University Professor: Faculty of Serbian Studies in Nis Not Accredited, Created Through Seizure of Departments

Dean Natalija Jovanovic (BETAPHOTO/BILJANA LJUBISAVLJEVIC)

Former Nis Faculty of Philosophy dean Natalija Jovanovic said on Nov. 21 that the Faculty of Serbian Studies did not have the initial accreditation needed for it to start operating, and added that this was the first time an institution of higher education was formed "by seizing the curriculum of another faculty."

The Serbian government took a decision on Nov. 6 to form a new faculty in Nis, which would be created by taking the Department of History, Department of Serbian Language and Literature, and the Department of Russian Language and Literature out of the city's Faculty of Philosophy.

Professor Jovanovic told the Nova newspaper that the majority of her colleagues were against the government decision.

"The newly founded faculty stole one of my courses. I would rather burn it than teach there. It is an elective and all of us who have electives there can shut them down and then those courses will not be available to new generations (...) A few of my colleagues have already shut down their courses, so it is clear what the majority stance of professors on the matter is," said Jovanovic.

The decision on the forming of the new faculty was published in the Official Gazette on Nov. 7, and was signed by Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Sinisa Mali.

According to the decision, the University of Nis and the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Nis will harmonize their statutes and other general acts, organization and work with this decision within 90 days of its coming into force.

Slavisa Nedeljkovic, a tenured professor in the Department of History at the Nis Faculty of Philosophy, has been appointed acting dean of the Faculty of Serbian Studies.