The Council of Higher Education Institutions of the Czech Republic consists of members of academic communities (including academic staff members and students) of higher education institutions (university type as well as non-university type), delegated by their representative academic bodies, such as the academic senates.

In general, as it is expressed in the Act, the Minister and the representatives of higher education institutions (the Council of Higher Education Institutions and Czech Rectors Conference) discuss proposals and measures that have a significant impact on higher education institutions.

Pursuant to the Act, the Council of Higher Education Institutions and Czech Rectors Conference, as the representatives of higher education institutions, submit recommendations regarding the composition of the Accreditation Commission to the Minister.

The general remit of the Council of Higher Education Institutions (hereinafter referred to as the "Council of HEIs") is defined as its dealing with the development, financial security, legal regulations, activities, organization and managing of higher education institutions and principal matters concerning development, functioning and interests of higher education institutions and their academic staff members, students and employees; the Council of HEIs issues its viewpoints and recommendations to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, and to other bodies. Therefore, through the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, the Council of HEIs is a partner of the government of the Czech Republic, dealing with matters concerning the policy of the state administration in higher education.

In view of the objectives of its activities, the Council of HEIs:

• the preparation, creation and specification of state budgets for higher education institutions,
• acts and other statutory instruments concerning higher education institutions,
• the establishment (merger, splitting or disestablishment) of higher education institutions,
• the organization and composition of the Accreditation Commission and establishment of advisory bodies with their activities related to higher education institutions,
• establishment or disestablishment of institutes controlled by the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports, with activities related to higher education .

• higher education institutions and their academic bodies,
• the Czech Rectors Conference,
• the government bodies which concern research and development, or human sources,
• the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic,
• the Accreditation Commission,
• the Centre for Higher Education Studies, and with other scientific, research and special bodies and institutes related to concerns of the Council of HEIs,
• grant agencies and with agencies governing international programmes related to higher education institutions,
• the Universities Trade Union,
• other professional bodies such as those representing teachers, students and employees of higher education institutions.

Members of the Council of HEIs are representatives of the academic community of a higher education institution, and they are elected for a three-year term by the academic community of the institution in question.

Authorities of the Council of HEIs are: Chairs and Vice-Chairs of the Council of HEIs and of its bodies. The Chair is a person representing the body. He/she is responsible for perfoming those activities which are necessary for the permanent functioning of the body during the periods between sessions, and his/her duty is to inform the body on activities and decisions he/she has made. The Vice-Chair represents the Chair during his/her absence with plenary powers, or within restricted delegated ones.

The bodies of the Council of HEIs are:

• Assembly, presidium and subpresidium,
• Chair and Vice – Chairs of the Council of HEIs,
• consultative expert bodies (fixed working committees and ad-hoc constituted working groups),
• The Student Chamber,
• The Agency of the Council of HEIs.

The assembly, as the supreme body of the Council of HEIs, approves the programme and the Statute of the Council of HEIs for the next three-year period; the assembly issues standpoints and recommendations regarding general activities. The assembly performs the election of the Chair, and Vice-Chairs on Chair’s proposals, all by ballot. The regular assembly meetings are held at least three times a year, usually in the auditorium in Carolinum, the residence of Charles University in Prague.

The presidium of the Council of HEIs consists of representatives of single higher education institutions, any of them with one deputy member; further members of the presidium are the Chair and two Vice-Chair of the Student Chamber and also two members of the Student Chamber delegated by this body. The presidium is responsible for performing all activities in the scope of the Council of HEIs, outside of those belonging to the assembly. In particular, the presidium prepares assembly sessions, approves activities programme for a period of an academic year and approves the budget of the Council of HEIs and management of the budget. Due to preliminary schedules, the sessions of the presidium take place once a month, usually in Carolinum.

The subpresidium consists of the Chair and Vice – Chairs; its task is to prepare presidium sessions. As a rule, there are four Vice – Chairs, and one of them is a member of the Student Chamber; in particular, he/she is responsible for the coordination of Student Chamber‘s activities.

Consultative expert bodies of the Council are: (1) permanent working committees, or (2) special working groups assembled for temporary purposes. The scope of activities of the permanent working committees, treated as priorities in a time period, are declared by the presidium. As a rule, the Chair and the Vice-Chair of any committee are nominated by the presidium members. Any member of the Council of HEIs is supposed to participate in the work of at most two working committees. Here is the list of 14 working committees:

1. Committee for legislature
2. Committee for higher education institutions quality and its assessment
3. Committee for economics
4. Committee for education activity
5. Committee for students creative activity
6. Committee for scientific activity
7. Committee for information technologies in higher education
8. Committee for education of teachers
9. Committee for higher education art institutions
10. Committee for military and police higher education institutions
11. Committee for external and international relations
12. Committee for private higher education institutions
13. Committee of Chairs of academic senates
14. Committee for strategy and development

The Student Chamber is active especially in substantial matters concerning different aspects of students life, students matters in general, and study conditions. As per the Statute of the Council of HEIs; however, the Student Chamber deals under its own rules of organization, and the Student Chamber is authorized to create its own committees as advisory bodies.

The Agency of the Council of HEIs is the service organization for the Council of HEIs. Formally, it is a component of Charles University; thus, working under autonomous rules, the Agency provides the very important organization, communication and administrative support to activities provided by the Council of HEIs.

One of the central aspects of the Council of HEIs agenda is to facilitate communication between its members with greater effectiveness using electronic media, for example in the sparing of documents.

Further information on bodies of the Council of HEIs and their individual structure, the list of members of the Council of HEIs as delegated by higher education institutions, the current news, the programme and documents prepared for the next session, or other documents prepared, issued, or published, and on the Agency of the Council of HEIs itself, could be found (in Czech) on: www.radavs.cz