Requirements for appointment

Higher education management in the Republic of Moldova is based on the following principles: university autonomy and academic freedom, public accountability, strategic leadership, and efficient and transparent governance.

The system of governing bodies within higher education institutions consists of: the Senate, the Council for Strategic Institutional Development, the Scientific Council, the Faculty Council, the Administrative Council, and the Rector. 

These governing bodies operate under institutional regulations developed in accordance with the Framework Regulation on the establishment and organisation of higher education governing bodies approved by the Ministry of Education and Research.

The Senate

The Senate is the highest collective governing body of a higher education institution. It is composed of academic, scientific, teaching, and non-teaching staff elected by secret ballot from faculties, departments, and research centres, as well as student representatives elected by academic groups and student associations, and trade union representatives, in accordance with institutional regulations based on a framework regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research. The rector, vice-rectors, and deans are ex officio members.

The Senate’s term of office is five years and is aligned with the rector’s mandate. Student members serve one-year terms, with the possibility of renewal. 

The Senate is chaired by the rector.

Council for Strategic Institutional Development

The Council for Strategic Institutional Development consists of nine members: 

• three designated respectively by the Ministry of Education and Research, the Ministry of Finance, and the founder (these designated members may not be employees of the respective ministries); 
• two tenured teaching staff members without managerial positions and not members of the Senate, elected by secret ballot by the general assembly of faculty council members and student representatives in the senate and faculty councils; 
• two external experts delegated by the Senate who are not staff members of the institution; 
• the rector; 
• the vice-rector responsible for financial matters.

In private higher education institutions, representatives designated by the Ministry of Education and Research and the Ministry of Finance are not included. Decisions in private institutions’ councils are adopted with at least five votes. 

Members of the Council for Strategic Institutional Development are appointed for a five-year term. 

The chair is elected by the council members, but institutional employees may not serve as chair.

The council must include members with expertise in economics and law, and the member designated by the Ministry of Finance must have competencies in financial monitoring and audit. 

Gender equality principles must be observed in its composition. 

The Council meets at least quarterly or whenever necessary, at the initiative of the chair or at least 1/3 of the number of members. 

Designated institutional members receive a monthly allowance, except for the rector and vice-rector. Members are legally responsible for their decisions.

The members of the Council for Strategic Institutional Development are responsible for the decisions made, in accordance with the legislation in force.

Institutional leadership

The operational management of a higher education institution is ensured by the rector, assisted by vice-rectors and supported by the Administrative Council. The rector acts as the institution’s budget authorising officer.

The rector is elected by the general assembly of tenured teaching, scientific, and scientific-teaching staff — including elected deans and heads of departments/chairs — together with student representatives from the Senate and faculty councils, by majority vote. 

The election process is initiated by the Council for Strategic Institutional Development through a public announcement issued two months before the end of the current rector’s mandate. 

Eligible candidates for rector must hold scientific and scientific-teaching titles and have at least five years’ experience in higher education and research, in accordance with institutional regulations based on the framework regulation approved by the Ministry of Education and Research. 

Candidates for the position of rector who are members of the Council for Strategic Institutional Development cannot take part in organising or conducting the election. 

The files of candidates for the position of rector are submitted to the Council for Strategic Institutional Development. At least two eligible candidates must be registered for the election to proceed. 

The Council for Strategic Institutional Development publishes the list of eligible candidates and organizes the election of the rector by the general assembly of teaching, scientific-didactic and scientific staff, together with student representatives from the Senate and faculty councils. Voting is universal, direct, secret, and free. 

The rector is confirmed in office by order of the founder within no more than three months following the election results. 

The rector appoints vice-rectors for the duration of their mandate within six months of taking office. 

Competitions for dean and head of department/chair positions are initiated by the rector within six months of a vacancy, according to institutional regulations, and are conducted by competition committees approved by the Senate. 

The positions of rector, vice-rector, and dean may be held by the same person for no more than two consecutive five-year terms. The mandates of rectors and vice-rectors automatically end upon reaching the age of 65. A rector who holds the position at the time when the institution is reorganised through the absorption of another higher education institution may serve three consecutive terms.

In higher education institutions in the fields of defence, security, and public order, rectors, vice-rectors, deans, and heads of departments/chairs are appointed by the competent authorities overseeing those sectors, in accordance with the specific regulatory framework applicable to those fields.

Conditions of service

The working conditions of staff responsible for the administration and management of higher education institutions in the Republic of Moldova are regulated by the Education Code, the Labour Code, and internal institutional regulations, based on the principle of university autonomy.

Management staff in higher education (rector, vice-rector, dean, head of department or head of chair) may hold scientific-teaching and research positions concurrently, in accordance with institutional regulations (Education Code).

The rector of a higher education institution is employed under a fixed-term individual employment contract.

The rector may be dismissed before the end of the mandate under labour legislation and at the initiative of the majority of the Senate members or of the Council for Strategic Institutional Development, of the founder, by decision of the general assembly of tenured academic and research staff and student representatives in the Senate and faculty councils, by majority vote, in the following cases:

• improper fulfilment of the conditions specified in the individual employment contract and the University Charter;
• failure to comply with public accountability obligations (Framework Regulation on the establishment and organisation of governing bodies of higher education institutions).

All scientific and teaching posts in higher education institutions are filled on the basis of a fixed-term individual employment contract concluded following a competitive selection procedure. The regulation on the appointment procedure for these posts is approved by the Government. The positions of faculty dean and head of chair in higher education institutions are elective. The election procedure is set out in the statutes of the respective institutions.

Teaching and scientific-teaching staff holding management positions (dean, vice-dean, head of chair/department) within an internal subdivision may benefit from an increase in salary grade by 2 to 6 successive grades compared to the grade corresponding to their teaching or scientific-teaching position. This increase is applied on a differentiated basis, according to the institution’s internal methodology, taking into account the size and level of the subdivision and the management position held.

Management staff, including institutional leaders, are permitted to carry out teaching activities during working hours within a limit of up to 0.5 of the standard teaching workload. Management staff are not permitted to combine the duties of other positions during official working hours.

The salaries of management staff in higher education institutions — such as rectors, institute directors, deans, and heads of department — are determined according to the position held and the category of the institution. The institutional category is established mainly on the basis of the number of students and the level of research activity, in accordance with the Government Decision on remuneration conditions for staff in educational institutions operating under financial and economic self-management.

Retirement of higher education management staff is carried out in accordance with the general legislation on the public pension system.