The academic senate of Trenčín University of Alexander Dubcek (TnUAD) has voted to dismiss the university’s rector, Ivan Kneppo. The ballot came after a five-hour session of the senate held on Wednesday, November 28. In a secret vote, 20 members voted for Kneppo’s dismissal, while four voted against. Kneppo's associates claim that his dismissal is invalid.
"The reason for my proposal to dismiss the rector is the long-term problems between the Education Ministry and the university," said Pavol Lizák, a member of the senate, as quoted by the TASR newswire. Other reasons related to Kneppo's failure to ensure that the TnUAD receives the official status of a university after a review of existing universities by the Education Ministry, his disregarding of students' complaints and, most of all, the unlawful dismissal of Ján Vavro from the post of dean of Industrial Technology Faculty (FPT) in Púchov, said Lizák.
The dispute between Kneppo and the FPT broke out earlier this autumn over what both leading figures and students at FPT claimed was the unlawful removal of Vavro by Kneppo. The conflict escalated in October when the FPT website was shut down and students from FPT barricaded themselves inside the faculty building. Education Minister Dušan Čaplovič also became involved in the case, and eventually backed Vavro. Kneppo defied Čaplovič's call to reinstall Vavro, however, after which the minister announced that Kneppo could be removed.
Source: TASR
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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