The shaping of the academic staff policy is within the competence of every higher education institution. The Law on Higher Education and Research stipulates that higher education institutions themselves have the right to determine their structure, the internal rules and procedures, the number of teachers, researchers, administration and other staff, their rights and responsibilities, remuneration conditions as well as professional requirements for the positions held in compliance with the laws and other legal acts in effect.

Minimum qualification requirements for the teaching staff positions, the procedures of organising competitions to fill these positions and the performance appraisal of the teaching and research staff are established by the Government.

In higher education, teachers and management staff are employees working under a contract of employment concluded with a higher education institution concerned. Remuneration for the work of teachers in higher education consists of position-based salaries and also allowances and extras. The amounts of the position-based salaries, allowances and extras are set by the employer or his/her authorised representative. Allowances and extras for the staff are set without exceeding the limits of funds approved to cover the estimated payroll costs for the study programmes of a particular institution of higher education and research during the academic year. 

The positions of the teaching staff members in higher education institutions are as follows: a professor, associate professor, lecturer and assistant. The minimum qualification requirements for the teaching staff positions, the procedures of organising competitions to fill these positions and the performance appraisal of the teaching and research staff are established by the Government.

Teachers in higher education are entitled to 56 calendar days of annual holidays, as established by the Government. Once in every five years, higher education institution teachers are entitled to a sabbatical leave not exceeding one year to do research and develop their scientific and educational qualifications. During this period, the teacher is paid his/her average salary.

Teachers in higher education are paid pensions in the same way as employees in other fields. Residents of the Republic of Lithuania who were awarded academic degrees and pedagogical titles or had them nostrified in Lithuania are entitled to a state pension of scientists.

Planning policy

The shaping of the academic staff policy is within the competence of every higher education institution. It is reflected in their strategic documents and reports. The Law on Higher Education and Research stipulates that determining the structure, the internal rules and procedures, the number of teachers, researchers, administration and other staff, their rights and responsibilities, remuneration conditions as well as professional requirements for the positions held, in compliance with the laws and other legal acts in effect, rests with higher education institutions themselves.

Lithuania has no national policy for planning the number of teachers in higher education.

Entry to the profession

In higher education institutions, the academic council sets the principles and criteria for recruiting the academic staff.

The minimum qualification requirements for the teaching staff positions are established inthe Law on Higher Education and Research:

1. A scientist or an established artist may hold the position of a professor. A scientist who holds the position of a professor must train scientists, teach students, conduct research and experimental (social, cultural) development and direct them, announce research results. An established artist who holds the position of a professor must train professional artists, teach students, participate in artistic activities and/or develop art research areas and direct them, announce research results.
2. A scientist or an established artist may hold the position of an associate professor. With the consent of the academic council, a person who has a considerable practical experience in the sphere of a specific subject (subjects) and a Master’s qualification degree or a higher education qualification equivalent to it may be accepted to the position of an associate professor in a college for a period of one year. A scientist who holds the position of an associate professor must teach students, conduct research and experimental (social, cultural) development, announces the results of this activity. An established artist who holds the position of an associate professor must train professional artists, teach students, participate in artistic activities.
3. A scientist or a person who has at least a Master’s qualification degree or a higher education degree equivalent to it may be a candidate for the position of a lecturer. A lecturer must teach students, perform methodological work.
4. A person who has at least a Master’s qualification degree or a higher education qualification equivalent to it may be a candidate for the position of an assistant. An assistant must direct practical training of students (practical work, practical trainings, placements, etc.), help in carrying out research and experimental (social, cultural) development work. The latter requirement shall not be mandatory to assistants of university art studies, as well as college assistants.

Persons shall be accepted to the positions of teachers and research workers of higher educationwith the exception of postdoctoral fellowship holders,visiting teachers and research workers, through an open competition for a five-year term of tenure. The procedure for organizing a competition to fill the positions of teachers and research workers of a higher education institution shall be laid down by the higher education institution.

Professional status

In higher education, teachers and management staff are employees working under a contract of employment concluded with a higher education institution concerned.

Salaries

Remuneration for the work of teachers in higher education consists of position-based salaries and also allowances and extras. The amounts of the position-based salaries, allowances and extras are set by the employer or his/her authorised representative. Allowances and extras for the staff are set without exceeding the limits of funds approved to cover the estimated payroll costs for the study programmes of a particular institution of higher education and research during the academic year.

Personal remuneration can be set, in compliance with the procedures established by the higher education and research institution, for invited foreign teaching staff. The obligatory annual number of teaching hours per full-time position is set by individual higher schools.

Working time and holidays

Academic years shall be divided into semesters and vacation periods.   The senate (academic council) of a higher education institution shall fix the beginning and end of academic years, semesters, and vacation periods. In summer, students must be provided with continuous vacations of at least one month’s duration.

Promotion, advancement

The positions of the teaching staff members in higher education institutions are as follows: a professor, associate professor, lecturer and assistant. The minimum qualification requirements for the teaching staff positions, the procedures of organising competitions to fill these positions and the performance appraisal of the teaching and research staff are established by the Law on Higher Education and Research.

Retirement and pensions

Teachers in higher education are paid pensions in the same way as employees in other fields. According to the Law on State Social Insurance Pensions an old age retirement pension consists of the basic part, which is the same for all beneficiaries with the required number of years of service, and the additional part which depends on the years of service (years of paying social security contributions) and the wages earned based on which the respective contributions to the social security fund were paid.

Since the 1^st of January 1995 and each year thereafter until the 1^st of January 2001 the retirement age increases: for women – four months per year, for men – two months per year. Since the 1^st of  January 2001 and since the 1^st of January each subsequent year the retirement age increases for women and men six months per year, until the retirement age reaches: for women - 60 years old and for men - 62 years and 6 months old. Since the 1^st of January 2012 and since the 1^st of January each subsequent year the retirement age increases: for women – four months per year, for men – two months per year, until the retirement age will reach 65 years old.

There is no specific document regulating statutory dismissal of educational staff once they have reached the official retirement age. According to the Labour Code, workers may retire upon mutual agreement.

Residents of the Republic of Lithuania who were awarded academic degrees and pedagogical titles or had them nostrified in Lithuania are entitled to a state pension of scientists.