Academic council

UrFU Academic Council comprising 120 members is the executive body of the University’s governance system. The Council’s term of office is 5 years. The Council includes the Rector who is the Council’s Chairman, Vice-Rectors, and Directors of Institutes nominated by the Rector. Other Council members are appointed by the general staff meeting by secret ballot.

Representation quotas for the University’s structural subdivisions and the student community are determined by the Council.

Representatives of the structural subdivisions and students are considered to be elected as Council members or voted out of the office if the majority (over 50%) of all members present at the meeting will vote for, provided 2/3 members are present.

The members of the Academic Council are appointed by the Rector’s order.

The Council’s pre-term election is held upon the request of the majority of its members and by the decision of the general staff meeting.

In case of resignation (expulsion) of one of the Council members, or in case of Vice-Rector, Director or Dean’s dismissal, they also automatically quit the Council.

The election for vacant positions in the Council is conducted upon the recommendation of the University’s subdivisions by secret ballot of the general staff meeting.

The Council’s decisions concerning elections, applications for posts, academic title nominations, and in other cases not contradicting the applicable law are taken by secret ballot. Other decisions are taken by open ballot.

The Council’s decisions taken by secret ballot are legally qualified provided that not less than 2/3 members are present at the meeting and that the majority of the members vote in support of the decision  (for academic title nominations).

The Council’s decisions taken by open ballot are legally qualified provided that there are over 50% members present at the meeting and that the simple majority of members vote in support of the decision.

The Academic Council is authorized to:

• Take decisions concerning creation and elimination of departments, educational institutes, research institutes and other structural subdivisions and to adopt relevant resolutions;
• Set reduced duration of study for students with vocational training in the appropriate field or higher professional education of various levels and students capable of mastering the full educational programme of higher professional education in a shorter period;
• Increase duration for part-time modes of study;
• Reschedule the beginning of the academic year;
• Set enrolment goals and structure for the University branches funded from the federal budget resources;
• Adopt resolutions on conducting assessment process in the semester and the interim student attestation;
• Adopt the agenda for creation and activities of the University’s Supervisory Committee and other committees in various fields;
• Adopt the agenda for creation and activities, composition and powers of the institute and departmental councils;
• Adopt the order of scholarship provision for full-time state-funded students;
• Allocate special scholarships and University Council’s scholarships;
• Set the amount of bonus payments and other kinds of incentive payments to the staff and faculty;
• Set the procedure for termination of the employment agreement due to the faculty member’s insufficient qualification;
• Adopt resolutions on the order of drawing research schedules and research results reporting.
• Consider the main and additional programmes of professional education submitted for licensing;
• Grant approval of letting property items and land;
• Petition to the Ministry for approval of opening new University branches;
• Hear the Rector’s annual report on the results of the University’s activities whilst holding his/her office;
• Take decisions concerning admittance of deans/institute directors as members of the Council without their election by the general staff meeting;
• Discuss and take decisions concerning the main issues of the University’s social and economic development;
• Carry out competitive selection for filling faculty positions and electing deans and department chairs;
• Take decisions concerning nominations for titles of professor and senior lecturer;
• Delegate responsibilities to department councils and representative bodies of other University’s structural subdivisions;
• Set academic workload for various faculty categories;
• Submit to the general staff meeting amendments and changes to the University’s Charter for its consideration;
• Adopt the Council’s work agenda for the current academic year;
• Recommend candidates for their enrolment for the doctorate, reassignment to the position of a senior research fellow to enable them to finish their work on doctoral dissertation, granting sabbatical for writing doctoral dissertations, writing textbooks;
• Take decisions concerning attachment of external degree-seeking students to the University for dissertation preparation;
• Take decisions concerning putting faculty and staff members forward for state decorations;
• Consider other questions referred by the law and the University Charter to the Council’s competence.

Decisions of the Academic Council become effective after they are signed by the Council’s Chairman – Rector.

There are working committees appointed by the Rector’s order attached to the council.