Marojevic's Resignation?

The return of suspended professors to teaching at the University has commenced. Such a crash of the new University Law was even announced at the beginning of December, by Minister of Education in Serbia, Jovo Todorovic himself: "Everyone should calm down, come to their senses and perform their duties. There exists a solution which will satisfy everybody's demands, in the spirit of the law and reconciliation." That was the Minister's response to the several-months-long boycott of teaching at the University, in fact at four particular schools (those of Philology, Philosophy, Law and Electrical Engineering), where students have been protesting for more than a month and explaining their demands concerning the replacement of the deans, the return to teaching of those professors who have not signed the work agreement, the stoppage of the discipline procedure against students, and the removal of security from the buildings of the schools.

At the School of Electrical Engineering, the suspended professors have reached an agreement with the Dean, according to which, instead of signing the work agreement, they are obliged to sign a statement which confirms that they should continue to fulfill the duties taken over on the day of entering their professions. According to this protocol, the Dean promised to cancel all discipline measures against professors and students as well as to remove the special security forces from the School, in which case, both sides should contribute towards "creating an academic atmosphere". Dean Teodosic accepted such a document as a compromise solution. The same model of the document was also offered to all professors of the School of Law. Apart from that, the teachers and students demand that the resolution, which annuls the professorship of Milos Laban, member of the Executive Council of the School), and which was accepted by the Republican Ministry of Education, should be put into effect. So far, as we found out, the protocol with the Dean was signed by eight out of eleven dismissed professors, and the professors say that the final decision about further actions will be brought after the meeting with the Student Strike Committee. Vice-President of the Student Union at the School of Electrical Engineering, Veljko Janjic says that students are not willing to give up the boycott of teaching until all their requirements are fully met. At the same time, the syndicate of the School of ETF announced the one-hour strike of warning as an act of support to students' demands.
Dean of the School of Philology, Radmilo Marojevic, submitted the solution that all professors who refused to sign the work contract should be returned to their posts, because, according to his judgment, the resolution of the Serbian Government that all professors who have not signed the contract must be dismissed, "is being carried out inconsistently." In keeping with his words, it should not be allowed that one standard which is applicable to the School of Philology, is not applicable to all other schools. Marojevic explained that his 'solution' about the return to teaching refers only to thirteen professors who have not signed the work contract. The remaining eight professors "received dismissal notices in accordance with the law, since they absented from work for five or more days", and their return  depends on the Court and the Serbian Government. The Dean of the School of Philology requested from the Executive Council changes to the current statute, after which the previous organization of the School would be returned, and the Dean's jurisdiction would be limited. According to his words, "none of these concessions are in conflict with my original principals", and he is of the opinion that all his decisions so far have been "legitimate", and that all he has done was nothing but "a flexible interpretation of the law." The dismissed teachers state that it is not yet time to come back and teach in spite of the solution for their return. The professors maintain that "Marojevic's withdrawal is the requirement above all requirements", and they remind us that his dismissal was demanded by 104 teachers of the School of Philology.