Planning policy

The Higher Education Development Strategy 2024-2027 recognizes the key role of teachers in higher education. It emphasizes that higher education institutions need to ensure their academic staff have the needed competencies and conduct transparent and just processes of their employment and professional development, and create an adequate environment for their work in line with European standards and guidelines (ESG). 

The following requirements have been defined in order to achieve this:
• establishing clear, transparent and fair employment processes and working conditions in which the importance of teaching is recognized;
• providing incentives for professional development of teaching staff;
• providing incentives for research and for developing links between education and research;
• promoting innovations in teaching methods and use of new technologies;
• educating teaching staff for work with students with disabilities.

Entry to the profession

A person may start their teaching career as a teaching associate after completing a bachelor or a specialist study programme with the average grade not lower than B (8.50) and enrolling in master studies; as a person who has obtained a master’s degree with a minimum average grade of B (8.50), prior to acquiring the status of a doctoral student; a doctoral student who has completed postgraduate master’s studies with a minimum average grade of B (8.50); a person who has obtained the academic title of Doctor of Science or Doctor of Arts at a faculty or academy of fine, applied, music or dramatic arts, or Master or Arts degree in fields where doctoral studies are not offered.

In accordance with the Law on Higher Education, formal requirement for the appointment into academic titles include completed doctoral studies and demonstrated teaching competence. For academic titles in artistic and related fields (at faculties and academies for fine arts, music and drama), the requirements include a completed master’s degree and having recognized artistic work and proved teaching competence.

Academic titles include the following:
1. full professor,
2. associate professor,
3. assistant professor,
4. college professor,
5. college lecturer.

The conditions and criteria for appointment to academic titles are prescribed by the Council for Higher Education.

Closer procedure and manner of election into academic titles, as well as other issues related to appointment are defined by the institution’s statute.

Academic staff holding academic ranks enter to the profession after being appointed by the university Senate. They conclude an employment contract or another type of relevant contract with rector, for a period of five years.

Employment contracts with associates and professional staff, after they are elected by the faculty council, is concluded by dean or director, authorised by rector.

As part of the implementation of study programmes, academic and professional staff of university is obliged to carry out weekly:

• 4 periods of lectures – full professor, associate professor, assistant professor;

• 8 periods of lectures – professor and college lecturer;

• 12 periods in the teaching process – senior lecturer and lecturer;

• 6 periods in the teaching process - teaching associate;

• 14 periods in the teaching process - senior professional associate and professional associate;

• 22 periods in the teaching process - senior lab technician and lab technician.

Academic staff teaching clinical subjects carries out both teaching and health care activities as part of a single work process, within their full-time work; the scope and manner of exercising their individual rights and obligations on the basis of employment are regulated by contract signed with the health institution.

The total number of academic staff is determined by the act on internal organization and job classification of university.

Professional status

The employment of academic staff is regulated by the Law on Higher Education. It defines types of agreements concluded between a higher education institution and persons holding academic titles. An institution concludes a contract for an indefinite period of time with a person elected into academic title, with those holding the title of assistant or associate professor, or professor or lecturer of college having the obligation of being elected to higher or the same title.

According to the Law on Higher Education all HEIs must have institutional Code of Ethics that defines the basic principles and values of academic ethics, the rights and obligations of the academic community, as well as rules of conduct for the purpose of preserving the integrity, dignity and quality of higher education. It also regulates academic relations and promotes responsible and ethical conduct of all participants in the teaching, scientific and professional work.

A teaching associate who is a student of master studies concludes the contract for a period of one year, and it cannot be prolonged more than four years.

A teaching associate who is a PhD student concludes the contract for a period of three years, and it cannot be prolonged more than seven years.

A teaching associate with acquired scientific title Doctor of Science concludes the contract for a period of up to five years.

Teaching associates cannot independently carry out theoretical lessons, examinations and assessment of students.

Academic staff members holding the ranks of assistant professors or associate professors conclude contracts for a definite period of time, whereas academic staff members holding the ranks of the full professors conclude contracts for an indefinite period of time.

A retired full professor, particularly prominent in his/her scientific or artistic work, may be awarded the title professor emeritus. The conditions and the procedure for awarding this title are determined by a special act passed by the Senate of University in accordance with the Rulebook on conditions and procedure for awarding the title professor emeritus and their rights.

Regulation on the Conditions and Procedures for Engaging Visiting Professors and Distinguished Experts/Prominent Artists at the University of Montenegro defines the conditions and procedures for engaging visiting professors, distinguished experts/alumni or prominent artists from practice.

In exceptional cases, a person holding an academic rank from a higher education institution outside the territory of Montenegro may be hired without the public call, following the decision of the Senate, to teach as a visiting professor over one academic year.

The rights and obligations of the visiting professor are to:

• carry out teaching and examination, in line with the schedule and content defined by the study programme;

• keep records of student performance;

• recommend available literature for the course he/she has been engaged;

• perform all other teaching activities as a person appointed to the academic rank at the university.

A visiting professor can mentor students.

A prominent expert with a degree of Doctor of Science, or a prominent artist, can be engaged to take part in practical instruction.

The decision on engagement is made by the university Senate. The contract on engaging a visiting professor and prominent expert from practice is concluded by dean, authorised by rector.

Salaries

The workload standards, the amount and the methodology for calculating salaries of academic and professional staff, including the staff engaged but not employed by the university, are prescribed by the Collective Agreement for the University of Montenegro.

The salaries of employees consist of: basic salary, special portion of salary, allowances and variable part of salary.

The basic salary of employed academic and professional staff engaged in teaching is determined by multiplying the coefficient of complexity for individual jobs or vocations with the calculation value of the coefficient.

The coefficients are as follows:

• Full professor, research advisor 21.627
• Associate professor, senior research associate 19.89
• Assistant professor 17.29
• Teaching associate 13.11
• Senior professional associate, senior lecturer 12.66
• Teaching associate 12.23
• Senior professional associate, senior lecturer 11.55
• Associate, professional associate, lecturer 10.44  

The workload for the basic salary is determined on an annual basis. It is calculated on the basis of the valorised weekly workload as a mean value at the semester level. The valorised workload refers to the sum of periods of lectures in a week multiplied by all the corrective coefficients for all courses taught.

Basic salary may be increased or decreased depending on the determined valorised weekly workload. If the valorised weekly load is increased by maximum 100% of the prescribed teaching load, the basic salary is proportionally increased by up to 50%. If employed academic and professional staff does not have the full prescribed teaching load, they are obliged to accept teaching from a related field. Otherwise, the salary is reduced proportionally, yet not over 30%.

Compensation fees for instruction carried out by teaching staff engaged but not employed by university, as well as teaching staff engaged under a service agreement, are calculated as an increase in the earnings of employees and are paid five months in a semester.

The special portion of the salary includes meal and vacation allowance, and amounts to 70% of the calculation value of the coefficient.

In addition, depending on the basic salary, an employee performing tasks within the university bodies and its units are entitled to work allowances, with the following coefficients:

• University rector 8.0
• Vice-rector 5.5
• Faculty Dean, Head of Institute 5.2
• Head of a Centre at the Rectorate 4.3
• Vice-dean, Deputy Head of the Institute 2.5
• Head of Study programme 1.6 

Performing administrative and managerial work at the university and organizational units is valorised in the following manner:

• the position of rector, vice-rector, dean and head is equal to the weekly teaching load;

• the position of the vice-dean is equal to 1/2 weekly teaching load;

• the position of the head of study program is equal to 1/4 of weekly teaching load.

Other earnings of individuals engaged on projects, in market affairs and participation in special forms of teaching (formal, non-formal, informal education, training, courses, etc.) are determined by a special act of the university.

The salaries based on years of service, work at night and during the holidays is calculated in accordance with the Labour Law and the General Collective Agreement.

The salaries of the academic staff are regulated by the Law on salaries of civil servants, the Collective Agreement for the University of Montenegro and the internal regulations of the University of Montengro that regulate the manner of calculating supplements to salary.

The average minimal and maximal salaries are the following:
1. Assistant professor 1696,90 euro net
2. Associate professor – 1.942,00 euro net
3. Full professor – 2106,00 euro net.

Working time and holidays

Full time working time equals 40 hours in a working week. The schedule of working hours at the university is determined by the rector’s decisions.

Employees exercise the right to break during their daily work, weekly and annual vacation, in accordance with the Labour Law.

Academic and professional staff participating in the implementation of teaching is entitled to annual leave in accordance with the law.

Promotion, advancement

Promotion of academic staff is possible after the expiry of the time spent in a rank to which they had been appointed. The Statute, the Rules of the procedure for appointment to academic ranks and the Criteria for appointment to academic ranks define the procedure and criteria for evaluating the results, and thus the conditions for promotion.

Retirement and pensions

Academic staff is retired at the age of 67. After retirement, teachers are allowed to complete some of their work obligations, such as commission membership and mentoring. When retired, teachers retain the rank/title they had acquired. Pensions are determined in accordance with the Law on Pension and Disability Insurance.