Hlavní stránka Info portálu ZČU

As Vice Dean for Strategy and Development, you have had the opportunity to significantly influence the running of the faculty in recent years—what specific projects or initiatives do you consider most beneficial, and how has this experience prepared you for the role of Dean?

In my role as Vice Dean, I was involved in a number of projects that provided me with valuable experience. For example, I worked on improving the quality assurance system of the faculty and the university, on stabilizing the conditions for employee evaluation, and on the development of doctoral studies. Thanks to my work on these projects, I gained a good overview of how the faculty and the university function. My previous position as Vice-Rector for Quality and Project Activities was also a great learning experience for me. But what I value most is the cooperation with colleagues across the faculty and the entire university—it has taught me to see things from different angles and to better understand the needs of the people who make up the university.

What motivated you to run for dean?

I was most motivated by the support shown by a number of members of the faculty's academic community, whom I greatly respect. In addition, I greatly appreciate the community of people at the faculty, because even though unpleasant issues have been and are sometimes discussed, the working atmosphere is, and I hope will continue to be, essentially consensual, and the faculty environment is largely friendly, both in the dean's office and in the faculty's academic senate. I also see this support as an appreciation of the work done so far by the entire faculty management, which I would like to continue in many ways.

What are the three main goals you would like to pursue first at FF UWB?

If I had to highlight some priority goals, it would be, first, to continue improving the conditions for fairer employee evaluation, second, to develop doctoral study programs, and third, to further international cooperation in all activities and support projects organized in collaboration with foreign partners. All the goals we have set out in the Strategic Plan of the Faculty of Arts at the University of West Bohemia for the period 2026-2030 are important and we must address them.

Does anthropology, which is your main field of study, influence the way you want to lead and develop the faculty?

Anthropology naturally influences my view of the world and what I consider important, how I act and communicate with people. The university is a community of often strong individuals, and individual departments and workplaces often have a specific "culture," unwritten customs, values, or parallel authorities that influence the actions and behavior of their members. Anthropology perhaps helps me to better recognize and sometimes understand these connections, which is important if you want to change something in a given environment. Perhaps this "under the surface" view of the world, which is inherent in the anthropological approach, and the understanding of behavior that seems irrational at first glance, is good preparation for anyone who wants to try to manage anything in a community such as a faculty or university. I believe I have already undergone long-term field research of the institution, consisting of participant observation and informal interviews, as well as several cultural shocks, and this experience could help me to take an equal, fair, and, above all, humane approach to all faculty employees.

In what direction would you like to deepen the faculty's external ties—for example, regional cooperation, international projects, or partnerships with the public sector?

The faculty's vision is for FF UWB in Pilsen to be a regionally anchored and internationally active institution that offers a free, safe, and inspiring environment; responds to the increasing dynamics of social change; and contributes to the formation of an open, responsible, and resilient society through its educational and research activities. I view this regional anchoring positively, as a characteristic of the faculty that is already evident from its location and as an opportunity to develop cooperation with partners from the public, non-profit, and private sectors, while also having a greater impact on our region. In my opinion, the international dimension is an essential part of all the faculty's activities, which, in particular, advances our thinking and shapes high-quality educational and creative activities. 

PhDr. Tereza Šlehoferová, Ph.D. (*1980) has held the position of Vice-Dean for Strategy and Development and Statutory Representative of the Dean at the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen since 2018. From 2015 to 2017, she served as Vice-Rector for Quality and Project Activities at the University of West Bohemia. Since 2007, she has been working at the Department of Anthropology at the Faculty of Arts of the University of West Bohemia. Her educational and creative activities focus on topics including food anthropology, political anthropology, applied anthropology, and the civil sector.