Participation of Students in Administration of Colleges and Universities in Yugoslavia

Abstract

Under the law on higher education which has been in effect for some years, and still is at the date of this writing (November 1969) the participation of students in the administration of universities has been restricted to the membership of a limited number of students in governing bodies of these institutions, with no right to vote. Student representatives have been able to express their opinions on questions in which they are interested, and have taken part in discussions on these questions in the college assembly, the college council, and the university council. They have also participated in some of the committees of these councils and in the so-called council for the year-an assembly of teachers and student representatives for a certain academic year. However, decisions of these councils were made exclusively by votes of teachers and other staff members. The student riots in June 1968 at Belgrade University showed that the advisory character of the participation of students in the administration of universities is out of date, and that it satisfies neither the desires of students nor the requirements of the school. The question of the reform of the university, which had been raised previously by agencies of both school and state, obtained a fresh impulse and became urgent. It became apparent all of a sudden that everybody, teachers and students alike, are discontent with the situation at the university in relation to certain vital questions of which we shall mention only the most important ones: the methods of instruction, the state of science at the university, the methods by which society finances the university and, in general, the attitude of society towards the university, and the position of students in the educational process. The settlement of all these questions is an intricate process which, no matter how urgently demanded, will take some time. Numerous conditions, ranging from material questions up to the creation of an adequate atmosphere, must be fulfilled in advance. However, some of these questions have attracted such intense and widespread attention that people are insisting on their immediate solution. Time will tell to what degree it is possible to settle some of these problems without settling the entire set. The questions upon the solution of which people are most insistent involv-e the participation of students in the ad'ministration of universities. I will try to show in what direction