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Habilitations and inaugurations

OHIK as a benchmark of UCM quality

Habilitation proceedings (for the title of associate professor) and inauguration proceedings (for the title of professor) at the UCM in Trnava are part of the evidence of the excellent level of creative activity of teachers working at the UCM in Trnava in the field(s) of study to which the respective field of the habilitation or inauguration proceedings (hereinafter referred to as “OHIK”) is assigned. Demonstration of the ability to consistently, long-term, and continuously carry out the educational activity at all levels of education and creative activity at the highest level in the field(s) of study to which the OHIK is assigned, as a condition for the authorisation to carry out OHIK at UCM, is evidence of the highest quality of UCM.

OHIK at UCM are carried out in accordance with clear principles.

  1. The OHIK is defined by name and content in such a way that its content definition is as close as possible to the SO to which it is assigned.
  2. UCM has the authority to create, implement and modify the third-level SP in the SO/both SOs to which the OHIK is assigned.
  3. The staffing of the OHIK and the composition of the VR UCM and the respective VR of the Faculty is in accordance with the requirements of Article 4 of the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings.
  4. The level of creative activity in OHIK and the level of quality culture of UCM is in accordance with the requirements of Article 5 of the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings. The creative activity in OHIK is long-term, continuous, and reaches the top international level.
  5. The level of the UCM criteria for evaluating the fulfilment of the conditions for obtaining the title of associate professor is in accordance with the requirements of Article 6 of the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings.
  6. The level of the UCM criteria for evaluating the fulfilment of the conditions for obtaining the title of professor is in accordance with the requirements of Article 7 of the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings.
  7. The rules and procedures of the habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM are in accordance with Article 8 of the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings.
  8. The conduct of habilitation and inauguration proceedings shall be transparent, fair, professionally informed, objective and independent.

The policies of the VSK UCM ensuring the quality and development of OHIK at UCM have an institution-wide scope. They are based on generally binding legal regulations, in particular, the Higher Education Act and subsequent regulations, the Quality Act and subsequent regulations, and SAAVS standards for habilitation proceedings and inauguration proceedings. They are in line with the mission of UCM, the long-term plan of UCM, and other strategic and conceptual documents of UCM. These are generally binding regulations, internal regulations ensuring the quality and development of OHIK at UCM, and internal regulations ensuring habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM. In justified cases, the institution-wide regulations are followed by the regulations of the UCM divisions, in particular when the criteria are defined according to the practices and specificities of the UCM divisions or the specificities of the individual UCM division.

 

  • Act No. 269/2018 Coll. on Quality Assurance of Higher Education and Amendment and Supplementation of Act No. 343/2015 Coll. on Public Procurement and Amendment and Supplementation of Certain Acts, as amended,
  • Act No. 131/2002 Coll. on Higher Education Institutions and Amendments and Additions to Certain Acts, as amended,
  • Decree of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic No. 246/2019 Coll. on the procedure for obtaining scientific-pedagogical titles and artistic-pedagogical titles of associate professor and professor,
  • Decree of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic No. 244/2019 Coll. on the system of fields of study in the Slovak Republic,
  • Decree No. 16/2016 Coll. of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic establishing professional organisations whose members exercise regulated professions with the right to use professional titles and regulated professions with coordination of education and Slovak Government Decree No. 296/2010 Coll. of the Slovak Republic on the professional competence to exercise the health profession, the manner of further education of health professionals, the system of specialisation fields and the system of certified work activities, as amended by later regulations.
  • SAAVS Standards for Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings

The VSK UCM structures ensuring the quality and development of OHIK at UCM are part of the integrated VSK UCM system. The powers, authority, and responsibilities of the relevant structures, including senior staff, other staff, and other stakeholders in the implementation and evaluation of the quality of OHIK at UCM are defined in the relevant internal regulations (in particular statutes, rules of procedure, organisational rules and structures, charters of incorporation, guidelines, and procedures). The structures of the VSK UCM ensure the quality and development of OHIK at UCM and form a three-level system in both the vertical and horizontal planes.

Vertical-level structures in the field of OHIK primarily ensure the execution of policies and the implementation of the relevant OHIK.

  1. The UCM Rectorate is an institution-wide structure in the field of OHIK at UCM. In accordance with the Higher Education Act, the Quality Assurance Act, the SAAVS Standards for Habilitation and Inauguration Proceedings, and the VSK UCM Directive, the Rector is the person responsible for the policies, structures, and processes in the field of quality assurance of OHIK at UCM. His/her powers, responsibilities, and competencies in the field of quality assurance of higher education at UCM are defined in the UCM Statute, the Statute of the RVHK, the Rules of Procedure of the RVHK, the Directive on the Creation, Modification, and Approval of Study Programmes, Fields of the Habilitation Proceedings and the Inauguration Proceedings and the Submission of Applications to the SAAVS, the Procedure for Habilitation and the Procedure for Inauguration.

The field of OHIK at UCM is primarily concentrated in the department of the Vice-Rector for Science and Research and the   Department of Science and Research in accordance with  the UCM Statute and the UCM Organisational Regulations. Continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation of the quality of OHIK is part of the agenda of the Vice-Rector for Quality and the UCM Quality Department.

The administrative, self-governing, academic, and advisory bodies of UCM with university-wide competence in the field of quality and development of OHIK at UCM according to the powers, responsibilities, and competencies defined by internal regulations are in particular:

The competence, powers, competencies, and responsibilities of the Bursar and other UCM employees in the field of quality assurance and development of OHIK at UCM are regulated by the Higher Education Act, the UCM Statute, and other internal regulations.

  1. The division of UCM (faculty/institute) is a lower-level structure. In the field of OHIK, the person responsible for the quality and development of OHIK is the dean. His/her powers, responsibilities, and competencies in the field of quality assurance and development of OHIK at the UCM division are defined in the UCM Statute, the Statute of the UCM division, the Directive on Creation, Modification and Approval of Study Programmes, Fields of Habilitation and Inauguration and Submission of Applications to the SAAVS, the Procedure for Habilitation and the Procedure for Inauguration.

The OHIK area at UCM is usually concentrated primarily in the area of the Vice-Dean for Science and the Department for Science as defined in the UCM Division Organisational Regulations. Continuous monitoring and periodic evaluation of the quality of OHIK at the UCM division is part of the agenda of the Vice-Dean for Quality and the Quality Department, or the person responsible for the quality agenda at the UCM division. The self-governing, academic and advisory bodies of UCM with competence at the level of the UCM division in the field of OHIK, according to the powers, responsibilities, and competencies defined in the internal regulations, are:

  • Scientific Board of the Faculty,
  • Dean’s Board,
  • other advisory bodies, and committees of the Dean.

The competence, powers, competencies, and responsibilities of the Secretary of the UCM Division and other UCM employees in the field of quality assurance of OHIK at UCM are regulated by the internal regulations of UCM.

  1. The workplace (department) is elementary level. In OHIK, it is represented by the management of the department – the head of the department, and deputy head of the department.

Horizontal-level structures in the field of OHIK primarily ensure the creation and evaluation of policies, structures, and processes through which UCM continuously monitors and periodically evaluates OHIK, assesses and approves the creation, modification, implementation, and cancellation of OHIK, and proposes measures to vertical level structures to improve the quality and development of OHIK at UCM.

  1. The Internal Quality Evaluation Board (RVHK) of the UCM (hereinafter referred to as “RVHK”) is the university-wide structure for quality assurance of education at UCM. The RVHK is an independent advisory body to the Rector. The composition, competencies, responsibilities, and powers of the RVHK are defined in the Statute of the RVHK and the Rules of Procedure of the RVHK. For the assessment of the education agenda, the RVHK establishes temporary working groups in accordance with the Principles for the Establishment of the List of Assessors and Temporary Working Groups at the RVHK at UCM.
  2. The UCM Division Quality Board (hereafter referred to as the “UCM Division RK”) is a structure for quality assurance of higher education at the UCM Division level with the participation of stakeholders. The UCM Division RK is an independent advisory body to the person responsible for the UCM Division (Dean/Director). The composition, responsibilities, competencies, powers, procedures, and rules for the selection of stakeholders in the UCM Division RK are defined in the Statutes of the UCM Division RK.
  3. A group of 5 quality assurance and development persons for each OECS, including a person with lead responsibility for the quality and development of the OECS, shall be designated for each OECS. The responsibilities, competencies, powers, and activities of this group shall be defined in the relevant general binding rules.

The processes of the VSK UCM ensuring the quality and development of OHIK at UCM are managed by the relevant structures according to the applicable policies (laws, decrees, regulations, statutes, regulations, codes, directives, guidelines, measures, orders, procedures, and rules). The processes of the VSK UCM ensuring the quality and development of OHIK at UCM are carried out on the principles of independence, impartiality, objectivity, professionalism, transparency, and fairness, with respect to confidentiality and protection of personal data in legally defined cases and situations. These are the quality assurance and development processes of the OHIK at UCM and the quality assurance processes of the habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM.

  1. The creation, modification, approval, and cancellation of OHIK at UCM are carried out in accordance with:
  2. The selection of quality assurance and development of OHIK shall be carried out in particular in accordance with:
  3. The continuous monitoring, periodic evaluation, and award of internal accreditation of OHIK shall be carried out in particular in accordance with:
    • Directive on the creation, modification, and approval of SPs, OHIKs, and the submission of applications to SAAVS
    • Methodological guidelines for periodic evaluation of OHIK at UCM
    • Rector’s Guideline No. 3/2022 on the procedure for reconciliation of the SP and OHIK at UCM after the granting of internal authorization by the Rector of UCM (publication of information on the SP), on the procedure for the cancellation of the SP and OHIK, and on the procedure for the submission of applications to SAAVS for accreditation of the OHIK of UCM
    • VSK UCM Directive
    • Directive on External Assessment of the Internal Quality System of UCM
  4. Maintaining scientific integrity and upholding the academic ethics of OHIK’s quality assurance and development personnel shall be carried out in particular in accordance with:
  5. The collection, processing, and publication of information on OHIK shall be carried out in accordance in particular with:
    • VSK UCM Directive
    • SAAVS Standards for the Study Programme
    • Directive on free access to information about the University and payment of the costs of disclosure of information
    • Rector’s Guideline No. 3/2022 on the procedure for reconciliation of the SP and OHIK at UCM after the granting of internal authorization by the Rector of UCM (publication of information about the SP), on the procedure for the cancellation of the SP and OHIK, and on the procedure for the submission of applications to SAAVS for accreditation of the OHIK of UCM
    • UCM SharePoint Guidelines

  1. Compliance with the procedure for habilitation and inauguration proceedings.
  2. Verification of the fulfilment of the criteria and requirements for obtaining the title of associate professor and professor at OHIK, scientific integrity and compliance with academic ethics of the candidate for the degree, and ensuring the protection of the candidate against any kind of intolerance and discrimination.
  3. Collecting, processing, and publishing information on habilitation and inauguration proceedings.

The processes of habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM are ensured in accordance with:

UCM carries out habilitation proceedings and awards the title of associate professor and inauguration proceedings and proposes appointment as professor in those fields of OHIK which:

  1. have previously obtained the authorization of the Slovak Accreditation Commission, later SAAVS, and have not been suspended or revoked,
  2. by 31 August 2022 they were aligned with the SAAVS standards for habilitation and inauguration proceedings, this alignment was carried out in accordance with the requirements of the VSK UCM, and it was confirmed by the RVHK and the Rector of the UCM granted them internal accreditation.

Information about OHIK at UCM is registered in the university information system, on UCM SharePoint, on the UCM website, or on the websites of the faculties where the courses to which the OHIK is assigned take place. Information about the persons responsible for the quality and development of OHIK is available in the OHIK description, Scientific-Artistic-Pedagogical Characteristics, and outputs of the creative activity of these persons, located on the UCM SharePoint and the website of the faculty conducting OHIK.

Information on the activities of the quality assurance structures of the OHIK is available in the minutes of the meetings of the RVHK and the minutes of the meetings of the RK of the UCM divisions.

The results of the periodic quality assessment of OHIK are available in the OHIK_RVHK Criteria and Standards Reports, OHIK_RK Criteria and Standards Reports, and Internal Accreditation Decisions.

Information about habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM is available on the UCM website and faculty websites.

Information on the course of habilitation and inauguration proceedings at UCM is available in the habilitation files of applicants (including documented information on the course) and inauguration files of applicants (including documented information on the course) archived at the Science Department. In addition, through the relevant resolutions, they are recorded in the minutes of the proceedings of the Faculty Board and the minutes of the UCM Board of Trustees.

In accordance with the generally binding legal regulations and internal regulations of UCM, UCM awards the honorary title of “Professor Emeritus” of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. The title is conferred by the Rector of UCM after approval of the proposal by the VR UCM. The rules, criteria, and procedures for awarding the title of Professor Emeritus are defined in the Principles of Awarding – Professor Emeritus.

In accordance with generally binding legal regulations and internal regulations of UCM, UCM awards the title “doctor honoris causa” of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. The title is conferred by the Rector of UCM after approval of the proposal by the VR UCM. The rules, criteria, and procedures for awarding the title of doctor honoris causa are defined in the Principles for the award of the title “doctor honoris causa”.

In accordance with generally binding legal regulations and internal regulations of UCM, UCM grants the academic title of “Visiting Professor” of the University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava. The title is awarded by the Rector of UCM after approval by the VR UCM. The rules, criteria, and procedures for the award of the title of Visiting Professor are defined in the Guidelines for the award of the title of Visiting Professor.

AR – Academic Year
AS – Academic Senate
CAF – Common Assessment Framework 
DPS – Temporary Working Groups
ESG – European Standards for Higher Education
FF – Faculty of Arts
FMK – Faculty of Mass Media Communication
FPV – Faculty od Natural Sciences
FSV – Faculty of Social Sciences
FZV – Faculty of Health Sciences
IM – Institute of Management
KR – Rector’s Board
OHIK – Field of Habilitation Proceedings and Inauguration Proceedings
RSP – Study Programme Board
RK – Quality Board
RVHK – Internal Quality Evaluation Board
SAAVS – Slovak Accreditation Agency for Higher Education
SR – Board of Trustees
SO – Field of Study
SP – Study Programme
UCM – University of Ss. Cyril and Methodius in Trnava
VHS – Internal Evaluation System
VP – Internal Regulation
VR – Scientific Board
VSK – Internal Quality System
VSK VHS – Internal Evaluation Report of the Internal Quality System
VUPCH – Scientific-Artistic-Pedagogical Characteristics