AJ-1-Studying-at-university

1) STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees at all levels (bachelor, master and doctorate) in a variety of subjects.

The usual practice in the United States today is to use university in the official names of institutions made up of several faculties or schools and granting a range of higher degrees, while college is used in the official names of smaller institutions only granting bachelor’s or associate’s degrees.

Charles University is the oldest University in the Middle-Eastern part of Europe. The University was founded in 1348 by Bohemian King and Roman Emperor Charles IV. In origin it consisted of 4 faculties of free arts, medicine, law and theology. At present time Charles University is a self-governing institution, consisting of the central University and seventeen relatively independent Faculties. Faculty of Physical Education and Sport is the youngest faculty of Charles University.

ACADEMIC STAFF

The highest academic official of the university is the Rector. This title is used widely in universities across Europe. However, a notable exception to this terminology is England, where universities are traditionally headed by a Chancellor. This designation is followed in the Commonwealth and other countries under Anglo-Saxon influence with the exception of USA, where universities are headed by their President. In European and Canadian universities, the person at the head of the faculty is referred as the Dean. The Dean reports directly to the rector, president or chancellor. The Dean has the dual role of making independent judgments on total University matters and representing the particular Faculty's policies and points of view. There are also Associate Deans (Vice-Deans) responsible to the Dean for particular administrative functions such as the Vice-Dean of study affairs, foreign affairs, science and research, or development. The Vice-Deans are members of the Dean’s advisory board.

Below deans in the administrative hierarchy are heads of individual academic departments and of individual administrative departments from maintenance to libraries to registrars of records. These heads (commonly styled "chairs") then supervise the staff of their individual departments.

Professor is an extremely prestigious and high ranking position. Professors at all European universities are promoted primarily on the basis of their research achievements. The title of "Professor" is reserved in correspondence to full professors only, lecturers and readers are properly addressed by their academic qualification.

In order to hold the rank of Associate Professor (Reader) within the Central European system, it is generally necessary to have attained the Habilitation. It is thus a qualification at a higher level than the Ph.D. degree. The Habilitation is awarded after a public lecture, to be held after the thesis has been accepted. Habilitation Thesis is a post-doctoral thesis produced for the purpose of demonstrating further competence in the research area covered.