Twenty-one professors from the university located in Vila Real have addressed a letter to the minister Fernando Alexandre, highlighting a situation of “instability and uncertainty” that may worsen due to the potential departure of rector Emídio Gomes, as the general council of UTAD is not fully operational.
Emídio Gomes may be elected as the new president of Metro do Porto during a General Assembly scheduled for September 29.
At UTAD, the election of a new rector is stalled due to a deadlock in the formation of the General Council, a process awaiting a decision from the Central Administrative Court North.
In February, elections for the General Council (which subsequently elects the rector) took place, but in March, the co-option of external figures was contested in court following doubts over whether the required absolute majority could be achieved not by secret ballot but by open voting, and with a tie-breaking vote cast by the interim president of that body.
A UTAD source indicated that the rector will not comment on the letter. Emídio Gomes previously stated he is waiting for the court’s decision.
The letter to the minister explains that, after news emerged about the rector’s potential move to Metro do Porto, Emídio Gomes was asked to “clarify the academic community regarding the implications of possibly accepting the position,” but no response has been given to date.
“The incomplete formation of the General Council of UTAD objectively prevents it from exercising its legally granted powers, specifically initiating the election process for a new rector in cases of vacancy, resignation, or permanent incapacity,” the signatories stated.
Furthermore, they note that “a potential departure of the current rector to the Executive Board of Metro do Porto would once again leave UTAD in a legal and institutional deadlock, compromising its governance and the stability necessary for its regular functioning.”
Hence, they believe the current rector “should not cease or suspend duties before the full constitution of the General Council of UTAD.”
“Minister, the autonomy of higher education institutions is a foundational principle enshrined in law, but it cannot be construed as a lack of action by oversight when the regular functioning of the institution is at stake, as derived from the current legal regime of higher education institutions. Therefore, we request that you, within the applicable legal framework, engage in this process to prevent UTAD from being further embroiled in institutional instability,” the letter states.
Meanwhile, Levi Leonido, a faculty member at UTAD part of the Citizen Audit Movement in Higher Education, has filed a request with the General Inspection of Education and Science (IGEC) to investigate and clarify the legality of resignation or temporary incapacity of the rector faced with an incompletely constituted General Council.
He noted, “the situation described poses a risk of statutory and institutional irregularities, thus IGEC’s intervention is essential to ensure legality, transparency, and good governance of the university.”
UTAD has approximately 450 professors and 7,700 students.
