10.5. MANAGEMENT STAFF FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

•1 Requirements for appointment

The competences of the management staff for Higher Education have been regulated in the Law on Higher Education adopted in 2018.

Pursuant to Art. 92, the authorities of the University are the University Senate, the Rector and the Rector’s Office. The University also forms a University Council, whereas private universities instead of a University Council establish a founder’s body, the rights and responsibilities of which are stipulated in the Foundation Act and the Articles of Association of the University in accordance with the Law.

The University Senate is a governance and expert authority consisting of representatives of the units of the university, selected directly and by secret ballot out of the pool of professors, research support staff and students. The students represent at least 10% of the Senate membership. In the Senate, each unit of the university has up to 2 representatives, with the Rector and Vice Rectors being ex officio members, however without a voting right.

The Rector acts as governance authority and represents the university in the country and abroad. The Rector is elected from the ranks of full professors employed at the university for a period of three years with a right to one re-election. A public call for election of Rector is launched and the potential candidates apply with a program.

The rector is elected through direct secret ballot by members of Scientific councils of all units (faculties, academies, institutes etc). The secret ballot is organized on a specific date from 12-14PM on all university units.

The office of the Rector is incompatible with the performance of other public offices, professions or appointment in a political party.

The Rector within his/her governance competencies performs the following:

• adjusts the higher education, artistic, scientific and research and applied work with other activities of the university;
• convenes and chairs sessions of the Senate;
• implements decisions and Senate conclusions;
• gives initiative to convene the Senate;
• submits to the Senate and Rector’s Office proposals and decisions and other general acts of issues under their authority;
• decides on financial and material issues which lie outside of the competencies of the Senate;
• promotes doctors of philosophy and science;
• presents awards of the university;
• nominates and proposes dismissal of Vice Rectors and Secretary General of the University;
• appoints acting Dean or Director of the units of the university;
• manages international cooperation of the university and initiates cooperation with other universities in the country and abroad;
• delegates authority to the Vice-rectors;
• manages and maintains the assets of the public university;
• performs other activities defined by Law, University Statute and other general acts of the university.

The Rector is required to submit an Annual report to the Senate, the University Council and the founder.

The university has one or more Vice Rectors elected from the professors of the university. The Vice Rectors are elected at the Rector’s proposal.

The Rector’s Office is comprised of Rector, Vice Rectors, Deans of faculties, Principals of higher vocational schools, Principals of accredited scientific institutes and student representatives. The Rector’s Office:

• prepares and proposes acts and materials for issues decided by the Senate;
• designs and publishes the open call for enrolment of students in first and second cycle upon prior consent by the Government of Republic of N. Macedonia;
• provides opinion on study programs of faculties or higher vocational schools;
• upon proposal by the Rector, nominates and dismisses the General Secretary of the University;
• adopts decisions on current international cooperation of the university;
• organizes issuance of diplomas and other documentation for completed studies of higher education;
• prepares proposals on the amount of student fees and co-financing in public higher education facilities;
• defines the publishing activities of the university; and
• performs other activities stipulated in the University Statute.

The University Council monitors the operation of the university, the tasks of the university in accordance with the Law, the rational utilization of human and material resources and performance of other activities stipulated in the Foundation Act and the University Statute.

Governance authorities of a private university or an independent private higher education facility are the bodies of the founder.

The authorities of the University at a faculty level are the Teaching and Scientific Council, the Dean and the Dean’s Office. The Dean at faculties is also elected through a public call from the ranks of full and associate professors employed at the faculty through secret ballot of all members of the Scientific council.

The authorities of higher vocational schools, as units of the university, are the Teachers Council, the Principal and the Administration of the Higher Vocational School. The Deanery or Office of the Higher Vocational School consists of the Dean, or the Principal, the Vice-deans, or the Deputy Principal and Heads of internal education-science, or educational organizational units and at least one member of the Student Parliament.

•2 Conditions of service

The Rector executes the office in a professional capacity and his/her employment rights are regulated through a contract signed with the Senate. The contract also regulates the status of the Rector at the faculty/institute where he/she is a fulltime Professor including working hours which cannot be more than 30% of the total working hours.

Pursuant to Art. 100 of the Law on Higher Education, the Rector ceases to hold office before the end of the term in the following cases: (1) on personal request; (2) permanent inability to perform his/her office; (3) retirement and (4) dismissal.

The general age of retirement of teaching staff at universities is the end of the academic year in which he/she turned 67 years of age.

In case of dismissal of Rector, the Senate appoints an officer in charge from the elected Vice-Rectors for a period of up to 6 months.