The Senate is the highest professional body of the University and it consists of 44 members: the Rector, 4 Vice-Rectors from the rank of Full Professors, 31 Deans of Faculties, 4 Presidents of the Faculty Group Councils, and 4 Directors of Scientific Institutes.
Whilst discussing and deciding upon the issues of teaching quality assurance, curriculum reform, analysis of the effectiveness of the average length of studies, and allocation of the number of ECTS points, 8 student-representatives elected by the Student Parliament of the University shall take part in the work of the Senate.
Members of the University Senate shall be elected for a three-year term. Exceptionally, the student representatives shall be elected for a one-year term.
The University Senate shall:
- decide upon the issues of teaching, scientific, and professional activities of the University;
- propose the financial plan of the University to the University Council;
- take a decision on the structure and the manner in which programmes of studies are passed;
- pass programmes of study, including those for the acquisition of multidisciplinary egrees;
- pass the agreed list of specialized fields of study, as proposed by the corresponding Faculty, and after bringing them into accord at the session of the Faculty Group Council and the Councils of relevant fields of study;
- pass a decision on the fields of study a Faculty encompasses;
- regulate the rules of studying at the University;
- approve multidisciplinary PhD dissertation topics;
- pass a general act on the conditions and criteria for the transfer of ECTS points;
- pass a general act on the validation of foreign university degrees, and enact the validation procedure;
- pass a general act on the evaluation of foreign programmes of study, and enact the evaluation procedure;
- decide upon the rules, conditions, and procedures lifetime education programmes;
- regulate the conditions and rules for the distance learning programmes organized at the University;
- propose norms and standards of work of higher education institutions;
- propose the standards of self-evaluation and quality evaluation of the University and the higher education units which are parts of the University;
- define the bodies and procedures whose task is to observe, insure and improve the quality of the programmes of study, curricula, and the work conditions;
- establish, together with the Rector, a unique policy whose task is the continual improvement of the quality of teaching and scientific research;
- demand a report on the obligations and duties met by the University and its Faculties with regard to the quality of programmes of study, teaching, and working conditions;
- regulate the ways and procedures of self-evaluation;
- regulate the conditions and the procedure for electing teaching;staff at the University and acquiring scientific ranks;
- regulate the conditions for electing teaching staff;
- regulate he manner in which the students’ opinions are taken into consideration regarding the evaluation of a lecturer’s pedagogical work;
- elect a lecturer in the rank of a Full Professor;
- decide upon a candidate’s complaint, made after a candidate has not been elected to a certain teaching position;
- regulate the conditions for electing teaching associates and teaching assistants;
- pass a Professional Ethics Code of Conduct;
- propose a general act on the discipline matters of students;
- define a policy on the student enrollment matters;
- regulate the conditions and ways of enrolling candidates in the approved, i.e. accredited programmes of study organized by the University, or a higher education unit which is a part of the University, upon their proposal;
- decide upon the number of students to be enrolled in the programmes of study organized by the University, or a higher education unit which is a part of the University, upon their proposal;
- take a decision on the open competition public announcement for enrollment;
- decide upon the factors influencing the tuition fee amounts for the studies organized at the University;
- pass the act that defines the tuition fee amount for the oncoming academic year for the programmes of study organized at the University, before the public announcement appears;
- state its opinion on the number of budget-funded students to be enrolled in the first year of study;
- regulate the conditions and the manner in which doctoral studies are to be conducted, which are to be organized by the persons in the appropriate scientific rank;
- plan an employment policy for lecturers and associates;
- define the conditions and procedures on giving consent for a part-time engagement of a lecturer at another higher education institution;
- decide upon a further engagement of a lecturer who has reached the age of 65, provided they have been employed and socially insured for at least 15 years;
- regulate the procedure and the conditions for awarding the title of Professor Emeritus and awards the title;
- carry out the procedure for awarding the honorary doctorate;
- propose an establishment of higher education units, as forms of internal organization, which is in accordance with this Statute;
- make a proposal on the change of status, change of name or change of seat of a higher education unit, which is a part of the University, and which either has a status of legal entity or lacks it;
- make a proposal of the University Statute;
- give its consent to the Statute of a higher education unit which is a part of the University;
- give its consent to the decision of a higher education unit to become an independent legal entity;
- make a proposal on the foundation of the Centre for Technology Transfer, Innovation Centre, Business-Technological Park, multidisciplinary departments and other organization units, in accordance with the Law and in accordance with this Statute;
- elect the representatives of the University for the University Conference of Serbia;
- propose a list of professional, academic, and scientific titles for various fields, as well as their abbreviations;
- decide upon the issue of the strategies of University development;
- coordinate cooperation with universities internationally and reach corresponding decisions on this;
- appoint its members as well as direct and observe the work of various committees within the Senate;
- make a proposal for a candidate for the Rector;
- initiate a procedure for the dismissal from duty of the Rector and Vice-Rectors;
- make a final decision in the procedures being carried out in connection with the breaking of the Professional Ethics Code of Conduct;
- perform other duties in accordance with the Law, this Statute and general acts of the University.
The work of the Senate and the passing of decisions shall be regulated by the Book of Rules.
