Act of 3 July 2018. Law on Higher Education and Science, the Statute of the University of Lodz and the Rules and Regulations of the University Council constitute the legal basis of the University of Lodz Council activities. The council's seat remains the premises in the Biedermann’s Palace building of the University of Lodz.
Introduction
The composition of the University Council in 2022 was as follows: Chairperson – Dr hab. Ewa Kołodziejczyk, Professor at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences. Members elected from among the university community: mgr Anna Felisiak, Dr hab. Grzegorz Michalski, Associate Professor; Prof. Dr hab. Marcin Palusiak. Members elected from outside the university community: Rajmund Martyniuk, M.D., mgr Sławomir Fijałkowski and Grzegorz Gwarda – Chairperson of the University of Lodz Students’ Government Council (from 15 November 2021 to December 2022). The Council's secretary office is run by Agnieszka Zgondek and Justyna Meksa.
Scope of the University Council's activities
In order to fulfil its statutory tasks in 2022, the University Council held regular standing meetings, 10 of which took place in the reporting year, each minuted. One of the meetings was held at the University of Lodz Environmental Field Research Station in Spała (14 September 2022), which allowed for a tour of the facility, an assessment of its modernised infrastructure and scientific and research potential.
In 2022, the University Council passed 24 resolutions, adopted unanimously as a result of insightful discussions that enabled a unified position to be reached on the issues on the agenda. Exercising the prerogatives listed in Article 18(1) of the Act of 20 July 2018. The Law on Higher Education and Science and § 11 Chapter II of the Statute of the University of Lodz, during the subsequent meetings the council proceeded with the following issues: giving its opinion on the amendments to the Statute of the University of Lodz; monitoring financial management of the university by: approving the report on the implementation of the material and financial plan for 2021, approving the financial report for 2021, giving an opinion on the material and financial plan of the University of Lodz for 2022 and its adjustments, and giving an opinion on the material and financial plan of the University of Lodz for 2023.
As part of its monitoring of the university's governance, the University Council formulated a position on the University of Lodz acceptance of a property in Tomaszów Mazowiecki as a donation from a local government unit. In addition, the council noted with approval the information on the implementation of the Strategy of the University of Lodz in 2021 provided by the Rector of the University of Lodz, Prof. Dr hab. Elżbieta Żądzińska. Following the action plan adopted at the beginning of the term, the council held meetings with those representing the university and responsible for areas of activity of interest to it.
In view of the outbreak of war in Ukraine and changes in macroeconomic conditions, while monitoring the financial management of the university, the council held meetings with the Chancellor of the University, mgr. Kamilla Szcześniak, the University of Lodz Rector's Representative for Economic Affairs, Prof. Grzegorz Urbanek, the Bursar of the University, Prof. Donat Kaluga to obtain information on:
- forms and extent of material assistance provided to the refugees
- the impact of inflation and the energy crisis on the university's current financial situation in relation to current and planned subsidy levels.
In this context, the council also held discussions with the University of Lodz Vice-Rector for External Relations, Dr hab. Agnieszka Kurczewska, on entrepreneurship development programmes at the university. In cooperation with the university authorities, the council analysed the university's performance in the evaluation of scientific disciplines against the backdrop of the university's development strategy and the human resources and staff appraisal policy serving it – this included deliberations with the participation of the Vice-rector for Research, Prof. Dr hab. Zbigniew Kmieciak, the Chancellor of the University of Lodz Kamilla Szcześniak and the Director of the Science Centre of the University of Lodz, mgr Katarzyna Kalska-Sochacka.
This topic was the subject of an in-depth discussion with the participation of the Rector, who provided the council with additional information on the formula of the Lodz Academic Agreement and the functioning of the University of Lodz in the UNIC alliance of European universities. The proposed amendments to the Statute of the University of Lodz were discussed with the Chairperson of the Statute Committee, Dr hab. Szymon Byczka, Associate Professor. Considering the momentous role of young academics in the implementation of the university's development strategy and for the future of the university in general, the University Council cooperated with both the University Doctoral Students' Government and the University's Young Scientists Development Council, inviting their representatives to participate in the deliberations.
This cooperation is important insofar as the Act – Law on Higher Education and Science does not provide for the participation of a representative of the doctoral students' government in the work of the University Council. The council amended the Rules and Regulations of the University Council to clarify the procedure for open voting on resolutions adopted by the body. Keen to exchange experiences and share good practices, the council has established contacts with the Boards of the Jagiellonian University, the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and the University of Silesia in Katowice.
The undertaken discussions resulted in, among other things, the adoption of an annual schedule of the council meetings and an initiative to undertake legal nature research at the University of Lodz on this body. In June this year. The Chairperson held a meeting with the Chairperson of the Jagiellonian University Council, Prof. Dr hab. Jacek Purchla and Rector of the Jagiellonian University, Prof. Dr hab. Jacek Popiel. The meeting was held at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow.
In order to strengthen the bond with the university community, members of the University Council participated in important events for the university, such as the Day of the University of Lodz, the inauguration of the academic year 2022/2023, the inauguration of the academic year 2022/2023 at the Faculty of Sociology and Economics, celebration of the National Education Committee, the 5th Doctoral Student Day at the University of Lodz and the Christmas Eve for doctoral students of the University of Lodz.
The Chairperson represented the council at the ceremony of awarding an honorary doctorate to the President of the European Council, Herman van Rompuy, the author's meeting of Prof. Dr hab. Jerzy Jarniewicz with Dr Maciej Świerkocki, the Rector's Lecture with the participation of Professor Svante Pääbo, the signing of the Lodz Academic Agreement, as well as the Christmas Eve concert with the participation of representatives of public universities from Lodz. At the invitation of the Director of the University of Lodz Library, Dr Tomasz Piestrzynski, the council members toured the library, familiarising themselves with its modern infrastructure and its most valuable book and cartographic collections. At the invitation of the Dean of the Faculty of Educational Sciences, Dr Alina Wróbel, Associate Professor, members of the council, together with the Chancellors of the University of Lodz: Kamilla Szcześniak and Jan Rydz, visited the new premises of the Institute of Psychology at the University of Lodz, which had just been handed over for use.
Summary
The principle of dialogue and mutual respect for decision-making autonomy in the cooperation between the Council and the Rector of the University of Lodz, the Vice-Rectors Board, the team of Chancellors, as well as other persons representing the university, providing substantive support to the Council, has made it possible to consolidate the standards and good practices developed in the course of the body's activities. The University Council would like to thank everyone for the second year of working together.
Chairperson of the University Council Dr Ewa Kołodziejczyk, Professor at the Institute of Literary Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences
and its members:
Anna Felisiak, Dr hab. Grzegorz Michalski, Associate Professor, Prof. Dr hab. Marcin Palusiak, Sławomir Fijałkowski, Rajmund Martyniuk, Grzegorz Gwarda