Higher Education Act (HEdA)
English is not an official language of the Swiss Confederation. This translation is provided for information purposes only and has no legal force.
Art. 36 Basic principles
1 Through the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions, the Confederation and the Cantons shall work together to ensure coordination of the entire Swiss higher education sector and decide on the allocation of tasks in particularly costly areas; this shall be done respecting the autonomy of higher education institutions and in consideration of the different remits of cantonal universities, federal institutes of technology, universities of applied sciences and universities of teacher education. 2 Coordination shall include: a. establishing priorities in relation to common objectives under Article 3 letters a–g and the required measures to be taken throughout the higher education sector; b. establishing the financial plan at the national level, namely with regards to coordination of federal and cantonal contributions as well as funding of subsidising cantons. 3 The allocation of tasks in particularly costly areas is intended to ensure that education and research priorities receiv
Art. 37 At the level of individual higher education institutions
1 Higher education institutions and other institutions within the higher education sector shall prepare a multi-annual development and financial plan. This document shall include multi-annual objectives and priorities as well as funding requirements. 2 Higher education institutions and other institutions within the higher education sector and their responsible bodies shall comply with the requirements of the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions and heed the recommendations made by the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions.
Art. 38 At the level of the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions
1 The Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions shall provide the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions with a proposal on national coordination of higher education policy as well as on the allocation of tasks in particularly costly areas. 2 When doing so, it shall base itself on the development and financial plans prepared by higher education institutions and other institutions within the higher education sector and shall consider: a. the requirements of the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions; b. the financial plans of the Confederation and the Cantons. 3 For each planning period, it shall highlight coordination needs among the various higher education institutions and shall take corresponding measures to address these needs.
Art. 39 At the level of the Swiss Conference of Higher Education Institutions
1 The Higher Education Council shall decide on coordination of the entire Swiss higher education sector and the allocation of tasks in particularly costly areas. It shall determine the corresponding priorities as well as the measures that must be taken throughout the higher education sector in order to reach common objectives. 2 It shall periodically provide the corresponding federal and cantonal authorities with an update on the amount of funding needed to reach these objectives. 3 It may provide for measures to be taken to expand study options that serve the interests of the whole of Switzerland but which are not yet adequately offered by individual higher education institutions.
Art. 40 Allocation of tasks in particularly costly areas
1 At the request of the Swiss Conference of Rectors of Higher Education Institutions, the Higher Education Council shall determine particularly cost-intensive areas and decide how tasks should be allocated in these areas. 2 When determining particularly cost-intensive areas, expenditure in a given field of study or discipline shall be compared with overall expenditure within the higher education sector. Expenditure for a particularly cost-intensive area must comprise a significant share of overall expenditure within the Swiss higher education sector. 3 If a responsible body is unable to comply with the decisions reached under paragraph 1, then the federal contributions under this Act may be reduced or denied.