Polish academic teachers’ unions highlight decision paralysis at the Ministry of Science’s Disciplinary Commission despite increasing rulings.
Increasing Rulings Despite Long Delays
Trade union representatives and lawyers representing academic teachers are increasingly signaling a decision paralysis at the Disciplinary Commission of the Minister of Science and Higher Education. According to their accounts, many cases from two years ago remain unresolved, and the number of rulings issued has drastically decreased. However, data provided by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education shows the opposite picture, with an increasing number of rulings each year.
In 2021, 13 rulings were issued, followed by 15 in 2022, which increased to 27 in 2023 and reached 33 completed cases in 2024. The record year was 2025, in which over 40 rulings and decisions were issued. The Ministry ensures that cases are considered in the order of receipt and without unnecessary delay.
Waiting Times and Declining Case Numbers
Despite the increase in completed proceedings, one feeling among academic staff is confirmed by facts: the procedure takes a very long time. The Ministry of Science and Higher Education admits that the waiting time for scheduling the first closed session in a case ranges from one month to even a year. Importantly, this long waiting period is not a new phenomenon and has remained at a comparable level since 2021.
Experts, however, point to a certain paradox: bottlenecks persist despite a simultaneous decrease in the number of new cases coming to the Commission. While 42 cases were registered in 2024, only 25 were recorded in 2025. Previously, these figures stood at 31 cases in 2023 and 27 in 2022.
Complex Procedures Causing Delays
According to findings by DGP, the cause of delays is the increasing complexity of cases, and their processing time is strictly dependent on the need to conduct lengthy evidence proceedings. This includes witness testimonies, detailed analysis of evidentiary material, and if necessary, the appointment of experts. In certain cases, the procedure is further extended by the need to obtain opinions from the Ethics Commission in Science at the Polish Academy of Sciences or decisions to refer the case back to the first instance commission for reconsideration.
This multi-stage and time-consuming nature of procedures makes it impossible to issue a quick verdict in many cases.
Types of Cases Before the Commission
Cases before the Disciplinary Commission at the Ministry concern disciplinary violations that constitute an act violating the obligations of an academic teacher or the dignity of the profession. Both currently and in past years, among the topics considered, issues related to improper relations dominate. These primarily include conflicts among academic teachers themselves, including mobbing, harassment, discrimination, or criticism in public forums. Equally important are cases concerning relations with students, including violation of personal dignity.
Alongside these appear charges of failure to perform employment duties, such as not appearing for classes or working under the influence of alcohol, as well as irregularities in university management and scientific dishonesty in the form of plagiarism or falsification of research results.
Range of Penalties Issued
As a second-instance body, the Commission can uphold the ruling of the university commission, annul it in whole or part by issuing a new ruling, or refer the case for reconsideration. The catalog of penalties provided for in the Act on Higher Education and Science is very broad. It ranges from warnings and reprimands to such drastic measures as dismissal from university work, sometimes combined with a ban on working in higher education, or even deprivation of the right to practice as an academic teacher for a period of ten years.
In practice, however, the most frequently imposed penalties are the milder ones: warnings, reprimands, and reprimands with a 10-25% reduction in basic salary for a period of one to two years.