Aix-Marseille University - Governance

Governance

Aix-Marseille University is governed by three councils: two of them (the council of studies and student life for the teaching side and the scientific council for research matters) have an advisory role, the third one (the administrative council) is the decision body under the direction of the President of the University. The President is elected for a 5-year period by the assembly of the three councils. The members of the councils are representatives of the students, the administrative staff, the faculty, or external personalities. The University statutes define the division into different schools or institutes. Each one of those, headed by a dean or a director, has its administrative council that decides on policy issues.

If the President of the University is the most important actor in defining the mission and the strategies of the University, he also has the necessary power to impulse or to sustain the projects that relate to these strategies. Before implementing these projects, they have to be accepted by the University Council and if necessary they have to be included in the planning processes.

There are two main planning processes in the definition of projects in the University that have to be followed in order to be financed or even authorised and accredited by the public (national and local) authorities.

The first process takes place every six years and involves the central government, the region as well as the University. It is devoted to major investment projects, for instance building a new school, a new campus, a new library, etc. It is a catalogue of projects and for each of them it defines the financial burden accepted by each partner in the contract.

The second process covers four years and has to be approved by the French Ministry of Education. In this process, the University sets its objectives at the pedagogical and research levels (new degrees, research projects).

This planning process is very important because the University is free to define its own strategy, to be approved by the decision makers. Each process generates an important brainstorming period at all levels of the University in order to identify and build new ideas, new needs, and opportunities, to prioritise them, after an analysis of strengths and weaknesses. Other choices can be made after each process is closed, but they are more difficult to implement because other sources of funding and other ways of authorisation must be found.