This is provided for in a Council of Ministers speech that is to be decided on Wednesday. The provisions of the University Act (UG) still do not apply to the new facility, which is scheduled to start operations in 2023/24 with a PhD program. Unlike previously, it is explicitly stated that students will become members of the ÖH.
The federal funds for the new institution, which is also referred to as a university in the draft law, will be awarded via a performance agreement (similar to the Institute of Science and Technology Austria/ISTA). For the construction steps in the years 2022 to 2023, however, she still needs the support of the University of Linz, which is to receive additional financial resources for this. In addition, it should be ensured that the future financing of the new university does not come from the university budgets regularly made available to the 22 public universities, but is budgeted separately. In the course of the assessment, the universities had voiced severe criticism because the expenses for the start-up phase were to come from the “ministerial reserve” of the regular university budget.
difference from other universities
Compared to the draft assessment, the principles and tasks of the university are to be expanded – for example with regard to the application of the principle of promoting women and gender equality or the principle of the participation of students. In addition, an advisory board will be set up, primarily for the development of research priorities and the range of courses, to which representatives of the universities and colleges in Linz or all other TUs in Austria as well as the Austrian Students’ Union (ÖH) belong.
The university is allowed to offer bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies as well as university courses. Unlike at the other universities, however, the legal relationships between students and the university should be of a private nature. The collective agreement for university employees does not apply to staff.
“There was a broad discussion process and the assessment process was taken very seriously. You can see that in the numerous changes that we have made,” said Education Minister Martin Polaschek (ÖVP) in a broadcast. The new law will create the “foundation for a new, innovative university”.
Source: Nachrichten
