Educational staff responsible for guidance

Article 7 of the University Student's Statute establishes information and vocational, academic and professional guidance among the common rights of university students. Public universities provide psycho-pedagogic and professional services which aim to optimise the process of adjustment to university life for students and their later access to the workforce, by offering them information, resources, aid and training.

Professionals working at university guidance services are usually the following:

• pedagogues, psychologists and/or educational psychologists;
• guidance and work placement technicians;
• economists, lawyers and sociologists;
• administrative and services personnel (PAS);
• interns.

The Statutes in each University define the professionals in charge of carrying out tasks related to health and psychological issues and occupational risk prevention. These personnel develop the planning for the prevention and healthcare of the staff and students, and are integrated, mainly, by doctors specialised in Work Medicine, psychologists, nurses and Advanced Technicians in Health and Safety.

Administrative and services personnel

The administrative and serveces workforce is foverned by the LOU modified by the LOMLOU, the Statues of each University and labour legislation and applicable collective agreements.

According to article 73 of the LOU modified by LOMLOU, there are administrative and service personnel made up of civil servants and labour personnel hired by the University, as well as civil servants belonging to the bodies and various levels of other public administrations. It is their responsibility:

• to support, assist and advise the academic authorities;
• to manage and supervise everything related to human resources, administrative organisation, financial affairs, information technology, archives, libraries, information and general services;
• any other administrative management process.

Their selection, regulated by article 75 of the LOU modified by the LOMLOU, is carried out through a competitive examination as established by the corresponding laws and statutes that are in force and taking into account the principles of equality, merit and ability.

The provision of posts is carried out throughout a system of competitive exams to which both the personnel working at the university and those working at other universities may take part. The provision of posts is defined in article 76 of the LOU modified by the LOMLOU.

University statutes establish the norms in order to ensure the provision of the existing vacancies, as well as the improvement and professional promotion of the personnel, in accordance to principles of publicity, equality, merit and capacity.

The Administrative and Services Personnel of universities is paid out of the universities’ budgets. Universities establish the remuneration system of civil servants, within the maximum limits determined by the Autonomous Community and the framework dictated by the State.

The rector of each university is the person responsible for taking decisions regarding the administrative situation and the disciplinary regime of civil servants belonging to the administrative and services bodies, with the exception of the separation of the service, which is agreed upon by the competent body according to the civil servants legislation.

Likewise, it is the rector who must apply the disciplinary regime when it comes to the contracted personnel.

Non-teaching staff

Non-teaching staff belonging to Private University Educational and Research Centres (non-profit entities) is regulated in the 13th state-wide collective bargaining agreement for university education and research centres are made up by the following categories:

• research personnel:
  • researcher: experienced doctor who directs research work and projects as a principal researcher;
  • collaborating researcher: doctor who collaborates with professors or researchers in carrying out research projects;
  • research assistant: graduate or undergraduate student who begins research by collaborating with researchers or collaborating researchers.
• Administrative and service personnel: it includes the following sub-groups:
  • Qualified personnel: higher degree (Graduate, Bachelor, Engineer, Higher Architect) and intermediate degree (Engineer or Technical Architect, Expert, Quantity Surveyor, Health Technical Assistant, Social Assistant, Social Graduate);
  • administrative staff:
    • administration: senior chief, first officer, second officer and assistant;
    • information and telecommunications technology (ICT) personnel: analyst, ICT technician and operator;
    • library staff: librarian-practitioner, qualified assistant librarian and library assistant;
  • service and trade personnel: general service manager, trade specialist technician, first and second drivers, first and second officers of auxiliary or laboratory trades, assistant of auxiliary or laboratory services, first and second assistants of general services and cleaning personnel.

Non-teaching staff in Private Universities, Private University Centres and Graduate Training Centres (profit-oriented entities) is regulated by article 9 of the Resolution of January 4, 2021, which modifies the VIII National Collective Agreement of private universities. Private University Centres and Post Graduate Training Centres are composed by the following categories:

• qualified staff: 3 or 5-year university degree holders, and technicians not in charge of teaching;
• research personnel: doctor in charge and director of a research project, and degree holder participating in a research project;
• management support personnel: IT advanced technician, technician in charge of orientation duties in university residences, employee with a university degree in charge of technical tasks in laboratories, advanced technician, employee in the IT department with a VT degree in IT cycles, administrative personnel or any other specialty, employee in charge of the functioning, handling and maintenance of the IT systems, and employee helping with any administration or maintenance duties and reporting to an expert employee;
• other staff: surveillance, support or maintenance personnel , and other similar personnel.