Elected representation (16.2.1)

Széchenyi István University ensures inclusive and participatory governance through elected and delegated stakeholder representation in the Senate. According to the Organizational and Operational Regulations (SZMSZ – PDF), the Senate includes elected academic staff representatives from the faculties, one elected representative of non-academic staff, representatives delegated by the Student Self-Government (HÖK), one representative delegated by the Doctoral Student Self-Government (DÖK), and a representative of the recognized trade union („szakszervezet”) (Composition of the Senate, Section 38):

Under Section 37(1) of the Organizational and Operational Regulations (p. 48), the Senate is the University’s supreme decision-making body and the body that oversees the implementation of decisions.

Composition of the Senate

Section 38

  1. The Senate consists of voting members and permanent invitees with consultative rights.
  2. The distribution of the Senate’s voting members is as follows:
    1. The President of the Senate is the Rector, who is an ex officio member of the Senate.
    2. The Vice-President delegated by the President is an ex officio member of the Senate.
    3. b) Representation of academic staff: for each faculty, one elected faculty member for every commenced group of 40 full-time-equivalent teaching/research/academic staff members.
    4. Representation of non-teaching/non-research staff: one elected representative for the University as a whole.
    5. Representation of the representative trade union (FDSZ): one delegated representative.
    6. Representatives delegated by the Student’s Union (HÖK) and the Doctoral Students’ Union (DÖK).

The regulations also guarantee substantial student participation, allowing HÖK representatives to constitute between 20% and 25% of Senate membership when the required level of student electoral participation is achieved (Composition of the Senate, Section 38(8), p. 50). These provisions ensure that academic staff, non-academic employees, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and employee representatives participate in the governance and decision-making processes of the University’s highest governing body.