The Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Fernando Alexandre, announced that Jorge Ventura has been appointed as the interim rector of UTAD in Vila Real. The institution is facing a severe institutional crisis due to the vacancy of the rector’s position and the inability of the General Council to function, jeopardizing the institution’s regular operations, a situation that cannot be resolved within its current autonomy framework.
This is a temporary appointment, effective until the General Council is reconstituted and the rector elected and inaugurated.
Previous rector, Emídio Gomes, resigned last week to become president of Metro do Porto.
Gomes had already decided not to run for a second term, but an impasse in the General Council’s composition has prevented the election of the next rector since March.
“Given the impossibility of resolving this deadlock and following the hearing of the Higher Education Coordinating Council (CCES), an exceptional, time-limited intervention is necessary, respecting UTAD’s cultural, scientific, and educational autonomy, solely to ensure the continuity of university governance until normal institutional operations are restored,” stated the Ministry of Education’s release.
Under Articles 150 and 152 of the Legal Framework for Higher Education Institutions (RJIES), the Minister of Education, Science and Innovation decided to appoint Jorge Ventura as UTAD’s interim rector. Ventura’s role is limited to necessary management to ensure the university’s regular operations and to refrain from acts that could affect future governance.
In severe institutional crises that cannot be resolved through institutional autonomy, the Government, upon the Minister of Education’s substantiated order and after consulting the CCES, can adopt appropriate, exceptional, and temporary measures to ensure governance continuity.
The appointment order has been sent for publication in the Official Gazette.
The composition of the General Council, the body responsible for electing the rector, is incomplete because, in March, the court contested the vote by show of hands and the interim president’s tiebreaking vote, leading to legal challenges.
Last week, the Northern Central Administrative Court rejected the voting method used and mandated reopening the co-optation procedure by secret ballot and absolute majority decision of the elected councilors, in accordance with the General Council’s internal regulations.
