Academic Senate of Masaryk University

Prof. MUDr. Libor Páč,CSc., Head

In 1996 the Academic Senate entered the last year of its term of office. Also in the year 1996 the Senate faced the problems arising from the fact that the Senate in its present-day form is too large and acts too slowly. A serious problem as in the previous years was low attendance. At its plenary sessions the Senate always constituted a quorum but very often this basic requirement was very hard to meet. However, still operational decision-making is not possible without a new University Act which must give new guidelines of Senate organisation at universities and faculties. 

The activity of the Senate in 1996 was rich. There were 6 plenary sessions and the Senate chairman regularly attended as a guest the meetings of University officials and the academic board.

The first session was devoted to discussions about the University budget. The proposal submitted by the University officials (Prof. Dr. Schmidt, rector, Ing. Gale, bursar and Ing. Ambrož) was accepted after a tempestuous discussion. The Senate asked the management to develop a new model of allocating resources for the year 1996. The management accepted this task and undertook to present a new concept by the end of September 1996. The model was prepared in co-operation with the Economic Commission of the Senate headed by Ing. Hlaváček. The model of allocation was submitted to the Senate at the predetermined time and after some discussions the new concept effective for the year 1997 was accepted. Further discussions concerning budget are scheduled for the spring session of the new Senate in March 1997. 

The Legislative commission of the Senate headed by doc. Filip, Faculty of Law, was very active. The Commission was involved in the preparation of amendments of statues of some faculties and facilitated their approval by the Senate. Besides statute alterations the Senate worked out also minor changes in the wording of some faculty statutes. This covers also approving the concept of introducing new branches of study at the faculties. 

Two last autumn sessions concentrated on the preparation of Senate elections at the faculties. New members of the Senate were elected at the predetermined time and the Senate assembled at its last session on 16 December 1996. The meeting was also attended by a member of the new Senate. At this plenary session the Rector delivered a preliminary report on the activity of Masaryk University in 1996. A detailed report supported by financial analyses will be presented at the spring session of the new Senate. At the end of the session the Senate completed its official term and the new Senate took over the responsibility for the term of office 1997 - 1999. 

The plenary session continued as the first session of the new Senate, which underwent great changes, 80 % of the Senate was new. The meeting was opened and conducted by the ex-chairman. In secret ballot doc. MUDr Vladimír Palyza, CSc. (Faculty of Medicine) was elected chairman and RNDr. Luděk Matyska, CSc. (Institute of Computer Technology) vice-chairman. The election of vice-chairman to represent the students in the Senate was postponed to the following session. The chairman doc. MUDr. Palyza, CSc. was elected to the Council of universities to represent Masaryk University. Ing. Hlaváček was elected a representative of Masaryk University to the general assembly of the Council of Universities The newly elected chairman was introduced to the members of the Rector's Board on 17 December 1996 and started to discharge his function.