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 Academic Senate Rules of Procedure on 20 December 2016 under Ref. No. MSMT-37643/2016.

Mgr. Karolína Gondková;
Director of the Department of Higher Education Institutions

(effective as of 10 Jan 2017)

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Part One
Introductory Provisions

Section 1
General provisions

(1) The Masaryk University Academic Senate Rules of Procedure (hereinafter referred to as “Rules of Procedure”) constitute an internal regulation in accordance with section 17, subsection 1, letter c of Act No. 111/1998 on Higher Education Institutions and on the Modification and Amendment of Other Acts (the Higher Education Act), as amended, (hereinafter referred to as “Act”). These Rules of Procedure simultaneously constitute an internal regulation of the MU Academic Senate (hereinafter referred to as "AS MU") which constitutes a self-governing representative academic body of MU in compliance with the Act and with MU Statutes (hereinafter referred to as the "MU Statutes").

(2) In accordance with the Act and with the MU Statutes, these Rules of Procedure regulate:

a) AS MU membership and activities,

b) AS MU organization,

c) AS MU sessions,

d) AS MU activity documentation and associated information services.

Part Two
AS MU Membership and Activity

Section 2
Member Rights and Obligations

(1) Membership in the AS MU and the performance of the function of a member of the AS MU are incompatible with the offices of Rector, vice-rector, dean or vice-dean as well as with the positions of bursar, faculty bursar or director of a constituent part of the university.

(2) An AS MU member has the right and the obligation to attend AS MU sessions as well as the sessions of its bodies and to actively participate in their activities. MU is obliged to take reasonable measures in order to ensure this right.

(3) An AS MU member has the right to submit proposals, suggestions and comments at AS MU sessions and to request decisions and decide on them.

Section 3
AS MU Activity

(1) The necessary administration associated with AS MU activity is provided by designated Rector's Office employees.

(2) Costs associated with AS MU activities are covered by the MU budget.

Part Three
AS MU Organization

Section 4
Chambers

(1) The AS MU is internally divided into an academic employee chamber and a student chamber.

(2) AS MU chambers convene independently, appoint their own representatives and are free to adopt their own rules of procedure in accordance with the law, MU Statutes and these Rules of Procedure.

Section 5
Chair and Vice-Chairs

(1) The AS MU is headed by a chair elected from among the ranks of academic employees by an absolute majority of all AS MU members. In case of his or her absence, the chair is represented by vice-chairs in an established order in accordance with subsection 2.

(2) The student chamber vice-chair is the first AS MU vice-chair. The employee chamber vice-chair is the second AS MU vice-chair.

(3) The chair manages AS MU activities and sessions, represents the AS MU externally and fulfils additional duties in accordance with these Rules of Procedure, namely compiling and announcing session agendas to AS MU members (section 13).

Section 6
Committees

(1) The AS MU establishes advisory bodies, i.e. committees. Committees are in existence from the day of their establishment until the constituent session of a new AS MU (section 9).

(2) Standing AS MU committees include:

a) Election and Mandate Committee,

b) Legislative Committee,

c) Economic Committee.

(3) The AS MU establishes further permanent or temporary committees by issuing resolutions stipulating their membership and designated tasks.

(4) AS MU committee members may include members of the MU academic community as well as other experts specializing in relevant matters.

(5) Committee chairs are selected from among AS MU members.

(6) Unless otherwise agreed by the AS MU during the existence of a committee, a committee forms a quorum in case at least half of its members are present; committee resolutions shall be adopted if an absolute majority of the members present are in favour. The AS MU may also set out additional rules applicable to committee deliberations.

(7) AS MU committees may utilize a correspondence voting system if proposed by the committee chair. In such a case, the approval of an absolute majority of all members is required for the adoption of a resolution.

Part Four
AS MU Sessions

Section 7
Communication within AS MU and with AS MU outside of Sessions

(1) The AS MU informs academic community members of their agenda using MU's institutional website.

(2) A general use email address – senat@muni.cz – has been established and is in operation for communication with AS MU members.

Section 8
Quorum Requirements

The AS MU forms a quorum if an absolute majority of all AS MU members are present.

Section 9
Constituent Session

The AS MU chair elected in a previous electoral term convenes and, until the election of a new chair, directs the constituent session of the AS MU. The session shall be convened no later than two months after the beginning of the AS MU electoral term. The constituent session agenda includes, in particular, the presentation of a summary report on the election results and the election of the AS MU chair as well as preparations for the establishment of standing committees in accordance with section 6.

Section 10
Regular Session

(1) Regular AS MU sessions are held at least twice per semester.

(2) The regular session timetable is approved by the AS MU following the submission of a proposal by the AS MU chair for each calendar year. The session timetable is subsequently released to the public.

Section 11
Extraordinary Session

(1) An extraordinary AS MU session is convened by the chair or, in his or her absence, by a vice-chair, either at his or her own discretion or following a request lodged by

a) at least one quarter of all AS MU members,

b) the academic senate of any MU faculty,

c) the Rector or an authorized vice-rector.

(2) A request to convene an extraordinary AS MU session must be submitted in writing and must include proposals for discussion. The session date shall be set by the chair so that the session takes place no earlier than three days after the announcement of the date and no later than 14 days after the submission of the request.

Section 12
Proposal Submission

(1) Proposals for the discussion of matters by the AS MU in accordance with section 9, subsection 1 of the Act, with the exception of letter h of the Act, including any supporting materials, may be submitted by the Rector or an AS MU member or transmitted by a faculty academic senate. Proposals are submitted to the chair or an authorized person who is then obliged to transmit the proposal to all AS MU members without delay.

(2) Proposals in accordance with subsection 1 shall be submitted or transmitted no later than 19 days before a session; all other proposals shall be submitted no later than 12 days before a session. They are made available to the public in a manner allowing for remote access within 2 days of their receipt in accordance with the first sentence.

(3) Amendments or resolutions may be proposed by a committee or an individual AS MU member no later than six days before the session to the AS MU chair, who is then obliged to transmit them to all AS MU members without delay.

(4) The AS MU may also discuss proposals submitted at a later date, including proposals submitted during the session itself. A proposal submitted after the deadline set out in accordance with subsection 2 is not discussed unless its discussion is supported by at least one fifth of the present members.

(5) In case a proposal submitted to the AS MU was not been discussed, it is considered as regularly submitted in due time for discussion at the next AS MU session. The obligations of the proposer in accordance with section 9, subsection 3 of the Act are not affected in any way.

Section 13
Session Agenda

(1) The AS MU session agenda is prepared and the necessary documents are made available to AS MU members by the AS MU chair, no later than 11 days before the session. The chair takes into account suggestions made by vice-chairs.

(2) Proposals for changes to the session agenda are discussed at the beginning of an AS MU session.

Section 14
Access to Sessions

AS MU sessions are public.

Section 15
Guests

(1) The following guests have the right to appear at an AS MU session whenever they so request:

a) the Rector or an authorized vice-rector,

b) the bursar,

c) the Board of Trustees chair or a member of the Board of Trustees authorized by the chair,

d) the Internal Evaluation Board chair or a member of the Internal Evaluation Board authorized by the chair,

e) a dean or an authorized vice-dean,

(2) the proposer of a submitted proposal has the right to appear when it is discussed.

(3) Other persons may appear once approved by the AS MU chair.

(4) Other persons may be invited to actively participate in AS MU sessions, especially in order to submit information or interpret a particular point discussed in session, by the following:

a) the chair,

b) the proposer of a submitted proposal, once approved by the AS MU chair.

Section 16
Resolutions

(1) Each individual proposal is put to a vote by the AS MU. Proposals are put to a vote in an order determined by the agenda. In case a proposal submission is followed by proposals for partial amendments to the original proposal, the AS MU votes on the amendments first.

(2) A resolution is adopted in case it is approved by an absolute majority of the present members, unless stipulated otherwise by law and these Rules of Procedure.

(3) Resolutions concerning internal MU regulations and resolutions where the AS MU has so decided require the approval of an absolute majority of all members unless otherwise stipulated by law.

(4) The consent of a majority of the present members of each AS MU chamber is required to pass a resolution on the following matters:

a) MU Study and Examination Regulations,

b) AS MU Rules of Procedure,

c) AS MU Election Code,

d) scholarships, especially the MU Scholarship and Bursary Regulations,

e) fees in accordance with section 58 of the Act,

f) disciplinary codes applicable to students of MU and its constituent parts.

(5) A decision on the proposal for the appointment of the Rector is governed by a special procedure set out in Appendix No. 1 to the MU Statutes.

Section 17
Public Vote

(1) A public vote conducted in the AS MU is carried out either by a show of hands or using a voting machine.

(2) In the case of a procedure vote in the AS MU, a vote count may be replaced with a voice vote.

Section 18
Secret Ballot and Roll Call

(1) A secret ballot conducted in the AS MU applies to matters determined by law, MU Statutes or these Rules of Procedure.

(2) The secret ballot is used for the following AS MU votes:

a) AS MU chair election,

b) committee chair elections,

c) statements regarding the appointment of vice-rectors,

d) statements of prior consent with the appointment of Scientific Board members,

e) nominations to the MU Internal Evaluation Board,

f) statements of prior consent with the appointment of Internal Evaluation Board members.

(3) Any AS MU vote may be conducted either by secret ballot or by roll call in case at least one tenth of the present members agree.

(4) A secret ballot conducted in the AS MU is carried out either using pieces of paper or voting machines. A roll call vote is recorded in the session minutes.

Section 19
Rector's Disagreement with a Resolution

An AS MU resolution which the Rector disagrees with is not implemented; this fact is announced without undue delay to the AS MU chair along with a justification. In such a case, the AS MU discusses the matter in question again without undue delay. A three fifths majority of all members is required for adopting a resolution on this matter.

Part Five
AS MU Activity Documentation

Section 20
AS MU Session Minutes

(1) Adopted AS MU resolutions are published in a manner facilitating remote access within three days.

(2) AS MU session minutes are prepared by the chair in cooperation with a designated Rector's Office employee. The minutes summarize the course of the session including opinions expressed in the discussion and state resolutions including the manner and outcome of all votes taken. Any approved regulations and other written documents, which form the basis of a resolution, are included as attachments to the minutes.

(3) An audio recording of the AS MU session may be made by a record keeper for the purpose of compiling the minutes after a session has taken place. This record is archived until the next AS MU meeting after which it is deleted.

(4) An electronic version of the session minutes is made available to all AS MU members within 14 days of the end of the session. Each AS MU member has the right to comment on session minutes within seven days of obtaining access. AS MU members are immediately informed of how their comments have been settled. The session minutes are subsequently published immediately after the settlement of all comments.

(5) Records of individual documents and files, as well as records of their movement, are kept exclusively using the electronic records service system in the IS MU.

(6) All documents and files are stored in accordance with an MU regulation applicable to the records service, which includes unified guidelines for document handling and discarding proceedings.

Part Six
Temporary and Concluding Provisions

Section 21
Interpretative Provisions

A majority of all members is calculated from the number of mandates established in section 5, subsection 2 of the MU Statutes.

Section 22
Concluding Provisions

(1) These Rules of Procedure have been duly approved in accordance with section 9, subsection 1, letter b of the Act by the MU Academic Senate on 7 November 2016.

(2) 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.

(3) These Rules of Procedure shall apply from the date of their publication in the public section of the MU website.

 

in Brně on 11 Nov 2016

Assoc. Prof. PhDr. Mikuláš Bek, Ph.D., m.p.
Rector