1. The Legal Status of the University

 

Article 1

1. Szent István University (hereinafter referred to as the "University"), as a state-run institution of higher education of the Republic of Hungary - within the framework of Act LXXX of 1993 on Higher Education, as amended (hereinafter referred to as the "Act"), the University Deed of Foundation and the Rules and Regulations (hereinafter referred to as the "Rules") - is a professionally and economically independent, self-governed legal entity, which has the right to provide university and college undergraduate, postgraduate and doctorate level training as defined by the Act in the designated professional and scientific fields and to grant the diplomas defined by the Act to those persons fulfilling the educational requirements. The University is entitled furthermore to perform higher-level professional education as defined by the Act and issue diplomas certifying completion of such studies.

2. The Seat of the University: Gödöllő
   Address: 2103 Gödöllő, Páter Károly utca 1
   Abbreviation: SZIE

3. The University seal: the seal of the Republic of Hungary surrounded by the words Szent István Egyetem, Gödöllő, and the seal of the University with the preceding text around it. The use of the seals is regulated by the University Council in accordance with the effective laws.

 

Article 2

The following are associated with the University:

1. on the basis of their public servant status, the educators, scientific researchers, professional employees, management, financial and other employees of the University;

2. on the basis of their student status, students participating in upper level professional education, college or university undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate level training;

3. students of Hungarian or foreign institutions of higher education participating on professional placements or in part-time training;

4. on the basis of their University activities:
   - University and college private teachers, titular university and college professors, lecturers and persons who have been granted titular educator titles by the legal predecessor institutions;
   - Visiting (guest) Hungarian and foreign university and college teachers and lecturers;
   - Hungarian and foreign professionals on study trips or performing scientific research work at the University for a fixed term,
   - persons participating in the general, graduate or retraining courses organized by the University, during the term of such courses.

5. on the basis of their University title:
   - honorary doctors of the University or its predecessor institutions;
   - persons to whom the University Council or the council of a legal predecessor institution granted or grants a title or award of acknowledgement, according to which the holder of the acknowledgement is associated with the University (college).

 

2. Responsibilities of the University

 

Article 3

1. The University performs its responsibilities in training high level professionals, preparing for intellectual life, the expansion and application of scientific knowledge and the supporting scientific research and consultancy in line with the Constitution of the Republic of Hungary, the provisions of the Act, the University's Deed of Foundation, these Rules and their Appendices.

2. Within its responsibilities defined in Section (1), the University:

(a) provides University and college level undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral training in:

- veterinary medicine, primarily: chemistry, biology, animal anatomy and animal histology, veterinary physiology, veterinary biochemistry, animal husbandry and foraging, laboratory animal science, microbiology, disease physiology, pathology, pharmacology and toxicology, parasitology, internal medicine, surgery, fish diseases, bee diseases, veterinary economics and management, veterinary ethics, animal hygiene, veterinary obstetrics and reproduction biology, pet illnesses, judicial veterinary medicine, epidemiology, animal health administration and food hygiene;

- agricultural science, primarily:general plant cultivation and animal husbandry, soil science, agrochemistry and agricultural water management, plant purification and plant genetics, plant cultivation and plant protection, foraging, animal husbandry and animal genetics, animal physiology and animal hygiene;

- a biological science, primarily:plant and animal biotechnology, chemistry and biochemistry, microbiology and ecology;

- technical science, primarily:general mechanical engineering, field mechanical engineering, agrarian energetics and environmental technology, architecture, civil engineering, urban planning and development, technical management, fire protection and avoidance of disasters, safety technology;

- horticultural science, specifically grape, fruit, vegetable, medicinalplant cultivation and floriculture, genetics and plant purification, horticultural plant science and plant physiology, plant protection, soil science and agrochemistry, nature protection, environment and ecology management, agrarian information technology, biotechnology;

- environmental science, primarily: management of the rural and regional environment, regional development, agrarian ecology and agrarian environmental protection, landscape conservation, settlement management, urban environmental protection, area development and settlement planning, nature protection, area information technology;

- economic science, primarily general agricultural economics, agribusiness, regional economics, corporate economics, plant economics, marketing, management, economics of commerce and finance, corporate management, tourism;

- the social sciences, specifically teacher-engineers and trainers, foreign language translators, teachers, social and educational workers, sociology and in the future, foreign language teacher training;

- zoology, primarily: chemistry, our natural assets, comparative animal organisms, histology, comparative biochemistry, zootaxonomy, plant organisms, plant systems and plant studies, population genetics, environmental management, evolution biology, paleo-zoology, plant physiology, molecular cell biology, ecology, behavioural biology, bio systematics, microbiology and immunology, zoonosics, comparative animal physiology, toxicology, plant ecology, the biology of nature protection, behavioural ecology, ecological methods, environmental classification, hydrobiology, soil zoology, plant protection animal studies, nature and animal protection law, game management, basics of hunting, game foraging, animal horticulture, microbiology, epidemiology,

- undergraduate college level majors: agrarian manager, agricultural engineer, safety technology engineer, architect, civil engineer, farming engineer, mechanical engineer, human resources manager, communications technical engineer, horticultural engineer, employment consultant, agricultural engineer, agricultural mechanical engineer, technical manager, urban planning engineer, fire protection engineer, corporate management, teacher, social teacher, librarian, cultural manager;

- graduate college level training: the University offers degrees defined by the training requirements of the permitted majors;

- undergraduate un iversity level majors: certified agrarian engineer, certified environment engineer; certified agricultural engineer, certified agricultural mechanical engineer, certified mechanical engineer; certified environment management agrarian engineer, veterinary medicine, applied zoology, certified engineer teacher and certified translator; and

- graduate university level training: the University offers degrees defined by the training requirements of the permitted majors;

- doctorate level training: the University is entitled to offer doctoral degrees and conduct the habilitation process in veterinary sciences, biology, economics and environmental science, plant cultivation and horticultural science, agricultural science and technical science.

(b) in accordance with the requirements and possibilities, on the basis of the provisions of the Act and the applicable Government Decree, the University may provide higher-level professional courses defined in the National Training Register and may issue a diploma certifying the professional degree,

(c) pursuant to Act CI of 2001 the University provides adult education;

(d) with the participation of university and college faculties and other organizational units involved in further education, the University provides retraining courses and issues the relevant diplomas,

(e) For a tuition fee, the University may organize courses in preparation for admission for students not admitted to institutions of higher education or for high school students and may issue a certificate of their successful completion,

(f) with the permission of the Minister of Education, the University may maintain primary school, vocational high school and vocational school training within the organization of the University in order to serve the purposes of teacher training, as well as technician training falling outside the scope of the school system,

(g) as one of the institutions of the higher education and agrarian science research network, the University performs basic, applied and development research in several sectors of veterinary medicine, animal health, agriculture, horticulture and rural development, giving priority to the following research areas in agriculture, horticulture, environmental science, architectural science, settlement science, agrarian technical science, social science and economics:
- agrarian and regional economics;
- animal health;
- biotechnology, a biochemistry and a microbiology;
- European studies, sociology and human resource management;
- food and fodder safeguarding;
- agribusiness;
- development of high priority quality assurance, technological and technical procedures;
- development of sustainable production technologies;
- environmental and landscape economics, regional development, environmental technology;
- field engineering, nutrition industry engineering, energetics and communal engineering;
- plant health;
- plant purification, plant cultivation, horticultural cultivation and animal husbandry;
- ecology, soil science, chemistry and water management;
- natural resources; settlement planning, area planning, settlement architecture,
- corporate economics, plant management, marketing and professional consulting.
- applied zoology,

(h) through the participation of its university and college faculties and educational and research units - taking account of the Act and other applicable laws, without violation of the provision of basic services - the University offers courses for a tuition fee or performs business activities as follows:
- higher level professional training in addition to the state-financed basic responsibilities;
- professional training outside the school system,
- training, research, development consultancy, services and other responsibilities for outside parties or clients;
- the veterinary, and agrarian science faculties of the University participate in activities for the prevention of plant and animal epidemics and the related development work; in addition to educational, research and consultancy activities, the clinics of the School of Veterinary Medicine also perform regular animal therapy in a businesslike manner;

(i) the Judicial Agricultural Expert Committee and the Veterinary Judicial Review Committee operating within the organization of the University, under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in accordance with the applicable laws and the operating guidelines of the committees - pursuant to the judgment of the relevant court - perform expert judicial reviews in the relevant areas.

(j) the National Game Management Database operates within the University's organization.

3 Appendix 1 of these Rules contains the list of qualifications that can be obtained from the University.

4 The University participates in foundations, associations, non-profit organizations and companies with the approval of the University Council, in accordance with the effective laws and on the basis of the required licenses.

 

Article 4

1. The qualifications and degrees that can be obtained at the University at the undergraduate and graduate levels are defined by the qualification requirements issued by the Government and the Minister of Education. The contents of doctoral training are defined by the accredited programs, while the terms of obtaining a doctorate are included in the University doctorate rules (Appendix 8).

2. The detailed educational and learning requirements of the various undergraduate and graduate level trainings and the detailed rules of the courses are set forth in the curricula, while the knowledge to be transplanted within the various subject matters is outlined in the course programmes.

3. Undergraduate, graduate and doctoral education is offered as full-time, part-time, correspondence, evening, and distance-learning education. The general language of teaching is Hungarian, but the University may educate foreign and Hungarian students in foreign languages as well under certain financial conditions and within a specific organizational framework. The University's curriculum and order of exams are determined by the University Curriculum and Exam Rules (Appendix 10).

4. The University habilitation process and rules are defined in the University Habilitation Rules (Appendix 7).

 

Article 5

1. The University ensures the freedom of scientific research to its teachers, researchers and students, supports the realization of its conditions, creates, and maintains and ensures access to the means for performing research. The University has separate rules on scientific research and the use of equipment and facilities assisting it.

2. The University shall formulate the organizational and economic framework and rules of its educational, research and development, consultancy, service provision, tuition fees and business activities.

3. The University's rules on "services offered for a tuition fee" and "business activities" shall be applicable to the services defined in Section (h) of Article 3 (2) of these Rules.

 

Article 6

1. The University realizes its responsibilities defined in Article 3 with the cooperation of the educators, scientific researchers, other public servants and students.

2. The University promotes the fulfilment of its educational and research responsibilities under the financial conditions defined in the annual budget and the other terms included in the University rules by giving in-kind and financial benefits, scholarships and through other means.

 

3. Management of the University

 

Article 7

1. The University is an independently managed budgetary organ with full power and authority, which has the following resources available for fulfilling its responsibilities defined in Articles 3 and 4 of these Rules:

   (a) funding from the central budget;
   (b) funding from other subsystems of the state budget;
   (c) fees of services used, fees paid by students, tuition fees;
   (d) revenues from basic and supplementary activities;
   (e) donation-type and other revenues as well as funding from foundations;
   (f) funding available from the treasury for this purpose, and within this, tangible and real property received or inherited by the University as contribution by foundations, donations, gifts (endowed assets)
   (g) training contributions;
   (h) applications for funding.

   The head of the faculty (dean, director), the person designated by them, or in the case of subsidies received through applications for grants, the theme leader, has full rights to dispose over the University's own assets.

2. The means and extent of the financing of the University's basic tasks shall be determined by applying the relevant provisions of the Act on funding of student, educational activities and facilities maintenance.

3. The University plans the financial resources for its operation and development as a part of the expenditures of the central budget. Financing from such resources, using such funds and reporting on their utilization shall be performed in line with the rules on central budgetary organs as defined in the applicable laws and decrees.

4. Organizational units that have their own funding framework and may dispose over funds as approved by the University Council are:

   a) Organizational units with faculty status:
   - School of Veterinary Medicine;
   - School of Economics and Social Sciences;
   - School of Mechanical Engineering;
   - School of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences;
   - College of the Teacher Training at Jászberény;
   - Ybl Miklós College of Architecture,

   b) Organizational units without faculty st1atus that manage themselves from transferred funding and their own revenues are the central administrative, economic and service units.

5. The dean/director of each faculty shall be responsible for the administration of the faculty and appropriate use of funds and they shall have discretionary power on all related issues.

6. The University may involve non-state investors for the creation of conditions required for the fulfilment of its responsibilities (especially in terms of education, research and dormitory services) under the conditions stipulated by the Government.

7. The University's Administrative Rules and Regulations regulate the administration of the University, its faculties and other organizational units.

 

4. Supervision of the University

 

Article 8

1. The state jurisdiction related to higher education shall be exercised over the University by the Parliament, the President of the Republic, the Government, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Education in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Hungary, the Act and the decrees on enforcement.

2. The Minister of Education shall be responsible for legal supervision of the University. Within their supervisory authority, the Minister shall review whether the University's organization, operation, decision-making processes and decisions comply with the laws. In the case of a violation of the laws, the Minister shall act in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

3. he Minister's supervisory authority does not extend to decisions leading to
   - a labour law dispute or a dispute related to public servant legal status,
   - a court or state administrative procedure as defined in the Act or a separate law.

4. The decisions of the Minister of Education brought within their authority defined in Section (1) above may be appealed in accordance with the relevant rules on the review of public administrative decisions.

 

Article 9

1. In relation to their sector, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development shall coordinate and - with the exceptions defined by separate law - finance the following activities performed within the institution of agrarian higher education:

   (a) sectoral research and development, except for research funded as defined in the Act;
   (b) consultancy assisting agriculture, practical training phases and their development;
   (c) prevention of plant and animal epidemics and related developments;
   (d) rural and regional development activities.

2. The coordination and financing defined in Section (1) above may not violate the University's educational and research autonomy. In the case of a violation of institutional autonomy, the relevant provisions of the Act must be applied.

3. The University - through its Rector - participates in the work of the Hungarian Rectors' Conference. If elected, the University's professors and researchers participate in the activities of the Higher Education and Research Council (FTT) and the Hungarian Accreditation Committee (MAB). The University Council delegates the representatives of the University to the FTT and the MAB.

 

5. University Titles and Awards

Article 10

1. The University Council, or if the Rules so provide, the competent faculty council by transferred authority, in accordance with the Act and other effective rules and the University Rules, may award the following titles to Hungarian or foreign persons participating in the educational and scientific research work of the University, or to persons with outstanding theoretical and practical achievements in the University's scientific areas, ex- and current professors and researchers of the University:

   (a) Doctor Honoris Causa (Honorary Doctor) :
   Hungarian and foreign professionals who have achieved outstanding theoretical and practical results

   (b) Professor Emeritus :
   ex-University and habilitated college teachers as defined in the Act

   (c) University private teacher:
   habilitated persons who are not employed by the University as public servants and scientific researchers employed by the University, in public servant status

   (d) College private teacher:
   persons not employed by the University as public servants, with a doctorate, if they comply with the terms included in the relevant University rules

   (e) Titular university teacher, titular university lecturer, titular college teacher and titular college lecturer (the relevant faculty council shall decide on granting titular university and college lecturer status by authority transferred by the University Council):
   persons not employed by the University as public servants who have demonstrated outstanding, nationwide acknowledged professional achievements and who assist the University, its faculties and departments, as well as development activities

   (f) Master teacher (the relevant faculty council by authority transferred by the University Council) :
   teachers of the University with public servant status who do not have a doctorate, in acknowledgement of their outstanding practical training

2. The following Rules shall govern the granting of the titles defined in Section (1) above:

   (a) for "honorary (honoris causa) doctor", university or college private teacher, titular university or college teacher or lecturer, "The University rules on granting and proposing university titles, state and university awards" (Appendix 6 of these Rules)

   (b) Appendix 6 of these Rules and "The University Professor Emeritus Rules" (Appendix 18 of these Rules) in the case of granting "Professor Emeritus" title

3. The relevant faculty council may grant a jubilee, gold, diamond, iron or ruby diploma to persons who have obtained a degree at one of the University's faculties or their legal predecessors 50, 60, 65, or 70 years ago respectively, and demonstrated conduct worthy of a public award during their life and thus contributed to improving the reputation of the University or the faculty. On the basis of individual discretion, the relevant faculty may grant a jubilee diploma to persons who were admitted to the faculty or its legal predecessor but obtained their diploma from a foreign institution under a Hungarian state scholarship and had their diploma accredited by such faculty or its legal successor. The terms and rules of granting jubilee diplomas shall be set forth in the rules of the various faculties.

4. Under the provisions of the Act on the Legal Status of Public Servants and the terms and procedures defined in the University Rules on granting titles, the University Council may award to public servants "University Chief Counsellor" and "University Counsellor", "University Chief Associate" and "University Associate" titles, while researchers may be awarded the "Institutional Senior" title. The rules applicable to granting such titles are included in Appendix 6 of these Rules.

5. The University Council and the faculty councils may establish various types of awards to acknowledge the activities of persons outside the University, professors, researchers and other university public servants and students (rings, medals, awards, etc.). The rules applicable to granting such awards are set forth in the foundation documents of the awards and Appendix 6 of these Rules, or in the case of faculty awards, the relevant faculty rules.

6. The rules on granting State awards are defined in Appendix 6 of these Rules.

7. The title of titular college teachers granted prior to the amendment of the Act by Act XXXVIII of 2003 (01.07.2003) shall be equivalent to the title of college private teacher.