The Tunisian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research has issued a new decision, published in the Official Gazette on November 6, 2026, regulating the internal system of university service institutions. This decision includes a set of rules organizing residency in university hostels and access to services, as well as determining student rights and duties, disciplinary procedures, and penalties for violating its provisions.
The new decision consists of 32 articles divided into five sections, covering the university services system, student rights and duties, cultural, scientific, sports, and recreational activities, and disciplinary actions. It replaces a 2009 ministerial order regulating the internal system of university service institutions. The decision specifies that only students enrolled in public higher education and scientific research institutions can benefit from university services, provided they have a services card issued by the institution's management.
To benefit from these services, students must sign a commitment to respect the internal regulations and undertake to comply with its provisions. Regarding residency, the decision stipulates that university hostels will be closed during university holidays, except for students who obtain special permission for academic reasons, mandatory internships, or field research, as well as international students who cannot return to their countries.
The decision sets the return time to university hostels at 9 pm, taking into account the specificity of some academic systems and occasions, such as the month of Ramadan and scientific, cultural, and sports events. It also grants the institution's management the authority to inspect rooms at any time, even in the absence of residents, and document visits and recorded incidents.
The decision grants students several rights, including receiving family members until 9 pm in designated spaces, establishing cultural, scientific, sports, and recreational clubs in coordination with the administration, and benefiting from shared spaces such as television rooms, study areas, internet, and sports facilities, according to conditions and times set by the institution.
The text specifies a set of duties that students must commit to, including maintaining the cleanliness of rooms and institution's property and equipment, conserving water and electricity, and reporting damage and accidents. It also prohibits handing over room keys to others, hosting non-residents, and using electrical or gas appliances for heating and cooking inside rooms.
The decision prohibits introducing hazardous or prohibited materials and tools, causing noise and disturbing other residents or harming institution staff, as well as practicing activities for payment within university service institutions or holding meetings with a promotional or partisan character.
Key points
- The new regulations outline disciplinary procedures and penalties for students who violate the rules, including warnings, expulsion from university service institutions, and deprivation of services until the end of the academic year.
Reporting sources
- صدور قرار هام بالرائد الرسمي.. · ar.webmanagercenter.com
