Research and Education
Research and Education
Universities to be granted new powers
Universities to be granted new powers
The problems plaguing France’s troubled university system are widely acknowledged. However, in twenty years, three attempts at modernising the system have failed.
Reforms are now urgently needed across the entire university system, and in the interests of its 1.5 million students in particular. They are needed to make universities attractive, places where students can grow and succeed and, more widely, to ensure that France’s universities can compete with their foreign peers.
The bill detailing these new powers, presented to the Cabinet on the 4th July 2007, provides for all universities to be autonomous within five years. Establishments will receive financial support and may manage their own property and human resources.
Students, whose living and study conditions are central to negotiations, will receive vocational guidance when they enrol for their first year. Careers guidance and work placement are specified expressly as responsibilities of the higher education service. According to the bill, making universities autonomous will place them in a better position to achieve these goals.
Autonomy
Within five years all universities will enjoy greater financial responsibilities (implementation of an overall budget) and will be free to manage their own human resources: most importantly they will able to recruit contractual staff to teaching and research posts.
They will also be free to modify the conditions of teaching contracts and administer staff salaries, and a new and faster process for recruiting teachers will be introduced.
Furthermore, universities that wish to will be able to own and exercise full control over their property assets. They may also set up charities – funding will benefit from the introduction of tax provisions for individuals and businesses.
Governance
Governing councils, which will be halved in size, will consist of between 20 and 30 members, including 7 or 8 independent outside persons; they will be granted greater powers over staff recruitment.
Presidents of universities will also enjoy greater responsibilities. As leaders of the university they will, most importantly, have oversight into all key appointments within the establishment. Finally all major fields of training will be represented within the Scientific Council and the Council for Studies and University Life (CEVU).
Role of the Government
Multi-annual contracts, greater review of legality, ensuring adherence to the law – the role of the Government has been redefined. National degrees will continue to be offered and the current system, whereby registration fees are set by ministerial decree, will be retained. The 2008 budget, by prioritising research and higher education, will facilitate implementation of the law.
www.nouvelleuniversite.gouv.fr
The site, launched on the 4th July 2007, is designed to inform the public of the reform’s objectives and progress. It will also provide updates on each of the five projects in progress: student living conditions, higher education staff careers, the conditions under which teaching and research assignments are run within the university, and the numbers of students graduating.