MINUTES OF THE 16TH MEETING OF THE ACADEMIC SENATE OF DAMU HELD ON 16 JUNE 2025

 

Present (without titles):

Doubravka Dostálová, Eliška Drbohlavová, Marta Ljubková, Hana Malaníková (online), David Mírek, Filip Novák, Karolina Plicková, Kateřina Štefková, Jiří Adámek (from 17:20)

Excused (without titles):

Roman Černík, Anastázie Dobrodinská, Cyril Janeček, Tomáš Pavelka

Guests present (without titles):

Daniela Jobertová (Dean), Tereza Došlová (Vice-Dean), Tomáš Langer (Vice-Dean), Adam Homolka (Secretary)

Number of senators present: 8
Simple majority of participating members: 5

Karolina Plicková, Chair of the Academic Senate of DAMU, opened the meeting by welcoming those present, introducing the meeting agenda, and inviting proposals for additional items. Compared to the announced agenda, T. Došlová requested that item no. 2 be moved to the first position, and F. Novák proposed the inclusion of item no. 3.

Updated agenda:

1. Approval of the admission requirements for bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at DAMU for the academic year 2026/2027 – presented by Vice-Dean T. Došlová

2. Approval of the Annual Report on Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024 – presented by the Dean of DAMU

3. Report on the Research of Opinions and Experiences of FAMU Students and Alumni – presented by Filip Novák

4. Miscellaneous

No further proposals were raised.

K. Plicková called for an acclamation vote on the agenda.

Vote on the agenda:

• In favor: 8

• Against: 0

• Abstained: 0

All senators present, including those attending online, expressed agreement with the proposed agenda.

1. Approval of Admission Requirements for Bachelor's and Master's Study Programs at DAMU for the Academic Year 2026/2027 – presented by Vice-Dean T. Došlová

Karolina Plicková invited the Vice-Dean of DAMU, Tereza Došlová, to present the Admission Requirements for Bachelor's and Master's Study Programs at DAMU for the academic year 2026/2027. The members of the Academic Senate of DAMU had received the materials in advance. For the academic community, the documents are available in the relevant folder [here].

The materials included:

1. Admission Requirements for Entrance Exams at DAMU 2026-27 (Czech version)

2. Admission Requirements for Entrance Exams at DAMU 2026-27 (English version)

Tereza Došlová stated that, compared to last year, only minor wording adjustments were made in the document for the Czech programs. Regarding the English-language programs, although full capacity is usually reached after the entrance exams, some students do not end up enrolling due to various complications in the visa process. The capacity of admitted students in English-language programs is set with consideration to the financial contributions these students bring to the study programs, which are then used to ensure the necessary functioning of the programs.

At the request of program guarantors, the capacity for each specialization within the Scenography programs has been increased by 1 student—from the original 8 to 10. In the MA DOT program, the capacity was increased from 6 to 8 students, to compensate for previous years when the program was not filled (due to visa issues or other reasons for not starting or completing the studies).

In connection with the amendment to the Higher Education Act, the appeal period has changed from the original 30 days to 15 days from the date of delivery of the decision.

The Admission Requirements now also include deadlines by which departments must submit the evaluation of results to the Study Department (these deadlines are indicated in parentheses next to the entrance exam dates). This deadline needs to be defined and communicated to applicants so that there is sufficient time to issue the decision on admission or rejection and to meet the deadlines stipulated by the Administrative Procedure Code.

Setting a deadline for evaluation not only informs applicants and helps ensure compliance with administrative regulations, but also serves as a guideline for organizing the work of the Study Department and as a clear time frame for the work of the admissions committee.

Discussion:

Karolina Plicková proposed incorporating into the Admission Requirements for Entrance Exams at DAMU for the Academic Year 2026/2027 the recommendation made by the Ombudsperson in Annex No. 11 of the Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024. The Ombudsperson recommends including in the entrance examination rules a declaration stating that DAMU welcomes applicants to all programs from various parts of society. This recommendation is based on the currently very low level of ethnic diversity among students.

"Although the admissions process is supposed to be open to everyone, the symbolic dimension of communication often affects who actually applies. A simple and sincere expression of openness to diverse applicants can help reduce perceived barriers and strengthen the confidence of people from underrepresented groups that they belong at DAMU," states the Ombudsperson (Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU 2024, Annex No. 11: Ombudsperson’s Activity Report 2024, p. 11).

The Dean responded that such a preamble could be published on the faculty website; however, she pointed out that the Admission Requirements document serves as an official document initiating the admission process as an administrative procedure under the Administrative Code, and such a declaration may not be appropriate there. T. Došlová expressed openness to the idea and said she would consider the proposal.

Hana Malaníková stated that she had only minor comments: regarding the wording on disability and the date of the open day. On behalf of KATAP, she also requested a postponement of the deadline for publishing admission results by approximately one week, as the originally proposed date had been set by mistake. She will discuss the matter further with T. Došlová.

Filip Novák inquired about how teachers are informed of applicants’ specific needs before the entrance exams. He asked whether any support is provided to teachers or applicants. T. Došlová responded that so far, no special support has been provided to teachers during the admissions process — support is currently available only during the course of study. However, she agreed that offering support already during admissions is a good suggestion.

David Mírek noted that at the Department of Authorial Creation (KP), individual needs of applicants are accommodated as necessary — typically, this means allowing more time to complete certain parts of the entrance exam.

The Dean added that another standard mechanism is allowing exams to be taken in smaller groups, though she noted this is used mainly at large universities where entrance exams involve large numbers of applicants taking tests simultaneously. At DAMU, the groups are already smaller and often organized in phases. She also mentioned plans to introduce training sessions for the development of pedagogical and psychological skills, including topics such as early adulthood psychology. These sessions will primarily target instructors in bachelor's programs. Tomáš Langer elaborated that the training is expected to begin in autumn 2025. He added that although the training is not specifically aimed at supporting students with special needs, it indicates a broader focus on the development of pedagogical competencies.

Marta Ljubková stated that at the Department of Alternative and Puppet Theatre (KALD), instructors are informed of any specific needs during the entrance exams — and emphasized that instructors especially need support during the study phase.

She also noted that the Admission Requirements for English-language programs differ significantly in terms of terminology across individual programs.

Some senators made minor comments and suggestions for edits, mostly involving corrections of a few typographical errors.

D. Jobertová added that the Admission Requirements define the professional criteria by which an applicant may become a member of the faculty's academic community, with all related academic rights and responsibilities, such as the right to vote or be elected, etc. It is important to recognize this symbolic aspect as well.

K. Plicková expressed appreciation for the thoroughness and quality of the document.

T. Došlová thanked the former Vice-Dean Michal Somoš for the well-prepared document from previous years, which now serves as a foundation, and she extended her thanks to the entire DAMU Study Department for their essential cooperation. She is currently refining and updating the document.

D. Jobertová added that she remembers a time when the admission requirements were formulated so loosely that they offered no clear guidance to either students or instructors, and it was possible to carry out almost anything under those conditions. She noted that over the past approximately eight years, there has been a gradual shift from this vague regime toward a rational and clear parameterization that considers both quantitative and qualitative needs.

T. Došlová concluded that precisely defining requirements within accreditation files is also fundamental.

The Senate then proceeded to vote on the resolution.

Resolution: The Academic Senate of DAMU approves the Admission Requirements for Bachelor's and Master's Study Programs for the Academic Year 2026/2027, incorporating minor comments and proposed amendments.

• In favor: 8

• Against: 0

• Abstained: 0

2. Approval of the Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024 – presented by the Dean of DAMU

K. Plicková invited the Dean of DAMU, Secretary A. Homolka, Vice-Dean T. Došlová, and Vice-Dean T. Langer to present the Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024. Members of the Academic Senate had received the materials in advance. For the academic community, the documents are available in the relevant folder [here].

The documents included:

1. Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024

2. Annex No. 1 – Overview of Teaching Loads at DAMU

3. Annex No. 2 – Financial Management of the DAMU Library 2024

4. Annex No. 3 – Institutional Research Plan of DAMU 2024

5. Annex No. 4 – Results of the Internal Competition 2024

6. Annex No. 5 – Results of the Interfaculty Competition

7. Annex No. 6 – Results of the SGS (Student Grant Competition) for 2024

8. Annex No. 7 – RIV Results for 2024

9. Annex No. 8 – List of Domestic and International Visiting Lecturers

10. Annex No. 9 – Summary Report on the Evaluation of Educational Activities at DAMU 2023–2024

11. Annex No. 10 – DAMU Website

12. Annex No. 11 – Final Report on the Activities of the DAMU Ombudsperson 2024

Dean Daniela Jobertová stated that the 2024 Annual Report was written by the current faculty leadership, but the text reflects the work of the previous team, which led the faculty until March of this year. She thanked the colleagues who contributed supporting materials. Vice-Dean Tomáš Langer coordinated the preparation of the entire document. At 16:49, Tereza Došlová said goodbye and left the meeting.

Jobertová continued by noting that the faculty leadership based the document on a structure familiar to the Senate. However, in the autumn, the leadership would like to discuss with the Senate whether this scope remains appropriate and whether the structure could be revised to make it more systematic and understandable. She added that, for the 2024 report, and in agreement with the Chair of the DAMU Senate, one annex was omitted—specifically, the list of teaching staff members' involvement in professional bodies—due to potential concerns around GDPR. The attendees agreed to initiate a discussion on the Annual Report format at the Senate session in autumn 2025.

The Dean also expressed thanks to the previous leadership team for handing over the school in good condition, and to everyone who contributed to the completion of the 2024 Annual Report.

At 16:58, Kateřina Štefková left the meeting. Seven senators remained present, and the Senate retained a quorum.

Secretary Adam Homolka gave a brief commentary on the economic section of the report. Hana Malaníková requested that the report be adjusted in the future to be more user-friendly. The Secretary responded that he is already working in that direction and will continue to do so.

David Mírek remarked that it is difficult to write about what has already happened, as our main interest is naturally in what lies ahead. He emphasized the importance of asking what the annual report should truly serve.

At 17:00, Secretary A. Homolka said goodbye and left the meeting.

T. Langer agreed that the current sequence of steps is not ideal: it would make more sense to approve the annual report and financial report before approving the budget for the following year. He also pointed out that, for example, in the section with student statistics, time series have long been missing—making it impossible to track development and changes over time. Moving forward, there are plans to include more commentary in the report to provide context and interpretation of the data.

Discussion:

Karolina Plicková appreciated the fact that the faculty offers consulting support for student start-ups. She noted that this opportunity does not seem to be fully utilized by students and suggested increasing its promotion. Tereza Došlová and Eliška Drbohlavová agreed.

Given that doctoral students are currently affiliated with the Institute for the Theory of Stage Creation, Plicková inquired about the details of doctoral studies. Dean Jobertová responded that the faculty currently does not offer any doctoral program tied exclusively to a specific department – the leadership intends to discuss the structure and continuity of doctoral studies further.

Plicková also summarized that the Ombudsperson’s Report had already been discussed by the Senate during its session on February 18, 2025, and the minutes are available [here]. The final version of the report is now presented as part of the annual report's annexes, and it contains new recommendations from the Ombudsperson. The Senate had committed in February to pay attention to these recommendations and contribute to their implementation. The Chair therefore urged her colleagues to read the recommendations carefully.

Given the Senate's long-standing advocacy for improved conditions for international students, the Chair shared a positive development: the Ombudsperson held the very first English-language workshop for students enrolled in English programs or for those whose first language is neither Czech nor Slovak. The workshop focused on their experience of studying at the faculty. Filip Novák welcomed this initiative.

Novák also raised the topic of the DAMU Endowment Fund, noting that a grant application for funding for 2025 had been submitted in the autumn, but it appears the fund’s board meeting will not take place until June 2025. The fund is responding with significant delays.

T. Langer responded that he is in contact with the fund’s manager, Jolana Dvořáková, and that unfortunately, it has been difficult to find a suitable date for the board meeting. As a result, the meeting will take place in September. Funding will still be available for projects that have already been implemented in the meantime.

Langer explained that while DAMU can support student projects financially and can also accept donations, it is unable to finance projects by alumni – hence the primary purpose of the Endowment Fund is to support graduates in their transition into professional practice. He is actively working on this concept and plans, together with the fund manager, to visit several venues where DAMU alumni projects could be presented and potential partnerships could be established through open calls. The process is underway.

At 17:20, Jiří Adámek arrived, bringing the number of senators present to 8.

David Mírek stated that he had no comments on the annexes to the annual report, as they lack continuity, commentary, and context. T. Langer replied that the report was prepared in the traditional format used by the faculty, but that it would be useful in the autumn to agree with the Senate on key priorities and then provide commentary and developments over time related to those areas.

Marta Ljubková commented on Annex No. 3, the Research Plan. She noted that each institute "speaks a different language" and that the reports are highly disparate. It would be useful to explore whether institutes overlap in their activities or how they are linked to teaching. This was not a comment on the text of the annual report itself, but rather a proposal for an evaluation of the institutes and their activities.

Dean Daniela Jobertová responded that she and Vice-Dean Lukáš Jiřička had attended a meeting with the International Evaluation Panel in the context of ongoing evaluation of research at AMU. There was a lively discussion about the role and purpose of institutes. From the panel's questions, it was clear that the research structure at DAMU is not entirely understandable to the International Evaluation Panel, and that it is necessary to develop a research strategy at the faculty level. The Dean also pointed out that in recent years, research activities have been increasingly emerging outside the institutes. The current faculty leadership will address this issue.

The Senate then proceeded to vote on the proposed resolution.

Resolution: The Academic Senate of DAMU approves the Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024 in the submitted form and appreciates the quality of its preparation.

• In favor: 8

• Against: 0

• Abstained: 0

3. Report on the Survey of Student and Alumni Opinions and Experiences at FAMU – presented by Filip Novák

K. Plicková invited Senator F. Novák to present the report on the document Survey of Student and Alumni Opinions and Experiences at FAMU. Members of the DAMU Academic Senate had received the material in advance. It is available to the academic community in the relevant folder [here].

The material included:

1. Results of the Sociological Survey at FAMU 2025

F. Novák presented the document, which he became familiar with during a recent session of the AMU Environmental Panel. It is the result of a survey conducted at FAMU last year as part of the NPO Green Deal. He considers it a relevant study focused on the experiences of students and alumni. However, he noted that it is unclear whether the sample is representative, as only 33% of students participated. He emphasized the importance of the final page, which contains summaries and evaluations of both positive and alarming issues. The results highlight problems such as time and financial constraints and indicate the types of services students are calling for. The Senate and FAMU leadership issued statements on the project. The survey also touched on Green Deal-related topics and climate support. F. Novák expressed a desire for a similar study to be conducted at DAMU.

Discussion:

D. Mírek asked what insights F. Novák believed the survey revealed. Novák replied that it revealed, for example, interest in more interdisciplinary courses, data on how well students manage financially, how many are enrolled in a second university, and how many are parents—information we currently lack, which in itself is telling.

H. Malaníková said she had attended a meeting of the NPO Green Deal FAMU team, where this survey was heavily discussed. She reported that a substantial number of FAMU representatives raised critical concerns about how the questions were formulated. She supports conducting a similar survey at DAMU but noted that these concerns should be taken into account.

F. Novák responded that despite the criticisms, the survey provides crucial insights into the living conditions of students and the types of support they need. He argued that the socio-economic situation is rapidly changing, and it’s important to understand where we currently stand. If funding could be secured, a similar survey at DAMU would be worthwhile.

E. Přichystalová mentioned that students recently received an email with similar questions from Klára Banotová (AMU). The Dean noted that this may be part of the Eurostudent survey.

K. Plicková said that if duplicate surveys are identified, they can certainly be taken into account. She suggested the possibility of revisiting this specific survey initiative in the future. She thanked F. Novák for presenting the document and its findings, and asked the senators to give the material proper attention.

4. Miscellaneous

T. Langer requested the floor. He reported that a series of meetings has been held regarding the use of Studio Ypsilon. For the second half of 2026, Director Karel František Tománek will submit a grant application to support the operation of a newly established non-profit institute. DAMU will be a partner in this initiative. The DAMU leadership has consulted with all departments to determine their needs and what they can afford. It is important to reach consensus on matters of co-production.

Ypsilonka could become one of the venues for implementing projects from the internal faculty competition. In the autumn of 2026, two “Diskovky” (graduation productions at DISK Theatre) will need to be relocated due to the renovation of DISK Theatre: one KČD “Diskovka”, including reprises, will take place at Ypsilonka; the KALD “Diskovka” is still under negotiation. There is also the potential to use the space for KČD semester exams, and part of the NADAMU faculty-wide festival might be hosted at Ypsilonka.

Eliška Drbohlavová asked whether there is currently a memorandum or a contractual agreement between DAMU and the new Ypsilonka. T. Langer responded that a general memorandum has been signed.

K. Plicková inquired about the name of the newly established registered institute – T. Langer replied that it is Studio YZ, z.ú.

David Mírek presented the composition of the board of trustees, whose members, in addition to himself, include Roman Černík, Petr Vršek, Petr Prokop, and Petr Skočdopole.

T. Langer shared a document titled Annex: Cooperation between DAMU and Studio YZ in 2026, which he described as the first concrete outcome of the collaboration.

D. Mírek outlined various models for how the situation might develop. He stated that the time has come to start thinking about a producer-oriented era and thanked the DAMU leadership for formalizing the agreement.

D. Jobertová thanked T. Langer for his work on the grant application materials and added that she had signed a similar “soft” memorandum with Michal Somoš, director of the Činoherní studio in Ústí nad Labem, who had expressed interest in offering internships to students. She stated her intention to continue building similar partnerships – the goal is to create a network of theatre partners for the faculty. The DAMU Endowment Fund could play a role in supporting alumni.

At 17:59, Cyril Janeček arrived.

The Chair of the DAMU Academic Senate thanked all those present for their collegial cooperation throughout the academic year and wished everyone a pleasant summer holiday. The dates of Senate sessions for the new academic year 2025/2026 will be set at the end of the summer break, with the next meeting planned for October 2025.

Annexes:

1. Annual Report on the Activities and Financial Management of DAMU for 2024

2. Annex No. 1 – Overview of Teaching Loads at DAMU

3. Annex No. 2 – Financial Management of the DAMU Library 2024

4. Annex No. 3 – Institutional Research Plan of DAMU 2024

5. Annex No. 4 – Results of the Internal Competition 2024

6. Annex No. 5 – Results of the Interfaculty Competition

7. Annex No. 6 – Results of the SGS (Student Grant Competition) for 2024

8. Annex No. 7 – RIV Results for 2024

9. Annex No. 8 – List of Domestic and International Visiting Lecturers

10. Annex No. 9 – Summary Report on the Evaluation of Educational Activities at DAMU 2023–2024

11. Annex No. 10 – DAMU Website

12. Annex No. 11 – Final Report on the Activities of the DAMU Ombudsperson 2024

13. Admission Requirements for Entrance Exams at DAMU 2026–27 (Czech version)

14. Admission Requirements for Entrance Exams at DAMU 2026–27 (English version)

15. Results of the Sociological Survey at FAMU 2025

Minutes recorded by:

Eliška Přichystalová and Karolina Plicková

Section 1 reviewed by: Tereza Došlová
Sections 1, 2, and 4 reviewed by: Daniela Jobertová

Approved by:
Karolina Plicková, Chair of the DAMU Academic Senate (signed)