But it expected some of the autonomy in human resources

Autonomy, Act III. In January, is a new wave of 22 universities who will move to autonomy, in the Groove eighteen pioneer became independent on January 1, 2009, and the 33 this step here in January. In addition, also eight institutions of higher education such as the Ecole normale supérieure of Cachan or central schools of Nantes and Paris. From before 2012, deadline set by the law on freedoms and responsibilities of universities (LRU), 73 of 83 universities, 90 of them will therefore passed to autonomy.

A they now, the vesting of their payroll and human resources, as well as their overall budget management. For 73 autonomous universities, the transferred payroll rises to nearly EUR 7 billion and will represent nearly 124,000 jobs. Reinforced support to students, opening offices of employability, better relations with the outside world, and particularly with the world economy, new margins of manoeuvre in the remuneration of personnel are the main benefits mentioned by the universities that have already tipped in autonomy. Recruitment of foreign teachers, facilitated by the LRU, contribute to improve their visibility, as, at Paris-VII Diderot, with the arrival of the American George Smoot, Nobel Prize in physics. Shyly, through foundations, universities also learn the culture of the fundraisers to increase their means. A question at the heart of the concerns of University Presidents. With the personnel qualified to manage their new responsibilities.

If Louis Vogel, President of the CPU, there is a real change, some University Presidents are skeptical about the extent of the disruption. Thus Jean-Claude Colliard, President of Paris-I Panthéon-Sorbonne, independent on January 1. "With this Act, there is less risk that some fear but also less change that it says", he said. It recognizes the positive side of the audit conducted by the IGAENR (Inspectorate of Education and research) for the transition to self-government and the interest of some partnerships that allowed the creation of joint Paris-I with Eiffage Chair on sustainable development. But it expected some of the autonomy in human resources. "Everything will depend on the financial leeway we have and I do not now know", he said. The Department of higher education and research, noted that the average increase of allocations to universities for the 2007-2011 period stands at 20. "The 2011 allocations will be increase and non-suppression of post logic", assure Rue Descartes. The problems encountered by some universities, such as La Rochelle, to increase their payroll, not covered by the staffing of the State, "will be resolved", says them the Ministry.

An accelerator of change

Two universities, Perpignan and the meeting, but delayed to 2012 their transition to independence, because they were not ready to cope with new responsibilities of management. "Autonomy is does not the day after." The LRU law is an accelerator of change, but the path is not complete. Should universities take full possession of a number of elements, such as staff, heritage, the allocation of posts... "Autonomy opens a number of doors that are not yet all been completed", observes Bruno Gérard, partner at Ernst & Young, responsible, inter alia, the University for the audit and the Board segment. Further autonomy, by, for example, still evolving governance, is regularly mentioned. As such, the great loan with the governance criteria in some calls for projects, can be regarded as a new stage of autonomy. Immediate and for 2011, Valérie Pécresse would strengthen employability of students and has initiated a round of discussions with the social partners for this purpose.