Requirements for Appointment
According to the Law on Higher Education (Закон України ‘Про вищу освіту’), the day-to-day management of a higher education institution (HEI) belongs to its head (rector, president, director or equivalent). The legislation and the institution’s statute define the rights, responsibilities and accountability of the head. The head represents the HEI in relations with state authorities, local self-government bodies and legal and natural persons, acting without a power of attorney within the scope of statutory powers.
The head is responsible for the organisation of educational, scientific, scientific-technical and innovation activities of the institution, its financial and economic performance, and the preservation of its property. The head reports annually to the founder (or authorised body) and to the highest collegial self-governing body of the institution. The annual report must include information on the achievement of institutional performance indicators specified in the employment contract and must be submitted to the Unified State Electronic Database of Education and published on the institutional website.
The head may delegate certain powers to deputy heads and to the heads of structural units, as defined in the institution’s statute. Upon retirement, a person who has served as head of an HEI for at least ten consecutive years may be appointed as an adviser to the head on a voluntary basis or from the institution’s own revenues, in accordance with its statute.
Faculty and Institute Management
Faculties are headed by deans, and educational-scientific institutes by directors. Heads of faculties and institutes must hold an academic degree and/or academic title, normally in a field corresponding to the institution’s profile. They may delegate part of their powers to deputy heads. The academic council of the HEI approves the regulations on faculties and institutes, which define their functions.
Department Management
A head leads each department and may serve for no more than two consecutive terms. A head must hold an academic degree and/or academic title corresponding to the department’s profile. The election of heads of departments is for a five-year term through a competitive procedure and secret ballot by the academic council of the HEI, taking into account proposals from the relevant faculty and department. The head of the HEI concludes an employment contract with the head of the department. The head of the department organises the educational process, ensures the implementation of curricula, oversees teaching quality, and supervises the methodological and research activities of academic staff.
Academic Council
The academic council serves as the collegial governing body of an HEI and operates on a five-year term. The head of the HEI approves its composition by order issued within five working days after the previous council’s mandate expires. Members elect the council chair by secret ballot from among individuals who hold an academic degree and/or an academic title.
Membership includes, by virtue of their position, the head of the HEI, deputy heads, deans or institute directors, the academic secretary, the library director, the chief accountant and the heads of self-government and trade union bodies. The council also includes elected representatives of academic staff, other employees, postgraduate students, doctoral candidates, interns and students, according to quotas defined in the statute.
At least 75% of the academic council consists of academic and research-teaching staff, and at least 10% are elected student representatives. The council may also include representatives of employers’ organisations. The election process starts 30 days before the end of the previous council’s term.
Supervisory Board
The founder may create a supervisory board to oversee how the institution manages and uses its property and fulfils its mission. The supervisory board supports long-term development, mobilisation of financial resources and cooperation with public authorities, scientific communities and other stakeholders. The HEI’s statute defines its composition, mandate and procedures. Students and employees of the HEI may not serve on the supervisory board.
Eligibility Requirements for the Position of Head of an HEI
A candidate for the position of head of a HEI must:
- be proficient in the state language to the standard defined by the National Commission on State Language Standards;
- hold an academic degree and academic title (for institutions in the arts – an academic degree and title or the degree of Doctor of Arts);
- have at least 10 years of experience as a research-teaching staff member.
For state and municipal HEIs, the candidate must be a citizen of Ukraine. The same individual may not serve as head of the same institution for more than two consecutive terms.
The founder (or authorised body) must announce a competitive selection at least two months before the expiration of the incumbent head’s contract. In cases of early termination, the institution must announce the competition within one week after the position becomes vacant. The institution accepts candidate proposals for two months after the announcement, and it submits the list of eligible candidates to the HEI for voting within ten days after the deadline.
Election Procedure
The HEI elects its head by secret ballot for a five-year term. Elections are valid if more than 50% of eligible voters take part. If no candidate receives more than 50% of the votes in the first round, the HEI holds a second round seven days later between the two candidates with the highest number of votes. The candidate who receives more than 50% of the votes cast in the relevant round is elected.
Conditions of Service
A candidate elected as the head of an HEI must, in accordance with the Law of Ukraine on Higher Education, conclude a five-year contract with the founder (or authorised body) no later than one month after the election. The contract sets the institution’s performance targets, the mechanisms for assessing their achievement and the timeframe for meeting them. The Law of Ukraine on Leave (закон України ‘Про відпустки’) defines annual leave entitlements for administrative staff of HEIs.
Remuneration
HEIs determine the remuneration of administrative staff in line with national legislation and the Unified Tariff Scale. Salaries include basic salary rates, bonuses, supplements for academic degrees and academic titles, seniority allowances for scientific and research-teaching work and other payments provided by law. Funding may come from the state or local budgets, founders’ contributions, the institution’s own revenues, grants and other sources not prohibited by legislation.
Heads of HEIs receive supplements for academic degrees and titles as defined by law:
- academic degree: Candidate of Sciences (Doctor of Philosophy) – up to 15%; Doctor of Sciences – up to 25% of the basic salary;
- academic title: Professor – up to 33%; Associate Professor or Senior Research Fellow – up to 25% of the basic salary.
Administrative staff receive monthly seniority allowances as follows:
- over 3 years – 10%;
- over 10 years – 20%;
- over 20 years – 30% of the basic salary.
Pension Provision
According to the Law of Ukraine ‘On Pension Provision’ (закон України ‘Про пенсійне забезпечення’), the state guarantees pension arrangements for scientific and research-teaching staff that support the prestige of academic work and encourage renewal of the academic workforce.
A scientific or research-teaching employee is eligible for a scientific pension upon reaching the statutory pension age and having the required length of service:
- men – at least 25 years of total service, including at least 20 years of scientific work;
- women – at least 20 years of total service, including at least 15 years of scientific work.