UNIVERSITY OF MARIBOR - FACTS

• The beginnings of the higher education in Maribor were in 1859,

when the First School of Theology was established. During 1959-
1961 there were several Independent Higher Education
Institutions and in 1975 the University of Maribor was established.
• 16 faculties (6 of them established in the past 6 years).
• 2 other members: Student dormitories and University library.
• 1 administrative unit-Rectorat, Sport centre Leon Štukelj, The
Residence Hall for Graduate Students and Visiting Professors.
• 23.500 students in 2008/2009.
• 1800 employees (1050 teaching staff).
 SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS RESULT OF THE
SLOVENIAN NATIONAL REGULATIONS.

• Unsystematically defined legal status of the University and

faculties, that causes chaos.
• Constitutionally defined autonomy is practically respected only
if needed and regarding to the understandings of the current
leading politicians.
• Conditions needed for the establishment of the university are
not specifically defined and the standards in the process of
establishment of the university are not the same for each
institution.
• Financing is not regulated with the act, as it is required by the
Constitution of the Republic of Slovenia.
 SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS CONSENQUENCE OF
THE PAST TIMES.

– University organized as “TOZD” or “SOZD” (the

association of higher education institutions and not the
university in the sense known elsewhere).

– Politics in the past did not wish to have strong and

functionally unified universities.

– “Divide and rule”  partial satisfying of the needs of

each faculty led to ununified university.
• Organized in a bureaucratic way, without property,
classification done at the ministry.
 SYSTEM RELATED PROBLEMS AS CONSEQUENCE OF
MISUNDERSTANDING

Misunderstanding of the two fundamental concepts:

• Academic freedom
– Professor – researcher: freedom of research, lectures,
publishing the outcomes.
– Institution: freedom of regulation of the internal relations.
• Autonomy of the University
– There is no academic freedom without autonomous
university
– The autonomy of the university should be also in the
financial matter
Financing of study and research activities is the precondition
 PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

– Legal status of the faculties (de facto, not de iure).

– Study programmes are performed at the faculties (32 paragraph

of ZVIS - National Act on Higher Education)

• Problems related with establishing interdisciplinary study

programmes.

– Professors are employees of the University, but in practice more

involved at one faculty:
• Problems related with delivering the lectures at more faculties.
• Poor credit sistem at the University level.
 PRACTICAL PROBLEMS

– Problems related with joining the EU projects:

• Poor administrative support.
• Project office (which is familiar with the whole process of managing
EU projects).
• Low number of the interdisciplinary projects.
– Problems related to linking academic bodies with industry.
• Problems of intellectual property
• Problems of spin-off companies
• Alumni clubs, Carrier centers
– Non-efficient and wasteful financial management
– Obstructed development of the university
– Problems with the organization of the supportive commercial activities.
– Problems with establishing and financing other university projects.
 UM KEY STATUS DEFINITIONS

• The University of Maribor is a corporate body, faculties don’t

have legal subjectivity. Rector represents university with full
authorization.
• Public founds, gained by university and its faculties from the
Republic of Slovenia state budget meant for public services,
are managed at the university’s account and separate at
faculties’ sub-accounts.
• Upon dean’s proposal, rector decides on employment status
of all higher education teachers, scientific workers, higher
education collaborators and other employees with contracts
for an indefinite time.
• Rector is elected, deans, vice deans, secretary general,
faculties' secretary general, ...are appointed by the
rector.
 FORMS AND WAYS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL
LINKING WITH FACULTIES

• Central led application and enrolment procedure.

• Integrated university’s information system.
• Common development projects on university level.
• Central directed financial operations.
• Faculties are present in UM boards and commissions.
• University management board consists of university
headquarters and its offices.
 FORMS AND WAYS OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL
LINKING WITH FACULTIES

• Regular rector’s meetings with deans.

• Regular secretary general’s meetings with faculties’ and other
members’ secretary generals.
• Regular meetings with heads of office for student affairs.
• Meetings with faculties’ and other members’ heads of accounting.
• Meetings with faculties’ Erasmus coordinators.
• Preparing of some common public calls for the whole university.
• Joint solving of conflicts and other legal matters.
• Joint preparation of acts, valid for the whole university.
 PARTIAL INTERGRATION OF THE UM AND
POSSIBLE SAVINGS IN CASE OF DIFFERENT
ORGANIZATION
– Partial integration unambiguously enabled the establishment of
the new faculties: Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Logistics,
Faculty of Energetic, Faculty of Natural Sciences and
Mathematics and Faculty of Arts.

– Savings connected to gradual transition to unified public orders

(unified public orders for fuel oil, electricity, gas, insurance,
durable goods…, enabled to save 700.000 EUR

– The next step will be connected to the rationalization of the

number of the employed administrative staff (almost 500
employees):
• 16 members x 2 employees in the department for staff affairs
• 16x1 in the department for legal affairs
• 16x3 in the accountant department
 STRONG AND INTEGRATED UNIVERSITY

• Integrated university is more cost efficient.

• Integration demands from all faculties trust in processes of
decisions made on university level.
• This situation requires reestablishment of management,
which will be able to perform an efficient strategy and policy
in acquiring means for education and research from public
and private sources. It is essential to act efficient with
available assets. It is necessary to develop mechanisms for a
transparent planning and supervision on university level.
• Faculties at the University of Maribor are not yet enough
aware of additional advantages, offered by university as a
multidisciplinary unit, which is more attractive for a profitable
cooperation with private sector and for creating connections
with economy.
 OPPINIONS OF KEY-PLAYERS IN THE FIELD OF
DEVELOPMENT OF EHEA

London Communiqué, May 2007

• 1.5 We therefore underline the importance of strong
institutions, which are diverse, adequately funded,
autonomous and accountable.
Leuven Communiqué, April 2009
• 4. The necessary ongoing reform of higher education systems
and policies will continue to be firmly embedded in the
European values of institutional autonomy, academic freedom
and social equity and will require full participation of students
and staff.
Prof. Dr. G. Winkler, Rector of the University of Vienna, former
president of EUA said that in the future, only strong and
autonomous universities will exist!
 SUMMARY

• Who is afraid of strong, autonomous universities?

– Politics and individuals at faculties, who enjoy some micro-
benefits on account of the community?

• Division and weakening of strong universities is in time of

connecting to joint European Higher Education Area (HEA) an
irrational and intolerable step back, that can lead us from one
European competitive university to many no-name under-average
universities.
• In current global financial crisis no country is enough wealthy and
from social point of view also can not afford to finance inefficiently
organized, non-competitive and low-quality universities.
• A university can be strong with assured autonomy, adequate
financing, with appropriate pedagogical and research critical
multitude, international connections with best higher education
institutions, efficient and rational organization.
 KEY POINTS CONCERNING THE INTEGRATION OF THE
UNIVERSITY

1. University property.
2. Integrated information system (united accounting
plan).
1. RECTOR (elected function).