Requirements for appointment

The President of the University

The president of the university is elected by an absolute majority of the members of the board of directors from among the teachers-researchers, researchers, professors or lecturers, associates or guests, or any other assimilated personnel, without condition of nationality. Its four-year term of office expires at the end of the term of office of the elected staff representatives on the Board of Directors. It is renewable once. In the event that the Chairperson ceases to hold office for any reason, a new Chairperson shall be elected for the remainder of his or her predecessor's term.

His/her functions are incompatible with those of an elected member of the academic council, of the director of a component, school or institute or of any other internal structure of the university and with those of an executive officer of any public scientific, cultural and professional establishment or of one of its components or internal structures.

The Secretary General of the University

The secretary general is appointed by the minister in charge of higher education on the proposal of the director or president of the institution, and is responsible for the management of the institution under the authority of the president or director. He/she participates in an advisory capacity in the board of directors and other administrative bodies of the institution.

The authorising officer

There are different categories of authorising officers:

• Chief Authorising Officer: the President or Director of the institution,
• Secondary authorising officers by right: the directors of the UFRs of medicine, pharmacy and odontology and the directors of the schools and institutes within the universities,
• Designated secondary authorising officers: the heads of components and common services may be designated as secondary authorising officers by the Chief Authorising Officer for the implementation of their own budget.

The authorising officer draws up the establishment's draft budget, supplemented by a draft management budget which presents the expenditure forecasts by destination in line with the missions and actions of the ministerial programmes to which the establishment is attached within the framework of the Organic Law on Finance Laws (LOLF). It executes the budget voted by the Board of Directors.

Conditions of service

The President of the University

The President is responsible for the management of the university. In this capacity :

• He chairs the Board of Directors and prepares and executes its deliberations. He prepares and implements the multi-annual contract of the institution;
• He represents the university in relation to third parties and in legal proceedings, concludes agreements and conventions;
• He is the authorising officer for the university's income and expenditure;
• He has authority over all the staff of the university;
• The President shall assign engineers, administrative, technical and service staff to the various departments of the university. No assignment of a staff member belonging to these categories of personnel may be pronounced if the president issues a reasoned unfavourable opinion, after consultation with representatives of these personnel under the conditions fixed by the statutes of the establishment.
• It appoints the various examination boards, unless a decision of the board of governors provides that the powers relating to the examination boards are exercised by the directors of the university's components;
• He is responsible for maintaining order and may call in the police under conditions laid down by decree of the Council of State;
• He is responsible for safety within the premises of his establishment and ensures that the recommendations of the health, safety and working conditions committee are followed up to ensure the safety of the staff and users in the premises;
• It exercises, on behalf of the university, the management and administrative powers which are not attributed to another authority by law or regulation;
• It ensures that the teaching and buildings are accessible to people with disabilities, students and staff of the university;
• It shall set up, on the joint proposal of the board of directors and the academic council, a 'gender equality' mission. Each year, it presents a report to the board of directors on the implementation of the multiannual action plan on gender equality. This report is transmitted, after approval by the board of directors, to the ministers in charge of higher education and research as well as to the High Council for the Evaluation of Research and Higher Education;
• Each year, the director shall present to the board of directors a report on the evolution of the professional situation of the persons to whom the university has awarded the national doctoral degree in the previous five years. This report shall be forwarded, after approval by the board of governors, to the ministers responsible for higher education and research and to the Haut Conseil de l'évaluation de la recherche et de l'enseignement supérieur.

The president is assisted by a bureau elected on his or her proposal, the composition of which is determined by the statutes of the institution.

The President may delegate his signature to agents placed under his authority. He may delegate part of his powers to agents placed under his authority who are appointed to exercise administrative, scientific or teaching responsibilities within the institution, a component or a research unit. These agents may delegate their signature to agents placed under their authority.

The president of the university is elected by an absolute majority of the elected members of the board of directors from among the research professors, directors, professors or lecturers, associates or guests or any other assimilated personnel, without condition of nationality.

According to Decree No. 84-431 of 6 June 1984, teacher-researchers who perform the duties of university president are automatically relieved of their teaching duties unless they wish to retain all or part of these duties. Moreover, the vice-presidents designated by the university statutes, up to a limit of two, benefit by right from the same teaching service discharge, unless they wish to retain all or part of this service.

According to Article L. 951-3 of the Education Code, the Minister in charge of Higher Education may delegate by decree to university presidents all or part of his powers in the field of recruitment and management of permanent, probationary or non-permanent staff working in higher education.