Article 1

Higher Education Institutions Representative Body

Czech Rectors Conference (hereinafter referred to as CRC) is a representative body of Czech Republic’s higher education institutions consisting of these institutions’ representatives by course of item 1b), chapter 92, of the Act no. 111/1998 on higher education institutions.

Article 2

Activities Aim

1. CRC associates representatives of public, private and state higher education institutions based in the Czech Republic, both university and non-university types, to coordinate their unified policy in the cardinal issues concerning the development of education, science, research and creative activities, and also higher education institutions and their students, academic staff and other employees.
2. CRC looks after the promotion of Czech Republic higher education institutions’ interests in public life and in contacts with government or nongovernment bodies in the Czech Republic, mostly with the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports or the Council of Higher Education Institutions. It maintains contacts with foreign Rectors Conferences and with international higher education organisations, particularly the European University Association (EUA).

Article 3

Membership

1. Any rector of a higher education institution deployed in the Czech Republic appointed by the President of the Czech Republic in compliance with paragraph 2, chapter 10 of the Act no. 111/1998 on higher education institutions may become a CRC member. In addition, a representative of a private higher education institution operating in the Czech Republic with Czech Republic state consent and whose powers equal to rector position (hereinafter referred to as “rector”) may also become a CRC member.
2. CRC membership of a rector who asks for CRC membership after his/her rector appointment at the higher education institution whose rector was a CRC member in the past comes into existence on the date when CRC Presidium discusses rector’s written statement expressing his/her will of becoming a CRC member and obliging CRC Statutes.
3. CRC membership of a rector appointed at the higher education institution whose rector was not a CRC member in the past is decided by secret vote of CRC Plenum. The secret vote is performed separately by each Chamber, while each member of the Chamber has one vote and votes in the Chamber B are converted to curial votes. The secret vote is valid if at least two thirds of all CRC members with the right to vote (see Article 6, paragraphs 6, 7) participate in voting. The rector becomes the CRC member if overall majority of all CRC members with the right to vote vote for his/her acceptance. Before CRC Plenum decision making, the rector of the higher education institution who is interested in joining the CRC will send a written statement to CRC Plenum, expressing his/her will of becoming a CRC member and obliging CRC Statutes, and if need be, will present additional information about the higher education institution, which CRC Presidium will request from him/her.
4. CRC membership and CRC meeting presence cannot be delegated to another person.
5. CRC membership terminates:
   1. by CRC member’s written notice to CRC Presidium of leaving CRC,
   2. by expiring member’s rector office term,
   3. if the higher education institution fails in payment its contribution to CRC operating cost as approved by CRC Plenum before the twelve months due date period expires.

Article 4

Official Bodies and Chambers

1. CRC official bodies are the following:
   1. Annual Assembly,
   2. Plenum,
   3. Presidium,
   4. President.
2. CRC Chambers are the following:
   1. A – Public and state higher education institutions rectors chamber,
   2. B – Private higher education institutions rectors chamber.

Article 5

Annual Assembly

1. CRC Annual Assembly primarily evaluates CRC activities, enables comments on the plans in the next period of time and discussion about the higher education cardinal issues with the representatives of political and public lives.
2. Annual Assembly meets in January or in February.
3. CRC Annual Assembly is summoned by CRC President who invites all CRC members.

Article 6

Plenum

1. CRC Plenum is the CRC body with the ultimate decision making authority. It is formed of all the members of Chamber A and Chamber B.
2. Plenum:
   1. approves and modifies CRC statutes,
   2. approves President’s activity reports,
   3. approves CRC budget,
   4. approves CRC operating cost payment rules,
   5. approves account inspectors’ report,
   6. elects and withdraws the President, Vice-Presidents and account inspectors,
   7. sets up working groups to assess and/or discuss other issues; experts who are not CRC members may be invited to join the working groups,
   8. delegates CRC representatives to national/international institutions or bodies,
   9. decides upon the venues and dates of Annual Assemblies and Plenum regular meetings.
3. Plenum regular meetings take place at least once in semester. Plenum extraordinary meeting may be summoned up by the President on his/her own initiative; he/she is obliged to summon it up within two weeks if requested in written by at least a quarter of the members.
4. Plenum is quorate if more than a half of its members with the right to vote are present to the meeting. A statement intended to be released requires approval by at least two thirds of present members authorised to vote. In any other case, a proposal is considered accepted if voted for by the overall majority of present members authorised to vote.
5. Voting at elections and withdrawals of the President or Vice-Presidents is done by ballot. In other cases it is public unless otherwise agreed by the Plenum.
6. The right to vote is given to rectors of public and state higher education institutions (Chamber A members) and private higher education institution rectors (Chamber B members) as curial vote holders. Each member of Chamber A shall have one vote. Each member of Chamber B shall have one curial vote if the number of Chamber B members is less than or equal to five. If the number of Chamber B members exceeds five, Chamber B shall have one curial vote above the number of five for every other even only commenced group of five rectors.
7. All the rectors present at the meeting have the right to vote. If the number of present Chamber B members is less than or equal to the number of curial votes of Chamber B in compliance with paragraph 6, each member of Chamber B shall have one curial vote. If the number of present Chamber B members is larger than the number of curial votes belonging to Chamber B, the total number of their votes shall be converted so that the result of the vote for the Chamber B will match the number of curial votes belonging to Chamber B. The converted number of votes shall be rounded to the appropriate number of full curial votes; in case of a tie for conversion to a curial vote, the vote of the Chairman of the Chamber B or, in his absence, the voice of a Chamber B member authorised by the Chairman is determinative, in case of secret vote, the tie shall be maintained and rounded down to full votes with one curial vote available for Chamber B being declared invalid.

Article 7

Presidium

1. Presidium consists of six members, particularly of:
   1. President,
   2. Vice-President for education,
   3. Vice-President for creative activities,
   4. Vice-President for economic and social affairs,
   5. Vice-President for public relations and foreign affairs,
   6. Vice-President for legislative and organisational affairs.
2. Each Chamber has to have at least one representative to the Presidium.
3. CRC Presidium is an executive body of Czech Republic higher education institutions representative body as in Act no. 111/1998 on higher education institutions representing CRC to all negotiations as mentioned in CRC Statutes Article 2.
   CRC Presidium:
   1. deals with current issues in all areas under CRC responsibility,
   2. acts on behalf of CRC and its Chambers in between Plenum meetings in urgent issues,
   3. meets for sessions at least twice per semester distributing Presidium session minutes to all CRC members via CRC Secretariat,
   4. provides for its members who act on behalf of the President, if necessary.
4. Presidium is quorate if more than a half of the members are present. A resolution passes if voted for by the overall majority of present members; President’s vote breaks equality, if any happens.
5. Vice-Presidents are elected from among CRC members for two-year office period beginning on 1 August and ending on 31 July. Elections take place in May or June. The election procedure shall be directed by the election regulations approved by the Plenum.
6. If the President or Vice-President positions become vacant, by-elections fill the vacancy (vacancies) for the rest of the office period.
7. CRC President/Vice-President positions may become vacant on the basis of a withdrawal by the CRC Plenum or of resignation from the position in the form of written notice.

Article 8

President

1. CRC President represents CRC towards external subjects. President primarily:
   1. acts on behalf of CRC in urgent matters in between Plenum/Presidium meetings,
   2. is responsible for CRC operation in between Plenum meetings,
   3. presents Presidium and President activity reports to the Plenum,
   4. summons up Annual Assembly, Plenum/Presidium meetings and is responsible for the accomplishment of their resolutions.
2. President is elected from among CRC members for two-year office period beginning on 1 August and ending on 31 July.
3. President elections take place in May or June. The election procedure shall be directed by the election regulations approved by the Plenum.

Article 9

Chambers

1. Each Chamber elects its President and Vice-Presidents in the number which is agreed by the Chamber in advance. The first Chamber meeting where the President and Vice-Presidents are elected is summoned by the CRC President.
2. Chamber meets at least once a year.
3. Chamber meetings are summoned up by the particular Chamber President who may use the support from CRC Secretariat.
4. Chamber meetings discuss and accept resolutions concerning the cardinal matters related to the Chamber activities aim.
5. Chamber meetings deal with the Chamber specific topics. With the Chamber President’s prior written consent, the meeting may be attended by other CRC Chamber members.
6. A Chamber is quorate if more than a half of its members are present. A resolution passes if voted for by the overall majority of present members.
7. Chamber resolutions are presented to the Presidium. If the Chamber is not satisfied with Presidium’s attitude towards Chamber’s requirement of releasing or applying in another way its resolution, the Presidium is obliged upon Chamber’s request to present the requirement to the Plenum without any delay; the latter is obliged to place the issue in agenda and propose a recommending opinion.

Article 10

Secretariat

1. CRC Secretariat is responsible for information, administration, organisation and archive activities.
2. CRC Secretariat is steered by and reports to the Vice-President for legislative and organisational affairs. He/she controls the CRC Secretary activity. He/she presents draft budgets to the Plenum and the CRC economic report to the account inspectors.
3. CRC Secretariat head is the CRC Secretary. The Secretary is appointed by the President upon Presidium’s proposal after a hearing before the Plenum and when countersigned by the Vice-President for legislative and organisational affairs.
4. The Secretary is responsible for meeting CRC budget and for the entrusted property.
5. CRC Secretariat produces the written materials for Annual Assembly, Plenum/Presidium meetings and takes minutes of their meetings, takes care of document distribution and does all CRC files work.
6. CRC Secretariat is seated within the host higher education institution as determined in Plenum resolution. The Secretary and all other Secretariat staff, if any, are employed by the host higher education institution. CRC operating cost including staff salaries are paid by CRC revenues bookkept separately in host higher education institution’s budget.

Article 11

Financial Management

1. CRC revenues come from higher education institutions’ contributions to CRC operating cost, grants and donation.
2. CRC financial management is done within host higher education institution’s book keeping separately. Each higher education institution pays the approved share of CRC operating cost in the form of pro forma invoice. Accounts are made by the host higher education institution based on the determined actual cost of CRC in the calendar year.
3. Persons authorised to approve CRC cost draw within the agreed budget are the President and the Vice-President for legislative and organisational affairs, and CRC Secretary for payments not exceeding CZK 10,000.
4. After a fiscal year ends, the Vice-President for legislative and operational affairs shall submit the annual financial report to the two account inspectors elected by the Plenum by the end of February of the following year. The inspectors present the Plenum their notice of revision at the earliest meeting.
5. Financial management details shall be arranged by the financial management regulations for the calendar year as stipulated in the agreement made by the CRC and the host higher education institution before 1 December every year.

Article 12

Legal Effect

These CRC Statutes come into effect on 10 April 2014.

In Zlín on 10 April 2014

Prof. MUDr. Tomáš Zima (m.p.)
CRC President

Dr. Ivan Barančík (m.p.)
CRC Vice-President for legislative and organisational affairs