Care for Students and Publishing Activity  

Doc. Ing. Ivan Vágner, CSc.,  vice-rector

ACCOMMODATION

On 31 December 1996 the total number of beds in the halls of residence of Masaryk University were 3,578. Compared with the year 1995 the number of beds increased by 411 because a building of a former hotel in Brno - Komárov was purchased and most of its rooms were offered for accommodation.

University students were housed in 11 University buildings and in halls of residence of Brno Technical University (200 beds) and in the buildings of the Czech Congregation of Dominicans (20 beds). Therefore, towards the end of the year 1996 residential accommodation was provided to 3,798 students. This accounts for ca. 30% of all full-time students for bachelor's and master's degrees.

The demand for residential accommodation was satisfied in almost 72 % of cases and compared with the previous year there was a decrease in demand of more than 11 percent. However, it is important to state that these positive results must be interpreted with respect to continuous overload of 499 beds and the fact that the number of applicants for residential accommodation surprisingly decreased (by 502 applications).

For the school year 1996/97 the system of bail which was used to cover damage in recreation rooms was abolished. The costs of damage reached 146 000 CZK in 1996. Residential accommodation fees increased by 15% from 1 January 1996 and the rent ranged from 90 to 625 CZK per bed. The average rent was 377 CZK at the end of the year 1996.

Besides repairs, halls of residence were newly furnished and the standard of furnishings in rooms and recreation rooms improved. A special situation was in the hall of residence in Komárov where a lower standard of accommodation was provided and the rent was adequately reduced.

Repairs and adaptations were made in Cikháj with the aim of providing high-quality training and recreation services. In this context it is necessary to appreciate the financial support provided by the Trade Union.

Table 1      The development of accommodation of MU students

Year

MU

BTU

CCD

Total

Index

1993/1994

3286 (97,3%)

90 (2,7%)

 

3 376

100

1994/1995

3 141 (90%)

300 (8,6%)

20+26  MA (1,4%)

3 487

103,3

1995/1996

3 167 (90,8%)

300 (8,6%)

20 (0,6%)

3487

103,3

31. 12. 1996

3 578 (94,2%)

200 (5,3%)

20 (0,5%)

3 798

112,5

CCD - Czech Congregation of Dominicans

MA - Military Academy

Table 2      The structure of accommodation for MU students

Year

first year students

second- to final-year students

foreign post- graduate students and fellowship students

foreign students

1993/1994

35%

53%

4%

8%

1994/1995

30%

56%

4%

10%

1995/1996

32%

63%

1%

4%

31.12.1996

31%

61%

2%

6%


Table 3      Development of meeting demands for accommodation

Year

Accommodation

Applications

Total placed

1994/1995

3 487

5 040

69,2%

1995/1996

3 487

5 784

60,3%

31.12.1996

3 798

5 282

71,9%


CATERING SERVICES

The catering services provided by ÚSKM MU were extended and improved. in the year 1996. The number of servings increased by almost 123 000 (9.3%) compared with the year 1995.

In 1996 two opinion polls were conducted to find out what the customers thought about the services provided. After the analysis an initiative was taken to solve the problems. One of the demands was to broaden the menu by offering two meat dishes and one meatless dish and to offer vegetables and cheese with wholemeal bread in two canteens daily and in the canteen in Moravské nám. once a week (vegetable salads are also sold here.

The prices of luncheon vouchers for students and employees and bonus books remained the same in 1996.

Table 4      Number and proportion of servings in University canteen

Students' canteen

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

Mor.nám.

 

268 049 (26%)

592 015 (48%)

676 523 (52%)

695 035 (48%)

Veveří

412 741 (46%)

348 743 (33%)

248 711 (20%)

295 523 (22%)

368 342 (26%)

Vinařská

475 107 (54%)

425 289 (41%)

400 892 (32%)

344 501 (26%)

376 154 (26%)

Total

887 845

(100%)

1 042 081

(100%)

1 241 618

(100%)

1 316 547

(100%)

1 439 531

(100%)

Index

100

117,4

139,8

148,3

162,1


Table 5      Structure of financial resources for providing accommodation and catering services as part of main activity in 1996 (thousands of CZK)

 

Subsidy

Income

Total 

student's canteens

15 319

18 570

33 889

halls of residence

31 265

12 057

43 322

depreciation

4 800

 

4 800

Komárov

2 843

 

2 843

others 

 

1 765

1 765

total

54 227

32 392

86 619


Table 6       Economic results of ÚSKM (thousands of CZK)

ROK

Subsidy of Ministry of Education

Earnings

Costs

Economic result  (MA + BA)

Economic result(MA) 

1993

42 191

37 193

74 116

5 268

1 175

1994

37 030

48 704

84 878

856

856

1995

44 626

47 374

91 620

380

380

1996

54 227

53 216

107 004

439

439

MA - main activity

BA - business activity 


Table 7      Number of ÚSKM workers 

Year

Halls of residence 

Student's canteens 

Total 

1992

144,4

75,6

220,0

1993

143,3

87,7

231,0

1994

146,3

88,8

235,1

1995

139,2

78,5

217,7

1996

145,1

83,2

228,3

Note: The increase in the number of workers in 1996 was associated with the opening of the Komárov hall of residence on 1 July 1996 (7.8 workers). 







PUBLISHING ACTIVITY 

In 1996 the all-university publishing department received financial support to the amount of 1 million CZK from the University's budget. This fund was used to support the publishing of two periodicals, six non-periodical publications and three publications on the basis of contracts on accumulation of activities and funds.

With respect to relevant legal changes concerning the copyright and publishing activity a revision of the existing publishing contracts was made under the patronage of an expert in the copyright law and afterwards a set of six new publishing contracts and a draft of contract on publishing collaboration between MU and its faculties were worked out.

In accordance with the publishing schedules of faculties, the publishing house of Masaryk University published 252 titles of non-periodical publications out of which 64 % were student texts (162) and 36 % were research publications (90). The publishing house produced 69 % of titles (175).31 % of titles (77) were published on the external basis. 

The year 1996 was satisfactory for the publishing house despite the inclusion of depreciation of costs which happened for the first time that year. 

The incomes of the publishing house were ca. 89.9 % from the main activity and 10.1 % from business activity. 

With respect to the fact that the publishing house is economically an independent department, it must incorporate changes of costs into prices for the internal customer. Also in this year the publishing house satisfied the requirement of Masaryk University to put prices of main activity that should not exceed 90% of competitive prices.

 

Table 8        Economy of MU in 1996 (thousands of CZK) 

 

Costs 

Profit 

Economic result 

Main activity 

4 695

5 476

781

Business activity 

467

616

149

Total 

5 162

6 092

930


Table 9       Number and structure of publications 

 

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

Faculty 

Student texts 

Research publ.

Total 

Student texts

Research publ.

Total 

Student texts 

Research publ. 

Total 

Student texts

Research publ.

Total 

Student texts

Research publ.

Total 

FM

21

-

21

24

1

25

16

1

17

24

2

26

20

3

23

FA

19

33

52

44

19

63

22

26

48

22

20

42

24

31

55

FS

16

4

20

9

4

13

22

16

38

24

14

38

24

19

43

FL

38

23

61

101

25

126

50

21

71

37

22

59

25

12

37

FE

39

7

46

45

7

52

46

7

53

28

9

37

42

10

52

FEA

8

-

8

16

-

16

7

4

11

20

4

24

23

8

31

FI

 -

2

-

2

1

-

1

2

-

2

CCE

-

-

-

-

2

2

-

5

5

-

3

3

-

2

2

MUR 

-

7

7

-

9

9

-

7

7

3

11

14

2

5

7

Total

141

74

215

239

67

306

165

87

252

159

85

244

162

90

252

  

   

COUNSELLING SERVICES

In 1996 the Counselling Centre of Masaryk University (PCMU) continued to develop a system of counselling services for students and graduates and carried out polls of graduates with the aim of creating information with the feedback to satisfy the needs of the management of MU and faculties.

In 1996 PCMU took part in the TEMPUS international grant called "Development of counselling services at Czech universities.".

In the last year PCMU organised the Second Fair of Graduates, published and distributed "A catalogue of employers" and conducted the third sociological enquiry "Completion of studies at Masaryk University, a retrospective and a perspective" and a sociological enquiry "The position of graduates in practice" and provided vocational and psychological counselling to individuals.

PCMU provided counselling services to 388 clients. The services included information about options of study at Masaryk University, assessment of an individual's profile, the profile of a future graduate on the labour market, information about vacancies, consultancy in labour law and preparation for an interview or an examination.

Psychological counselling was provided in 139 sessions and the most discussed problems were partner relationships, sexual problems and problems of social competence. Group sessions for 89 students discussed problems of personal goals, and the purpose of study, self-recognition and dealing with people, personality. growth and development.

Structure of PCMU clients related to faculties in 1996  

Note: The total number of students does not correspond to the number of contacts because of reasons of anonymity. 

Development of demands for PCMU services

Note: The interest in individuals is expressed by the number of contacts and in groups by the numbers of participants