The self-governing academic bodies of Charles University are the Rector, the Academic Senate, the Research Board and the Board for Internal Evaluation. Other bodies are the Board of Trustees and the Bursar.
The Rector
The Rector is the executive head of the University appointed to the post by the President of the Czech Republic, after having been nominated (in fact elected) by the Academic Senate. The Rector presents to the Academic Senate: drafts of internal regulations, budgets, strategic documents, annual reports, and other crucial documents and essential decisions concerning the University. The Rector's advisory bodies include:
The Rector's Board, a body consisted of the Rector, Vice-Rectors, the Bursar, the Chancellor, the President of the Academic Senate of the University, student representatives and other members of the academic community who are responsible for specific areas;
The Extened Rector's Board is a body in which the deans of faculties and directors of other constituent parts of the University are represented;
The International Board is a body which is composed of major scientific and academic figures from leading European and American universities and research institutions. Its chief task is to advise the leadership of the University during the introduction of new programmes for the promotion of research, assessment of quality and focus of individual constituent parts and other issues relevant to the development of scientific and pedagogical work at the University;
Other bodies, e.g. History Board, Editorial Board, or Grant Board.
The Academic Senate
The Academic Senate is the supreme representative body of academic self-governance. It is elected by members of the academic community, i.e. academic staff and students. In comparison to most western European universities, it has considerable powers: it elects and dismisses the Rector of the University, approves the annual budget, gives the Rector prior consent to the appointment and dismissal of members of the Research Board and the Board for Internal Evaluation, approves internal regulations of the University and its faculties, the budget and distribution of block-grants and subsidies granted from public resources among faculties and other constituent parts, the strategic plan and annual reports, and performs a supervisory role. It consists of the representatives of students and academic staff in 1:1 ratio. The Academic Senate of Charles University nowadays consists of a total of 70 members and includes representatives of the academic staff of the faculties and other parts of Charles University (thirty-six representatives, two from each faculty and a total two from other parts) and students (thirty-four representatives, two from each faculty).
The Research Board
The Research Board is appointed by the Rector, who is also its chairman, for the period of his or her tenure and is composed of prominent representatives of the scientific disciplines, at least a third of whom are not part of the academic community of the University. The Research Board addresses in particular issues affecting the conceptual development of science at the University and its strategic plan. Another important areas of its competence are academic qualifications (submission of proposals for appointments by the Czech President to the position of professor and appointments by the Rector of the University to the position of associate professor). It also has responsibility for the approval of the intent to submit an application for institutional accreditation or and, if applicable, the intention to relinquish such accreditation, the intention to submit a proposal for the accreditation procedure for the appointment of associate professors and professors, the intention to terminate a study programme and other tasks related to internal quality assurance. The Research Board of Charles University nowadays consists of a total of 69 members and 4 honorary members.
The Internal Evaluation Board
The Internal Evaluation Board is a self-governing body of the University. It is required by law and its chief purpose is to prepare applications for the institutional accreditation, applications for the accreditation of study programmes and the subsequent granting of permission to carry out study programmes as part of institutional accreditation, as well as the management of internal quality assurance and the assessment and documentation of its outcomes. It is appointed by the Rector for four years on the basis of proposals by the Rector, the Academic Senate and the Research Board and consists of members of University management, academic staff and students. The Internal Evaluation Board of Charles University nowadays consists of a total of 27 members.
The Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees oversees that activities of Charles University serve the public interest, that legislation and regulations are met and that the University's property and assets are diligently managed. Therefore, the Board of Trustees gives consent to legal transactions relating in particular to assets and, together with the Academic Senate, makes decisions on strategic development and budgetary issues. The Board consists of 15 distinguished representatives from public and professional life, other universities and research institutions.
The Bursar
The Bursar is responsible in particular for the financial management of the University and the Rectorate and further assigns tasks to faculty secretaries in matters concerning management and internal administration, monitors the implementation of these tasks and is the head of departments of the Rectorate.
In the area of governance and decision-making, the University places strong emphasis on academic autonomy and the principle of subsidiarity, and is therefore characterised by a significant degree of decentralisation. Therefore, compared to the majority of its partner universities in the Western Europe, Charles University's organisational structure is more decentralised, with marked independence of faculties. The rights of faculties, guaranteed by the Higher Education Act and University Regulations, include the establishment of self-governing academic bodies, independent personel and human resources policy including hiring and promotion of academic staff, the right to determine their own internal organisation, the management of resources provided, labour relations, holding of habilitation procedures and procedures for the appointment of professors, the creation and implementation of degree programmes, determination of the strategic orientation of research activities, the development of international cooperation and the implementation of auxiliary activities and subsequent management of the resources obtained from such activities. In some areas, i.e. focus of research, international activities, management, however, actions of crucial importance in terms of the focus or development of these faculty areas must be discussed in advance with the Rector.
The embedding of this principle in relation to the development of the University is an advantage as it facilitates the better adaptation of teaching, research and auxiliary activities to the specific aspects of individual fields of study and workplaces, promotes the culture of an institution that is conscious of its traditions and its mission, and that is based on cooperation and taking into consideration the views of members of the academic community. At the same time, it is also a disadvantage, as it brings increased demands for coordination and communication, time required to discuss fundamental development measures, and the interconnection of individual workplaces and subjects.
The the internal regulations of the University govern the organization and activities of Charles University and delineate the status of members of the academic community. Some of them are explicitly stipulated by the Higher Education Act, e.g. the Constitution, the Election Regulations, the Rules of Procedure of the Academic Senate and Research Board, or the Student Disciplinary Code.
Unless regulated by legislation or by an internal University regulation, the internal regulations of a faculty regulate matters falling within the self-governing powers of the faculty and its relations with the University. The draft faculty internal regulations are submitted by the Dean to the Academic Senate of the faculty. Once approved by the faculty Senate, the faculty internal regulations must be approved by the Academic Senate of the University. The faculty internal regulations must be in compliance with the provisions of the Higher Education Act and the internal regulations of the University.
Besides University internal regulations, measures issued by the Rector, Bursar, Deans or the directors of other parts apply at the individual faculties or other parts. All these provisions specify and implement the content of the internal regulations of the University, of the faculties and the other parts, and must be in compliance with them.
The evaluation strives to be independent, therefore, after the evaluation cycle has been commenced the University bodies do not interfere with the evaluation process until it has been completed.
The supreme body of the evaluation, the Research Evaluation Board, supervises, among other things, the course of evaluation from the perspective of compliance with principles, rules, and organisation, e.g. decides matters pertaining to a conflict of interest. The Board is also responsible for producing the Final Report which is only then discussed by the International Board, Research Board, and Internal Evaluation Board, and the Academic Senate. Its chair, deputy chair, and other members are appointed by the Rector after discussion of the nomination by the Research Board and the International Board. Even though the Vice-Rector of the University vested with the powers of evaluating research, a representative of the Academic Senate, Research Board, and Internal Evaluation Board are members of the Board, they do not have the right to vote. The chairs, deputy chairs, and other members of the Expert Panels are appointed by the Rector on the advice of the Board.
The crucial University regulations related to the evaluation include are listed on special page.