Rules of procedure

The Board of Directors of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences Ltd (“Metropolia”) approved these rules of procedure at its meeting held on 2 June 2022 and this updated version on 27 November 2024. These updated Rules of Procedure are valid as of 1 January 2025.

These Rules of Procedure will be applied to the operations, administration and finances of Metropolia. Universities of applied sciences are legal entities in the form of limited liability companies governed by the Limited Liability Companies Act (624/2006), unless otherwise provided in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (932/2014). The operations of the universities of applied sciences are subject to the Administrative Procedure Act (434/2003). Public administrative duties include the implementation of the statutory duties of the university of applied sciences as well as decision-making concerning it.

These Rules of Procedure are based on the Articles of Association resolved by the general meeting of the company and the shareholders’ agreement signed and approved by the shareholders. These Rules of Procedure are based on currently valid regulations and any later amendments, as well as on the following documents:

• Licence granted to Metropolia by the Government (Record no. OKM/12/533/2014)
  • Metropolia shareholders’ agreement, 10 December 2014
  • Metropolia’s Articles of Association, 15 May 2017
  • Metropolia’s ownership strategy 2024
  • Financial Administration Code for Universities of Applied Sciences (Ministry of Education and Culture, 21 November 2018).

The Board of Directors decides on the overall organisation of Metropolia on a strategic level. In other respects, the organisation is decided on by the President and CEO or a person appointed by them.

The Annual General Meeting elects the members of the Board of Directors in the manner agreed upon in the shareholders’ agreement. Under the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, the Board of Directors must also include two members from the UAS community, one of whom is elected from among the staff and the other from among the students. The candidate proposed by the staff is elected in accordance with the election regulations. The students’ candidate is appointed by METKA, the Student Union of Metropolia University of Applied Sciences.

The Board of Directors is responsible for the duties stated in the Limited Liability Companies Act (624/2006) and the Universities of Applied Sciences Act (932/2014) as well as for approving the principles stated in section 4 of the Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019).

The Board of Directors decides on the recruitment of the Directors in the Management Group who work directly under the President and CEO.

The Board of Directors of Metropolia decides on the scholarship system, the main principles of granting scholarships and the maximum number and amount of scholarships granted.

In addition to the tasks of the managing director laid down in the Limited Liability Companies Act, the duties of the President and CEO include those specified in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.

The President and CEO may delegate matters within their remit to another administrative body or staff member of the university of applied sciences.

The President and CEO has the right to be present and speak at the meetings of all the administrative bodies of the university of applied sciences.

The President and CEO decides, within the framework ratified by the Board of Directors of Metropolia, on the number of study places to be provided and on the distribution of study places between the joint application system and the separate selection processes.

The President and CEO confirms the principles for organising activities in accordance with section 23 of the Radiation Act (859/2018), appoints the employees required by the Act and supervises the activities of Metropolia’s radiation safety organisation.

The President and CEO confirms the responsibilities and up-to-date guidelines concerning information management as well as the information management model in accordance with section 4 of the Act on Information Management in Public Administration (906/2019) and the principles confirmed by the Board of Directors.

The duty of the Management Group is to strengthen and develop operations based on Metropolia’s values and strategy and on the competence of its staff. The Management Group supports the President and CEO in decision making. The President and CEO acts as the Chair of the Management Group. The other members consist of the Directors appointed by the Board of Directors. Metropolia signs a CEO’s contract with the President and CEO and manager’s contracts with the other members of the Management Group. The Management Group may also include expert members at the invitation of the President and CEO.

The student union, as referred to in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, is Metropolia’s Student Union METKA. The division of duties between the university of applied sciences and the student union is laid down in the Universities of Applied Sciences Act and, in more detail, in the mutual cooperation, funding and other agreements.

Metropolia’s strategy sets common goals for Metropolia and steers the activities of Metropolia’s staff and students through these goals. The strategy is formulated for four years at a time, and it is prepared by the Management Group with the participation of representatives of the staff and the student union. The Board of Directors decides on the strategy.

Under the leadership of the Management Group, Metropolia prepares an annual action plan that clarifies the focuses for the strategy’s implementation. The Management Group regularly follows up on the implementation of the strategy and the action plan and their results and reports on this in impact reviews or similar reports that are delivered to the Board of Directors and published.

Metropolia’s quality management is guided by the quality policy, which describes the principles, aims and division of responsibilities in the quality system, as well as by other policies and principles, guidelines and standard operating procedures, as defined in more detail in Metropolia’s quality management guidelines.

The aim of the quality system is to help achieve the strategic and operational goals. The quality system is based on the principle of continuous improvement, and all activities include the perspectives of planning, implementation, evaluation and development.

The quality policy is managed by the President and CEO of Metropolia. Each Director who is a member of the Management Group is responsible for implementing the quality system and ensuring the quality of operations in their area of responsibility.

Metropolia may engage in business activities, provided that such activities support Metropolia’s mission as stated in section 4 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act.

Cooperation between the staff and the employer is based on regular dialogue within Metropolia. To achieve this, the company organises events for the staff based on the matter to be discussed.

Additionally, Metropolia has a Co-operation Negotiation Committee that deals with matters that must be discussed in a dialogue between the company and the staff according to the Co-operation Act.

The Co-operation Negotiation Committee includes the shop stewards appointed under the applicable collective agreement as well as the employer’s representatives appointed by the company. The work of the Co-operation Negotiation Committee is initiated by the member of the Management Group who is responsible for co-operation.

The company has an Occupational Safety Committee in accordance with the Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces (44/2006). The purpose of cooperation on occupational safety and health at the workplace is to promote interaction between the employer and the employees and to allow the employees to participate in and influence the handling of cases concerning occupational safety and health.

The occupational safety organisation is created in accordance with the provisions of the Act on Occupational Safety and Health Enforcement and Cooperation on Occupational Safety and Health at Workplaces. The creation of the organisation is initiated by the member of the Management Group who is responsible for occupational safety and health and cooperation on this matter.

The Board of Examiners handles appeals concerning course performance, as referred to in section 19 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act, and disciplinary cases, as referred to in section 38 of the same Act. The term of the Board of Examiners is two (2) calendar years. The Board of Directors appoints the members of the Board of Examiners. The activities of the Board of Examiners are subject to a designated set of guidelines approved by the President and CEO.

The Legal Protection Committee handles appeals concerning the admission of students (as referred to in section 28 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act) and the loss of the right to study (section 32). It also prepares cases concerning the revocation of the right to study (section 33) and the reinstatement of the right to study (section 35). The term of the Legal Protection Committee is two (2) calendar years. The Board of Directors appoints the members of the Legal Protection Committee.

The activities of the Legal Protection Committee are subject to a designated set of guidelines approved by the President and CEO.

The Board of Directors appoints a Scholarship Committee that decides on the granting of individual scholarships.

The Scholarships Committee has three members who must belong to Metropolia’s permanent staff. The term of the Scholarships Committee is two (2) years. The activities of the Scholarships Committee are subject to a designated set of guidelines approved by the President and CEO.

Based on a decision by the Board of Directors, Metropolia’s Board of Directors has a Staff Committee and an Audit Committee, whose duty is to prepare matters to be dealt with by the Board. The Board of Directors elects 3–4 members from among its number for each committee and appoints the committee chair. The President and CEO and one of the Management Group’s members as a presenting officer participate in the committees’ meetings.

The role of the Audit Committee is to ensure that the company’s financial reporting and oversight are appropriate and reliable. The Audit Committee convenes every quarter, and more frequently if necessary.

The role of the Staff Committee is to ensure that the company’s human resources and remuneration systems are appropriate and support the company’s strategic aims. The Staff Committee convenes 2–3 times a year, and more frequently if necessary.

By a decision of the President and CEO or a member of the Management Group, Metropolia may establish forums, steering groups or other groups that bring together individuals from across Metropolia to discuss and prepare matters that as a whole concern the entire UAS or are otherwise important for the company, or to develop and plan operations and make them more consistent. The Director in charge of the activities of these forums or groups will bring matters to the Management Group for a decision.

One or several degree programmes, schools or other units may have advisory councils. The majority of the members of the advisory councils must come from the labour market.

The advisory councils also include representatives of the staff, who are chosen by the employees of the school, as well as representatives of the students, who are appointed by the student union. The Director in charge of the area of responsibility in question submits a motion to establish an advisory council to the President and CEO, who decides on whether it will be established.

The Directors in charge of the various areas of responsibility may alone or together establish other lower-level steering groups, working groups or other similar groups to handle, prepare or manage other duties determined in the decision to establish an advisory council.

Metropolia’s contingency plan prepared in accordance with section 66 of the Universities of Applied Sciences Act includes crisis and safety guidelines as well as the functioning safety organisations in both normal and emergency conditions. The President and CEO appoints the members of the safety organisation and holds the main responsibility for contingency planning.

The duties of the staff are determined in Metropolia’s internal guidelines, definitions and employment contracts, which are confirmed by the President and CEO, the Director of the area of responsibility or the head of the area in question.

A principal lecturer of a university of applied sciences is required to have completed an applicable postgraduate Licentiate or Doctorate, while a senior lecturer is required to have completed an applicable Master’s degree.

On special grounds, a person who has completed a Master’s degree may be appointed as a principal lecturer and a person who has not completed a Master’s degree may be appointed as a senior lecturer if this person is extremely well-acquainted with the tasks of the field in question. A principal lecturer or a senior lecturer whose educational duties mostly involve organising professional studies is additionally required to possess at least three years of experience in tasks corresponding to the degree.

A principal lecturer or a senior lecturer must complete pedagogic studies for teaching staff consisting of at least 60 credit points within three years of having been appointed to their position, unless they have completed such studies previously.

If the President and CEO is prevented from discharging their duties, these duties will be handled by the Vice President. If a member of staff is prevented from discharging their duties, these duties will be handled by their supervisor or a person appointed by their supervisor.