(This content has been translated automatically.)

Dear students,

We would like to welcome you to the new year and to read the first university newsletter of the year. Every 14 days we will continue to bring you important and interesting information from university life. However, as we can never fit everything in it, do not forget to follow the website, the Journal or the calendar of events, the UP Portal or social networks.

We also wish you the best of luck in your rehearsals. For the sake of studying, don't miss out on registering for courses for the summer term, the timetable can be found in this PDF (in Czech, pages 7–9). We would also like to remind you of the adjusted operating hours of the canteens and FreshUP bistros.

WHAT'S GOING ON AT UP?

At the last two management meetings on Wednesday 20 December 2023 and 3 January 2024, the Code of Ethics for UP employees and students and the Statute of the Ethics Committee were discussed. The digitization of the student agenda continues as well as the analysis and preparation of financial resources for UP for 2024. Read the full summary (in Czech) (after logging in the UP Portal), we will prepare another one for you again in 14 days. More detailed information will subsequently be available in the minutes of the management meeting in UPShare, as well as in the minutes of other bodies, in UP standards and documents and on other information platforms.

As a precautionary measure to ensure safety in the winter, the passage and staircase connecting Křížkovského Street (Faculty of Arts main building) with Bezručovy sady park (Google maps) will be temporarily closed from 15 January. The restriction will last approximately two months. Thank you for your understanding and we apologize for any complications.

The highlight of this year's UP Academic Week will be the Palacký University Ball on Friday 23 February. Visitors can look forward to the popular Moondance Orchestra of Martin Kumžák, dance workshop, light show, rich refreshments and raffle. The evening will be hosted by Natálie Tichánková, a member of the Moravian Theatre Olomouc drama troupe. Tickets will be on sale from 11 January from 10:00 online at smsticket.cz. More detailed information and photos from previous years can be found at ples.upol.cz.

Palacký University offers a number of scholarships to students. One of them is the social bursary, the amount of which is set by the new standard (in Czech) at CZK 4,730 per month in the period January-June 2023. The scholarship is always applied for in October-November – conditions and further information are available on the website.

Before the Christmas holidays, the regular December issue of the UP Strategy and Quality Office newsletter (in Czech) was published. The theme of the issue is excellence and the National Quality Award, which UP received last year. You will also read that in October, the Methodological Guide for New Buildings of UP was published, which advises how to build new buildings in line with UP's sustainability strategy. The full newsletter can be found here. (in Czech)
Don't forget that all UP student employees have the opportunity to use the online form to submit comments, suggestions or ideas towards the office. A new form has also been published on the web through which you can send feedback on the activities of the academic bodies.

COURSES

Creating the schedule for the summer semester is coming up! Try to get out of the waters of UP this year and enroll in an interesting course at a foreign university - perhaps on climate protection, sports management or philosophy. Thanks to UP's membership in the Aurora University Network, you can meet new people from all corners of Europe and experience how to learn abroad. Most courses are online or hybrid and in English. Details can be found on the Aurora website (in Czech).

CHALLENGES AND INVITATIONS

Helping someone else may be easier than you think! Join us to donate blood and support free blood donation as part of the 13th annual Donate Blood with the Rector challenge during UP Academic Week (19-23 February)! Both regular donors and especially first-time donors are welcome! And what to do for it? Just register by February 5 at daruj@upol.cz, where we will arrange a day and time of donation according to your possibilities and answer any questions you may have about free blood and plasma donation. More information can be found on the website or FB event.

Do you like to write? Try your luck in the 30th annual literary competition (in Czech) for UP students, announced by Rector Martin Procházka. You can apply until 1 March and this time you can participate in three categories: poetry, short story and drama. Students of all faculties with texts in Czech or Slovak can participate. The winners will receive a financial reward. All important information can be found here (in Czech). You can also join the FB group of the competition.

450 seconds: this is the title and the length of a short film created by students of our university during its 450th year. Three student teams from three different faculties, working together under the auspices of the Audiovisual Production of UP, participated in the production. Each of the teams drew one time of the day - morning, afternoon or evening - which they will process in their part of the film. Check out the result and take part in the voting on which third of the film you liked the most.

The life of calendars doesn't have to end on 31 December! First of all, the calendar will be repeated again in 2034 (except for details), and secondly, UP University Press can make beautiful recycled blocks that you can find in Upoint store. So, if you have a university wall calendar from last year (or even older), you can bring it to UPoint or to the Bookshop at the Zbrojnice/Armory during opening hours.

NEW STANDARDS

• Standards for Institutional Accreditation and Standards of Study Programmes at UP - Amendment No. 2

  This amendment to the UP internal standard, effective from 15 December 2023, is addressed to UP employees and students. It includes a modification of the curriculum in relation to the subject of foreign language teaching and the subject taught in a foreign language, modification of the definitions of individual forms of study and abolishes the obligation to provide study supports in doctoral studies.
  

  
  

• Quality Assurance Procedures and Methods at UP - Amendment No. 3 

  This amendment to the UP internal standard, effective as of 21 December 2023, is addressed to UP employees and students and modifies selected indicators related to information technology at UP.
  
  

  Social scholarships at UP for the period January-June 2024

  This internal UP standard, effective from 9 January 2024, is addressed mainly to students of all UP faculties and authorized staff of the Study Department and specifies the amount of the social grant for the period from January to June 2024.
  

   

  UP Library Regulations - Amendment No. 1 

  This amendment to the UP internal standard, effective as of 17 January 2024, is addressed to UP employees and students and amends the UP Library's Price List of Fees and Paid Services, specifically the Interlibrary Loan Service.