to the MUSB members. The public and non-public parts of the discussion are then followed by a secret ballot on the proposal for the appointment of a professor.
(3) A discussion of a proposal for the appointment of an associate professor is held in the presence of the committee chair or an authorized committee member who introduces the applicant and subsequently informs the committee of the outcome of the discussion. An address by the committee chair is then followed by the public and non-public part of the discussion and a secret ballot on the proposal for the appointment of an associate professor.
Section 7
Concluding Provisions
(1) Masaryk University Scientific Board Rules of Procedure registered with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports on 10 June 1999 under Ref. No. 23 183/99-30, as subsequently amended, are hereby abolished.
(2) The vice-rector for academic affairs is tasked with interpreting the provisions of these Regulations and with monitoring their observance.
(3) These Rules of Procedure have been duly approved in accordance with section 9, subsection 1, letter b of the Act by the Academic Senate of Masaryk University on 9 January 2017.
(4) These Rules of Procedure enter into force in accordance with section 36, subsection 4 of the Act on the day of registration with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports.
(5) These Rules of Procedure shall apply from the date of their publication in the public section of the MU website.
Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D.,
Rector