Firenze University Press Regulation

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

Article 1 – Purposes

1. The "Firenze University Press" (FUP), Publishing and Editorial Services Centre of the University of Florence, established as Service Centre in accordance with the article 36 of the Statute, hereinafter referred to as the "Centre”, is appointed to provide 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, both nationally and internationally, research, didactic innovation, internal communication, the relationship with the territory and the image of the University. The publications can be released either in paper or in digital form, both in "controlled access" (commercial), and in “open access”, in accordance with the University’s policies.

All scientific publications are evaluated and selected by the Editorial Board of the Centre, via a peer-review system.

2. Cooperating with the University Library Service, the Centre promotes policies aimed at the digital conservation of the publications, as well as at cataloguing and disseminating, also for educational purposes, all digital publications.

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

4. Subject to the priority interests of the scientific community and the University students, the Centre is allowed to provide services to public and private parties, always in accordance with the current regulatory provisions.

Article 2 – Affiliation of the Centre

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

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

Article 3 – Departments

The Centre is organized in the following Departments:

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 the related 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-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 to the Executive Board the proposed price list for the services performed on behalf of University organizations, and the services performed on behalf of third parties;

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

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

h) reports to the affiliation organization on the overall performance of the administrative management of the Centre;

i) implements acts which are responsibility of the Executive Board in case they are urgent and cannot be deferred, clearly stating the reasons for urgency and non-deferral, reporting for approval to the Board of Directors in the very next session;

j) is the consignee of the movable assets of the Centre;

m) acts as a Manager responsible of the activity required to protect the health and safety of the staff during work in application of current legislation, and is also responsible for protecting Personal Data pursuant to the GDPR;

k) exercises any other attribution 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 from among professors and researchers of the University that possess adequate teaching and scientific expertise and experience, on a motivated proposal from the Rector approved by the Academic Senate and the Board of Directors.

3. The term of the office of the President is four years and it can only be renewed once consecutively. To be appointed, the professor must ensure a number of years of service at least equal to the duration of the mandate, before the retirement date.

4. The President appoints a Vice President from among the members of the Executive Board of the Centre, who assists and replaces him/her in case of impediment or absence.

Article 5 – Executive Board

1. The Executive Board promotes the development and performs functions of direction and coordination of the activities of the Centre; expresses the will of the Centre; implements every act within the powers conferred to it by the affiliation organization and within the limits established by the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2. In particular:

a) defines the objectives, strategies, priorities and consequent investment and activity policies, also based on the indications of the Editorial Board;

b) outlines the needs of technical-administrative staff necessary for the operation of the Centre;

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

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

e) approves the proposed price list for the services performed on behalf of University organizations, and services performed on behalf of third parties, within the powers conferred to it by the affiliation structure 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) resolves on the publishing contract models according to the laws and regulations regarding copyright and “open access”;

h) proposes to the Governing Bodies, after consulting the Editorial Board, the acquisition of periodicals in accordance with the Regulations for University Scientific Journals.

2. The Executive Board appoints the Editorial Board on the basis of criteria of scientific-editorial competence and of representation of the research areas and didactic purposes of the University's departments and schools.

3. The Executive Board consists of:

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

b) at least five members belonging to the various research areas of the University with specific competence in editorial and organizational-managerial matters, appointed by the Academic Senate and by the University Board of Directors on the proposal of the Rector, among the professors and researchers of the University of Florence;

c) a representative of the "open access" policies indicated by the Rector;

d) the Faculty’s representative of the “Third Mission” indicated by the Rector;

e) the representative of University Library Service indicated by the Rector;

f) the Technical Director;

g) the Administrative Manager of the affiliation organization;

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

4. The members are appointed by decree of the Rector. The elected or indicated members of the Executive Board remain in office for four years and can only be confirmed once consecutively. To be appointed, the elected or indicated members of the Board must ensure a number of years of service at least equal to the duration of the mandate, before the retirement date.

5. The Executive Board is convened by the President at least three times a year and in due time to comply with the Regulation on administrative, financial and accounting matters. Further sessions can be convened on initiative of the President or upon the 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 rules for the operation of the bodies provided for in Article 48 of the Statute, as well as the rules on the right to information referred to in Article 6 of the Statute, apply to the Executive Board of the Centre. The minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board and the related instructions are public.

Article 6 – Editorial Board

1. The publications and the annual, multi-annual and ordinary planning of publication and dissemination activities are proposed to the Executive Board by the Editorial Board. The Editorial Board contributes to the identification of the objectives and overall editorial strategies of the Centre, and helps selecting authors and scientific collaborations.

2. In particular, the Editorial Board:

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

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

c. makes proposals regarding the criteria of the series and the structure of the catalogue;

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

3. The Editorial Board consists of:

a. a number of members – not less than ten –, chosen from among the professors and researchers of the University, pursuant to art. 5 paragraph 2 of these regulations, appointed by the Executive Board; scholars that are not part of the University can also be members of the Editorial Board to an extent not exceeding 20% of the total;

b. two students elected by and from among student representatives in the Academic Senate;

c. the Technical Director, without voting rights, with support and reporting functions.

4. The President of the Centre participates to the meetings of the Editorial Board, with no voting rights.

5. In 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, who 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 be confirmed once consecutively.

7. The President of the Editorial Board may invite proponents and scholars of new activities and projects to participate in the meetings of the Editorial Board, without voting rights.

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

Article 7 – Technical Director

1. The Technical Director:

a. is part of the Executive Board;

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

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

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

e. promotes the updating of the staff in service at the Centre;

f. proposes the technological updating 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 his/her activities;

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

2. The Technical Director is appointed by the General Director of the University, on the proposal of the Executive Board, chosen from among the permanent technical staff of the University, according to the regulations in force at the time of assignment; and must possess the professional requisites and experience consistent with the specific purposes of the Centre.

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

4. The Technical Director takes part, without voting rights, in the meetings of the Editorial Board.

Article 8 – Administrative-accounting Management

1. The revenues of the Centre consist of the proceeds from publishing activities and other self-managed activities, as well as from transfers approved by the affiliation organization.

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 by the agreement referred to in art. 2 paragraph 2 of these regulations, for which it exercises the function of controlling the legal-formal and administrative-accounting legitimacy of the activities of the Centre, in accordance with the administrative, financial and accounting Regulations of the University, in forms and in the ways provided for by the same agreement.

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

Article 9 – Postponement and Entry into Force

1. For anything not covered by these regulations, please refer to the University Regulations on the procedures for setting up, operation and administrative management of the Service Centres and the Administrative, financial, and accounting Regulation.

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)