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At the second session of the newly elected Academic Senate of the Faculty of Health Care Studies, whose mandate began on January 1, 2025, the senators included an agenda item proposing the dismissal of the dean of the Faculty of Health Studies, Jan Baránek. On Tuesday, February 11, the required three-fifths majority of all senators voted in favor of the proposal. The chairman of the faculty senate will now present it to the rector of the University of West Bohemia, Miroslav Lávička.

The proponents of the proposal cited several reasons for the dismissal, including dissatisfaction with the faculty leadership’s communication with employees, the leadership’s approach to handling cases that have appeared in the media, personnel policy, and concerns regarding the long-term sustainability of study programs.

"I have never been notified of any specific shortcomings in my work, nor have I received any request for corrective action, which makes this proposal not only surprising but also incomprehensible. This situation is all the more concerning as the faculty is currently facing critical challenges in accreditation and is actively taking steps to meet the requirements of the National Accreditation Office. At this stage, the stability of the faculty is crucial," said Dean Jan Baránek regarding the proposal for his dismissal.

"Among other things, there was a sudden replacement of department heads without communication with the departments and the guarantors of study programs. The dean thereby jeopardized the faculty’s operations at a time when measures need to be taken to address deficiencies in the accreditation of study programs. According to our information, the dean’s advisory board has not been actively addressing this issue so far, and we now have only a few months left for corrective action," said one of the senators of the Academic Senate of the Faculty of Health Care Studies, Tomáš Votík.

The decision regarding the dean's dismissal and the reasons for it fall entirely within the competence of the faculty’s self-governance, represented by the academic senate. Upon receiving the proposal, the rector only assesses whether the legal procedures and due process have been followed or whether any arbitrary, abusive, or discriminatory actions have occurred. Other reasons are not subject to review under the Higher Education Act.

UPDATE 19. 2. 2025: Rector of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen Miroslav Lávička dismissed the Dean Jan Beránek at the proposal of the Academic Senate of the Faculty of Health Care Studies. Now the next steps are up to the senators, who will elect a new leadership. Until then, the faculty will be temporarily led by the current statutory deputy dean and vice-dean for research, strategy and creative activities Denis Mainz.