Acting Rector of Ivane Javakhishvili Tbilisi State University (TSU),
Darejan Tvaltvadze met with the representatives of student movement Auditorium 115 on May 5. The Acting Rector spoke about elections of the new Academic Council. She noted that the term of the incumbent Academic Council will expire on May 15. Former TSU Rector, Academician Vladimer Papava set the elections of new Academic Council for May 11. At the first stage, 14 members will be elected, two representatives from each faculty. As soon as the amendments are made to the university’s statutes and these amendments are approved by the Ministry of Education and Science, the Academic Council will be further expanded and it will include representatives of the faculties and scientific research institutes. “New Rector should be elected by fully composed, new Academic Council. This will mark the end of a transition, crisis period for the university. It is desirable if this period ends before the beginning of the new academic year,” Acting Rector Darejan Tvaltvadze said.
During the meeting Darejan Tvaltvadze also spoke about the Chancellor’s elections, quantitative compliance of the new Academic Council and Senate, expressed support to student protests against the planned construction near the TSU Maglivi Building and student dormitory; she noted that TSU will try to raise funds for rehabilitation of two student dormitories in Bagebi. But until then, the university administration plans to conduct necessary repair works.
The Acting Rector answered students’ questions, including about minimum scientific standards, payroll rules for professors, etc. “We discussed those issues, which are topical at TSU and which are interesting for students and professors. We discussed a lot of interesting issues – from elections to improvement of the quality of instruction. The meeting was very interesting for me and I think that it was fruitful for the students as well. I hope that this meeting will not be last and we will meet again to discuss the problems facing the university,” Darejan Tvaltvadze said after the meeting.
“The meeting was held in a constructive atmosphere; we agreed to continue similar meetings. We are ready to cooperate and so is the Acting Rector. We spoke about the Academic Council elections; we expressed our complaints about the rules of its election, number of its members. We called on the Acting Rector not to run for Rector’s elections not because we have some personal disagreement with her, but because we are against the faulty tendency established at TSU, when Acting Rectors automatically become Rectors. We want an end to this rule. We are ready to meet in any format because a lot of issues still remain unsolved,” Tornike Shevardnadze of Auditorium 115 said.
