UNIVERSITY OF MARIBOR - FACTS

• The beginnings of the higher education in Maribor were in 1859, when the First School of Theology was established. During 1959-1961 there were several Independent Higher Education Institutions and in 1975 the University of Maribor was established.

• 16 faculties (6 of them established in the past 6 years).

• 2 other members: Student dormitories and University library.

• 1 administrative unit-Rectorat, Sport centre Leon Štukelj, The Residence Hall for Graduate Students and Visiting Professors.

• 23.500 students in 2008/2009.

• 1800 employees (1050 teaching staff).

SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS RESULT OF THE SLOVENIAN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.

• Unsystematically defined legal status of the University and faculties, that causes chaos.

• Constitutionally defined autonomy is practically respected only if needed and regarding to the understandings of the current leading politicians.

• Conditions needed for the establishment of the university are not specifically defined and the standards in the process of establishment of the university are not the same for each institution.

• Financing is not regulated with the act, as it is required by the Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.

SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS CONSENQUENCE OF THE PAST TIMES.

– University organized as “TOZD” or “SOZD” (the association of higher education institutions and not the university in the sense known elsewhere).

– Politics in the past did not wish to have strong and functionally unified universities.

– “Divide and rule” partial satisfying of the needs of each faculty led to ununified university. • Organized in a bureaucratic way, without property,

classification done at the ministry.

SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS CONSEQUENCE OF MISUNDERSTANDING

Misunderstanding of the two fundamental concepts:

• Academic freedom– Professor – researcher: freedom of research, lectures,

publishing the outcomes.– Institution: freedom of regulation of the internal relations.

• Autonomy of the University– There is no academic freedom without autonomous

university– The autonomy of the university should be also in the financial

matterFinancing of study and research activities is the precondition

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

– Legal status of the faculties (de facto, not de iure).

– Study programmes are performed at the faculties (32 paragraph of ZVIS - National Act on Higher Education)

• Problems related with establishing interdisciplinary study programmes.

– Professors are employees of the University, but in practice more involved at one faculty:• Problems related with delivering the lectures at more faculties.• Poor credit sistem at the University level.

PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

– Problems related with joining the EU projects:• Poor administrative support.• Project office (which is familiar with the whole process of managing

EU projects).• Low number of the interdisciplinary projects.

– Problems related to linking academic bodies with industry. • Problems of intellectual property• Problems of spin-off companies• Alumni clubs, Carrier centers

– Non-efficient and wasteful financial management– Obstructed development of the university– Problems with the organization of the supportive commercial activities. – Problems with establishing and financing other university projects.

UM KEY STATUS DEFINITIONS

• The University of Maribor is a corporate body, faculties don’t have legal subjectivity. Rector represents university with full authorization.

• Public founds, gained by university and its faculties from the Republic of Slovenia state budget meant for public services, are managed at the university’s account and separate at faculties’ sub-accounts.

• Upon dean’s proposal, rector decides on employment status of all higher education teachers, scientific workers, higher education collaborators and other employees with contracts for an indefinite time.

• Rector is elected, deans, vice deans, secretary general, faculties' secretary general, ...are appointed by the rector.

FORMS AND WAYS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL LINKING WITH FACULTIES

• Central led application and enrolment procedure.

• Integrated university’s information system.

• Common development projects on university level.

• Central directed financial operations.

• Faculties are present in UM boards and commissions.

• University management board consists of university headquarters and its offices.

FORMS AND WAYS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL LINKING WITH FACULTIES

• Regular rector’s meetings with deans.

• Regular secretary general’s meetings with faculties’ and other members’ secretary generals.

• Regular meetings with heads of office for student affairs.

• Meetings with faculties’ and other members’ heads of accounting.

• Meetings with faculties’ Erasmus coordinators.

• Preparing of some common public calls for the whole university.

• Joint solving of conflicts and other legal matters.

• Joint preparation of acts, valid for the whole university.

PARTIAL INTERGRATION OF THE UM AND POSSIBLE SAVINGS IN CASE OF DIFFERENT

ORGANIZATION– Partial integration unambiguously enabled the establishment

of the new faculties: Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Logistics, Faculty of Energetic, Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Faculty of Arts.

– Savings connected to gradual transition to unified public orders (unified public orders for fuel oil, electricity, gas, insurance, durable goods…, enabled to save 700.000 EUR

– The next step will be connected to the rationalization of the number of the employed administrative staff (almost 500 employees):• 16 members x 2 employees in the department for staff

affairs• 16x1 in the department for legal affairs• 16x3 in the accountant department

STRONG AND INTEGRATED UNIVERSITY

• Integrated university is more cost efficient.

• Integration demands from all faculties trust in processes of decisions made on university level.

• This situation requires reestablishment of management, which will be able to perform an efficient strategy and policy in acquiring means for education and research from public and private sources. It is essential to act efficient with available assets. It is necessary to develop mechanisms for a transparent planning and supervision on university level.

• Faculties at the University of Maribor are not yet enough aware of additional advantages, offered by university as a multidisciplinary unit, which is more attractive for a profitable cooperation with private sector and for creating connections with economy.

OPPINIONS OF KEY-PLAYERS IN THE FIELD OF DEVELOPMENT OF EHEA

London Communiqué, May 2007

• 1.5 We therefore underline the importance of strong institutions, which are diverse, adequately funded, autonomous and accountable.

Leuven Communiqué, April 2009

• 4. The necessary ongoing reform of higher education systems and policies will continue to be firmly embedded in the European values of institutional autonomy, academic freedom and social equity and will require full participation of students and staff.

Prof. Dr. G. Winkler, Rector of the University of Vienna, former president of EUA said that in the future, only strong and autonomous universities will exist!

SUMMARY

• Who is afraid of strong, autonomous universities?– Politics and individuals at faculties, who enjoy some micro-

benefits on account of the community?

• Division and weakening of strong universities is in time of connecting to joint European Higher Education Area (HEA) an irrational and intolerable step back, that can lead us from one European competitive university to many no-name under-average universities.

• In current global financial crisis no country is enough wealthy and from social point of view also can not afford to finance inefficiently organized, non-competitive and low-quality universities.

• A university can be strong with assured autonomy, adequate financing, with appropriate pedagogical and research critical multitude, international connections with best higher education institutions, efficient and rational organization.

KEY POINTS CONCERNING THE INTEGRATION OF THE UNIVERSITY

1. University property.

2. Integrated information system (united accounting plan).

1. RECTOR (elected function).