CNU (National Council of Universities)

The Conseil national des universités is a national body governed by decree n°92-70 of January 16, 1992. It rules on individual measures relating to the qualification, recruitment and career of university professors and lecturers.

The CNU is made up of 3,480 members (2/3 elected members and 1/3 appointed members). Their term of office is four years. These members are divided into 11 groups, themselves divided into 52 sections, each of which corresponds to a discipline and a group of related disciplines.

Composition

Each section comprises two colleges, each with an equal number of members,

  • on the one hand, representatives of university professors and assimilated personnel (college A);
  • on the other, representatives of maîtres de conférences and assimilated personnel (college B).

Access all elected CNU members (Ministry website)

Elections

The elections for the renewal of CNU members took place in November 2023 according to information from the department of advice and support for national bodies - DGRH A2-2.

The following are eligible to vote:

University professors and tenured lecturers on active status, on leave for research or thematic conversions, or on secondment.

Professeurs des universités and maîtres de conférences titulaires are governed by Decree no. 84-431 of June 6, 1984 laying down the common statutory provisions applicable to teacher-researchers and establishing the special status of the corps of university professors and the corps of maîtres de conférences. 
They are automatically entered on the electoral lists drawn up by you via the Hélios application.

They must occupy the following statutory situations:

  • position of activity (including delegation, secondment, surnombre);
  • position of leave for research or thematic conversions;
  • position of secondment (to another body, in cooperation with a company, an international institution, etc.).

Researchers: research directors and research fellows

Permanent research directors and research fellows covered by Decree no. 83-1260 of December 30, 1983, laying down the common statutory provisions for the bodies of civil servants in public scientific and technological establishments, and researchers at the level of research directors and research fellows working in research establishments and organizations, must meet one of the following conditions in order to apply for inclusion on the electoral list:

  • or have taught during the period from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022 in a public higher education establishment under the authority of the Minister for Higher Education and Research;
  • or perform their duties in research units of public higher education establishments under the authority of the Minister for Higher Education and Research, linked by an agreement concluded for this purpose between the research organizations and the aforementioned public establishments;
  • or be a member of one of the councils responsible for the administration of public higher education establishments under the authority of the Minister of Higher Education and Research (board of directors and academic council) or university components (councils of institutes and schools provided for in article L. 713-9 of the Education Code).

The deadline for receipt of applications for researchers (researchers: research directors and research fellows) to be included on the electoral lists and for staff assimilated to teacher-researchers to be attached to a section of the National Council of Universities is April 07, 2023.

Not eligible to vote:

  • teacher-researchers on parental leave, hors cadres, long-term sick leave, long-term leave or suspended from their duties;
  • trainee lecturers;
  • trainee research fellows;
  • associate staff and, more generally, all non-tenured staff;
  • second-degree teaching staff (PRAG, PRCE) assigned to a higher education establishment;
  • higher education assistants.