Miroslav Mečár, the former rector of Alexander Dubček University in Trenčín (TnUAD), announced at a press conference on December 9 that the university senate’s recent decision to remove him from his post is illegal and that he would fight it.
The Academic Senate of TnUAD dismissed Mečár from his post at an extraordinary session on Monday, December 7, after grave faults had surfaced about some practices at an external study programme at one of the university’s faculties. Mečár is refusing to recognise the ruling and intends to file a legal complaint against it. "I've held consultations with lawyers. The extraordinary session of the Academic Senate lacked any legal, substantive and procedural reasons; so we'll also file a lawsuit regarding the way that the senate's session proceeded," he said, adding that the conflict is about philosophy and not his post.
Education Minister Jan Mikolaj (a Slovak National Party (SNS) nominee) has said he is inclined to approve the rector's dismissal, but Mečár claims that this is because the minister has only one-sided information at his disposal. Three senators who saw their academic mandates challenged at the same time have also raised objections in writing to the Academic Senate's ruling.
The Education Ministry should decide within three days whether to comply with the proposal. Mikolaj added that the ministry's officials now have to find out whether the move is in accordance with the law.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
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