The UT senate agreed on the names of academic units
The newly elected Senate of the University of Tartu gathered on 21 July 2014 and reached an agreement on the names of academic units in the new statutes of the university. The senate supported a compromise solution according to which the university will have four domains of teaching and research (“valdkond”) as of 1 January 2016: 1) humanities and arts, 2) social sciences, 3) medicine and 4) natural and exact sciences.
On 26 June 2014, the university council decided to put a dilatory veto on the statutes adopted by the senate in May. As a result, the newly elected senate gathered for an extraordinary meeting on 21 July to find a solution to the issue of naming academic units and make further amendments to the statutes.
The senate found a solution for naming academic units which considers the requests and needs of the units in the best possible way. Institutes, colleges and university institutions not affiliated to faculties will gather under the four larger domains as second-level units. The senate decided that the name of an institute may include the word “teaduskond” (faculty). The Senate is yet to decide on the establishment (including naming), reorganisation and termination of institutes, colleges and university establishments.
The senate adopted the new statutes of the university with its amendments for the second time with 17 votes in favour and two impartial votes.
“We used the additional time provided by the council’s veto to the maximum, and today, the senate agreed on a compromise that emerged from the proposals of academic units. As such, it considers the interests of as many parties as possible. The adoption of the new statutes ends another stage of the reform initiated seven years ago. It is now possible to continue discussions on the formation of academic structures within the domains and drafting of the corresponding charters – in this, we are hoping to see active contribution of the academic units, as well,” said Volli Kalm, the Rector of the University of Tartu.
The council must approve the statutes adopted by the senate for the second time within 30 days. The statutes approved by the council take effect on 1 January 2016.
University structure (pdf, in Estonian) in the new Statutes (pdf, in Estonian) adopted by the Senate.