Firenze University Press Regulation

(Decree no. 1624, Year 2020, Prot. no. 0243070)

Article 1 – Purposes

1. ‘Firenze University Press’ (FUP), the Publishing and Editorial Services Centre of the University of Florence, defined as a Service Centre in accordance with article 36 of the Statute, hereinafter referred to as the ‘Centre’, is designated for the provision of services to the University’s scientific and educational facilities through the publication – in Italian and/or in other languages – of scientific journals, series of monographs directed by International scientific committees, as well as specific communication services, aimed at promoting and disseminating research, didactic innovation, internal communication, the relationship with the territory and the image of the University, both in Italy and internationally. The publications can be released in either paper or digital form, both under ‘controlled access’ (for commercial purposes), and ‘open access’, in accordance with the University’s policies. All scientific publications are reviewed and selected by the Editorial Board of the Centre via a peer-review system.

3. The Centre carries out and supports training and internship activities in its fields of competence.

4. The Centre may provide services to public and private entities, if compliant with the current regulatory provisions and without prejudice to the primary interests of the scientific community and of the University.

Article 2 – Affiliation of the Centre

1. As per the provision of the General Director, the Centre is affiliated to one of the University’s Organizational Units (OU), which provides for the administrative and accounting management of the Centre. The same provision also identifies the Centre's headquarters.

2. The relations between the OU of affiliation and the Centre are governed by a specific protocol, in compliance with the University Statute and Regulations. According to the protocol, the OU of affiliation may delegate one or more management responsibilities to the Departments of the Centre and/or to the Technical Director of the Centre.

Article 3 – Entities

The following entities are part of the Centre:

1. the President;

2. the Executive Board;

3. the Editorial Board;

4. the Technical Director.

Article 4 – President

1. The President:

a) convenes and chairs the Executive Board, of which he/she is a member, and implements its resolutions;

b) promotes institutional activities, pursuant to the general objectives set by the Executive Board, reporting annually to the Rector;

c) exercises the powers and administrative and managerial functions remitted to him/her in virtue of the protocol referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2;

d) supervises facilities and services to ensure their efficient operation;

e) submits the proposed price list for the services performed on behalf of University organisations, and the services performed on behalf of third parties, to the Executive Board;

f) after consulting the Editorial Board, submits the editorial plans and the program for annual, multi-annual, and ordinary publication activities to the Executive Board;

g) implements the resolutions of the Executive Board and of the Editorial Board within the powers conferred to them and regulated by the agreement mentioned in art. 2 paragraph 2;

h) reports on the overall performance of the Centre's administrative management to the affiliated institution;

i) adopts acts which fall under the responsibility of the Executive Board if they are urgent and cannot be delayed. In such instances, the reasons behind the urgency and impossibility to delay the adoption, as well as the acts themselves, shall be brought to the attention of the Executive Board for approval in the first available meeting;

j) is the consignee of the Centre’s movable property;

k) acts as a Director in that he/she is responsible for the measures aimed at protecting the staff’s health and safety at work, as required by the current legislation; he/she is also responsible for the protection of Personal Data pursuant to the GDPR;

l) performs any other act delegated to him/her by the current laws, by the Statute, by the University regulations and by the Memorandum of Understanding referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2.

2. The President is appointed by decree of the Rector, who selects him/her from among the permanent professors and researchers of the University possessing the adequate educational and scientific expertise and experience. The Rector then drafts a reasoned proposal to be approved by the Academic Senate and the Executive Board.

3. The President remains in office for four years and can hold this position for two consecutive terms only. To be appointed, the professor shall ensure a number of years in service for at least the same number of years of their President term, before retiring.

4. The President appoints a Vice President from among the members of the Centre’s Executive Board, to assist the President and act on his/her behalf in case of impediment or absence.

Article 5 – Executive Board

1. The Executive Board promotes the development of the Centre while also directing and coordinating its activities. The Executive Board also expresses the will of the Centre and performs any act of self-administration and management autonomy falling within the powers conferred to it by the Unit of affiliation and within the limits established by the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2, including acts of external relevance. In particular, the Executive Board:

a) defines the objectives, strategies, priorities and consequent investment and activity policies, keeping into account the indications of the Editorial Board;

b) outlines the needs of the technical and administrative staff required to operate the Centre;

c) approves the proposal for the Centre's internal regulation;

d) provides for the strategic and economic planning of activities and services, evaluates the results achieved and the quality of the production and services provided;

e) approves the proposed price list related to the services performed on behalf of University organisations, and the services performed on behalf of third parties, within the powers conferred to it by the Unit of affiliation and within the limits established by the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2;

f) approves the structure of the catalogue and the publishing projects proposed by the Editorial Board and the related publishing contracts;

g) decides on the publishing contract models according to the laws and regulations on copyright and open access publishing;

h) upon consultation with the Editorial Board, drafts a proposal for the acquisition of journals in accordance with the Guidelines for the academic journals published by the University, which is then submitted to the Governing Bodies.

2. The Executive Board appoints the Editorial Board based on two criteria: on one hand, scientific and editorial competence; on the other, representing the research field and educational purposes of the University’s schools and departments.

3. The Executive Board consists of:

a) the President of the Centre, who chairs over it;

b) at least five members coming from the various research areas of the University, who have specific competence in editorial, organisational and managerial matters; they are proposed by the Rector, who selects them from among the professors and researchers of the University of Florence, then appointed by the Academic Senate and by the University Board of Directors;

c) a representative of the open access policies, nominated by the Rector;

d) the representative for the Faculty’s ‘Third Mission’, nominated by the Rector;

e) the representative of the University Library Service, nominated by the Rector;

f) the Technical Director;

g) the Administrative Manager of the Unit of affiliation;

h) a representative of the technical and administrative staff working at the Centre.

4. The members are appointed by decree of the Rector. The elected or nominated members of the Executive Board remain in office for four years and can only hold this position for two consecutive terms. To be appointed, the elected or nominated members shall ensure a number of years in service for at least the same number of years of their term, before retiring.

5. The President convenes the Executive Board at least three times a year and with enough advance to comply with the administrative, financial, and accounting matters as established by the Regulation. Further sessions can be convened on initiative of the President or upon request of at least one third of the members, with an indication of the items to be put on the agenda.

6. Participation on the sessions of the Executive Board cannot be delegated.

7. The Centre’s Executive Board operates under the same rules stated in Article 48 of the Statute, as well as under the regulations on the right to information in Article 6 of the Statute. The minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board and any document pertaining to meeting are public.

Article 6 – Editorial Board

1. The Editorial Board drafts proposals for the publications and for the annual, multi-annual and ordinary plans of publication and dissemination, which are then subject to the Executive Board’s approval. The Editorial Board contributes to the identification of the objectives and overall editorial strategies of the Centre, and helps select authors and scientific collaborations.

2. In particular, the Editorial Board:

a. drafts proposals for ordinary publications according to the annual planning set by the Executive Board;

b. establishes the refereeing and scientific consultancy activities which it deems appropriate for the purposes of the publications;

c. drafts proposals on the criteria of each series and on the catalogue structure;

d. approves the composition of the Scientific Committees as well as the scientific directors of series and journals.

3. The Editorial Board consists of:

a. at least ten members, who are chosen from among the professors and researchers of the University and are appointed by the Executive Board, pursuant to art. 5 paragraph 2 of this regulation; scholars who are not part of the University can also be members of the Editorial Board, but their number should not exceed 20% of the total members;

b. two students, who are chosen from among the student representatives in the Academic Senate and also elected by them;

c. the Technical Director, who is without voting rights and whose role is to report what is said and offer support.

4. the President of the Centre participates in the meetings of the Editorial Board, without voting rights.

5. During the first meeting, convened by the President of the Centre, the Editorial Board elects a President, choosing one of its members that is a professor or a researcher at the University. The elected President chairs and convenes the meetings of the Editorial Board, communicates the resolutions taken by the Editorial Board to the Executive Board and remains in office for four years.

6. The members of the Editorial Board remain in office for four years and can only hold this position for two consecutive terms.

7. The President of the Editorial Board may invite applicants and scholars working on new activities and projects to join the meetings of the Editorial Board. They shall however be without voting rights.

8. The Editorial Board may be divided into scientific and disciplinary committees to which researchers, experts, and consultants may be invited.

Article 7 – Technical Director

1. The Technical Director:

a. is a member of the Executive Board;

b. is responsible for the technical operation of the Centre and supervises its technical services;

c. coordinates the activities of the operational structure by exercising the powers deferred to the role within the limits of the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2;

d. coordinates the activities of the Centre’s technical staff, pursuant to the general objectives set by the Executive Board;

e. promotes the training of the staff working at the Centre;

f. offers suggestions on the technological updates of the Centre and collaborates in the drafting of the development plan and programs to be approved by the Executive Board;

g. assists the President in all activities falling within his/her remit;

h. takes the minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board and the Editorial Board.

2. The Executive Board suggests a person for the role of Technical Director, who is chosen from the permanent staff of the University in the field of technical sciences, and then appointed by the University’s General Director, pursuant to the regulations in force at the time of the designation; the Technical Director’s professional requirements and experience must be in line with the Centre’s individual purposes.

3. The Technical Director remains in office for four years and can be re-elected.

4. The Technical Director participates in the meetings of the Editorial Board without voting rights

Article 8 – Administrative and accounting Management

1. The Centre’s revenues consist of the proceeds from its publishing activities and other self-managed activities, and from transfers approved by the Unit of affiliation.

2. The administrative and accounting management of the Centre remains under the responsibility of the Administrative Unit of affiliation, with the exception of the powers delegated according to the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2 of this regulation, which the Unit supervises to ensure the legal and accounting compliance of the Centre’s activities, in accordance with the administrative, financial, and accounting Regulations of the University, in the forms and modalities provided for by the aforementioned agreement.

3. The members of the Centre’s bodies and of the Editorial Committee are not entitled to any compensation.

Article 9 – Postponement and Entry into Force

1. For all matters not covered by this Regulation, please refer to the University Regulations on the establishment, operation, and administrative management of the Service Centres and to the Regulations for Administration, Finance and Accounting.

2. This regulation enters into force the day after its publication in the University Register.

Firenze, Dec. 30^th, 2020

THE RECTOR

signed (Prof. Luigi Dei)