Latvia
- Change of legal status of universities, leading to lifting of restrictions concerning surpluses and borrowing
- Establishment of a new national quality assurance agency in July 2015 and development of study field accreditation
- Restrictions set up by the State on salaries of administrative staff
Organisational autonomy: medium low
Universities must follow a series of regulations regarding their governance – an external authority confirms both the appointment and dismissal of the executive head, whose selection criteria are set in law. A maximum term of office is also prescribed. Universities are not permitted to include external members in their governing bodies. They can decide on their academic structures and create legal entities.
Financial autonomy: high
Internal allocation of funds received from the annual block grant is now up to the universities, and there is greater freedom to borrow funds and keep surpluses. Public universities may also own real estate, and now sell previously state-owned buildings with permission. Universities are able to decide on tuition fees for those students who do not have state-funded study places.
Academic autonomy: medium low
Universities decide on fee-paying student numbers. They co-regulate admission criteria at Bachelor level and are in control of admissions at Master level. There are multiple levels of accreditation, limitations on language of instruction, and constraints on the development of the content of the academic programmes.
Staffing autonomy: high
Universities can recruit and set salaries for their senior academic and administrative staff; however, minimum salaries are set by the state for academic staff and restrictions have been implemented nationally for administrative staff. Dismissals are subject to regular labour law and universities can promote senior administrative staff freely. Promotions for academic staff are constrained by the mandatory periodical re-opening of academic positions.
Organisational weighted 57% unweighted 56%
0% Selection procedure for the executive head
The selection of the executive head is validated by an external authority
This applies to 11 other countries: Brandenburg, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
75% Selection criteria for the executive head
The law states that the executive head must hold an academic position
40% Dismissal of the executive head
The dismissal is confirmed by an external authority and the procedure is stated in the law
This applies to 5 other countries: Brandenburg, Iceland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Spain
60% Term of office of the executive head
The maximum or range of length is stated in the law
57% External members in university governing bodies
Universities cannot decide as they cannot include external members
This applies to 2 other countries: Brandenburg, Poland
100% Capacity to decide on academic structures
Universities can decide on their academic structures without constraints
This applies to 19 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Lithuania, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
60% Capacity to create legal entities
Financial weighted 90% unweighted 93%
60% Length of public funding cycle
One year
100% Type of public funding
Block grant and there are no restrictions on the allocation of funding
This applies to 15 other countries: Brandenburg, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Hesse, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Ability to borrow money
Universities can borrow money without restrictions
100% Ability to keep surplus
Surplus can be kept without restrictions
This applies to 15 other countries: Austria, Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Hesse, Italy, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, United Kingdom
60% Ability to own buildings
Universities can sell their buildings with other types of restrictions
100% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Bachelor level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 3 other countries: Lithuania, Luxembourg, Serbia
100% Tuition fees for national/EU students at Master's level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 6 other countries: Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Serbia, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for national/EU students at doctoral level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 8 other countries: Croatia, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Bachelor level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 13 other countries: Croatia, Estonia, Flanders, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at Master's level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 13 other countries: Croatia, Estonia, Flanders, Hungary, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Sweden, United Kingdom
100% Tuition fees for non-EU students at doctoral level
Universities are free to set the level of tuition fees
This applies to 11 other countries: Croatia, Estonia, Flanders, Ireland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, United Kingdom
Staffing weighted 89% unweighted 89%
75% Recruitment procedures for senior academic staff
Other restrictions
100% Recruitment procedures for senior administrative staff
Recruitments are carried out freely by universities
This applies to 20 other countries: Austria, Brandenburg, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Salaries for senior academic staff
Universities can freely decide on staff salaries
This applies to 4 other countries: Estonia, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland
83% Salaries for senior administrative staff
100% Dismissal of senior academic staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
This applies to 8 other countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
100% Dismissal of senior administrative staff
There are no sector-specific regulations concerning dismissals (national labour regulations apply)
This applies to 11 other countries: Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Wallonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
57% Promotion procedures for senior academic staff
Promotions are only possible if there is a post at a higher level
This applies to 7 other countries: Brandenburg, Croatia, Wallonia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Portugal, Serbia
100% Promotion procedures for senior administrative staff
Universities can freely decide on promotion procedures
This applies to 13 other countries: Austria, Estonia, Finland, Flanders, Iceland, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Academic weighted 45% unweighted 50%
60% Overall student numbers
Universities decide on the number of fee-paying students while an external authority sets the number of state-funded study places
60% Admissions procedures at Bachelor level
Admission criteria are co-regulated by an external authority and universities
This applies to 11 other countries: Brandenburg, Croatia, Denmark, Hesse, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden
100% Admissions procedures at Master's level
Admission criteria are set by the university
This applies to 18 other countries: Brandenburg, Estonia, Finland, France, Hesse, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, United Kingdom
40% Introduction of programmes at Bachelor level
Other restrictions
40% Introduction of programmes at Master's level
Other restrictions
40% Introduction of programmes at doctoral level
Other restrictions
100% Termination of degree programmes
Universities can terminate degree programmes independently
This applies to 25 other countries: Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Flanders, France, Wallonia, Hesse, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, North Rhine-Westphalia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
50% Language of instruction at Bachelor level
The number of degree programmes/courses taught in a foreign language is limited by an external authority
This applies to one other country: Flanders
Universities can choose the language of instruction but will not receive public funding for foreign-language programmes
50% Language of instruction at Master's level
The number of degree programmes/courses taught in a foreign language is limited by an external authority
This applies to one other country: Flanders