Changing process to strengthen SLU

SLU develops the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources

Why is change needed? The world around us is changing; other universities are increasingly competing in "our" core scientific fields, for funding and for students. In addition, the number of potential applicants will fall over the next 10 years, which will further increase competition for students. SLU has unique and important missions that need to be clarified both within and outside the university. An integrated SLU is needed to meet the major national and global challenges we face. Our priorities should always be set on the basis of SLU's collective interest, particularly in times of financial constraint. We have internal structure and procedures that can be improved so as to achieve more efficient collaboration within the university.

What do we want to achieve? Create better conditions for gathering our strengths and setting priorities – thereby becoming more competitive – in key strategic areas, not least degree programmes Create clarity within and outside SLU about what SLU stands for More efficient use of resources Facilitate and increase intra-university collaboration across organisational and geographical boundaries, by further developing university-wide principles and procedures, among other things Develop collegial leadership (in which heads of department and deans are nominated by staff) to make it a more effective decision maker and capable of making well-founded decisions on difficult issues

Four sub-projects Faculty Structure Management Structure Education and Organisation Harmonisation of Administrative Procedures

Faculty structure: premises Each faculty should be able to make overall decisions throughout its field of activities Provide more scope for strategic management within the faculty Provide scope for greater cost-effectiveness and increased collaboration between applied and basic research Improve SLU's ability to compete for students, research funding and increase the scope for collaboration with the surrounding community and the relevant sectors SLU should be a single organisation without harmful internal competition Develop intellectual closeness between SLU's geographical locations

Faculty structure: premises (Contd.) No reassignment of staff between locations In principle no change in departmental structure Deans at Alnarp, Ultuna, Umeå Clearer operational profiles for the faculties Collaborative centres, centres of excellence, interdisciplinary research and collaborative platforms, etc. are important and will remain Multi-faculty departments will be given resources to stimulate activities within the growth areas shared by the faculties o In general, the entire Management Group considers that the departments/ activities doing work for more than one faculty will constitute key centres in SLU's future development

Management structure Faculty 1 Faculty 2 Faculty 3 Faculty 4 Veterinary medicine Animals ForestAgricultureLandscape Horticulture Health Life quality Food Environment Production Water "SLU develops the understanding and sustainable use and management of biological natural resources" Plant protection and plant breeding in horticulture and agriculture

LTJS NLVH LTJS NLVH Biosystems and Technology Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management Plant Protection Biology Plant Breeding Work Science, Bus. Econ. and Env. Psychology Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology Forest Ecology and Management Biomass Technology and Chemistry Field Research Unit School for Forest Management Forest Products South. Swedish Forest Research Forest Economics Biomed. Science and Veterinary Public Health Animal Environment and Health Animal Breeding and Genetics Animal Nutrition and Management Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry Clinical Sciences Species Information Centre Economics Urban and Rural Development Plant Biology and Forest Genetics Plant Production Ecology Microbiology Energy and Technology Soil and Environment Aquatic Resources Aquatic Sciences and Assessment Molecular Biology Agricultural Research for North.Sweden Chemistry Food Science Biodiversity Centre Movium Forest Resource Management Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Forest Mycology and Pathology Ecology

Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies Soil and Environment Forest Resource Management Biosystem och teknologi Biosystems and Technology Landscape Architecture, Planning and Management Plant Protection Biology Plant Breeding Work Science, Bus. Econ. and Env. Psychology. Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology Forest Ecology and Management Biomass Technology and Chemistry Field Research Unit School for Forest Management Forest Products South. Swedish Forest Research Forest Economics Biomed. Science and Veterinary Public Health Animal Environment and Health Animal Breeding and Genetics Animal Nutrition and Management Anatomy, Physiology and Biochemistry Clinical Sciences Species Information Centre Plant Biology and Forest Genetics Plant Production Ecology Microbiology Energy and Technology Aquatic Resources Aquatic Sciences and Assessment Molecular Biology Chemistry Food Science Biodiversity Centre Movium Forest Mycology and Pathology Ecology Agricultural Research for North.Sweden Economics Urban and Rural Development

Responsibility and mandates in the line organisation Continued collegial leadership Management team at each managerial level with a contract o Vice-Chancellor – University o Dean – faculty o Head of department – department How will the future educational organisation be incorporated in the line management?

Principles for management models Responsibility for content and finance in first and second-cycle education will be centralised The whole of SLU must benefit Decision-making channels from the Ministry for Rural Affairs to department must be clear Models based on vision and trust Models must increase openness and promote collaboration within SLU Frameworks for missions and resource allocation must -be matrices -be transparent -be long-term -favour development -be capable of being systematically followed up

Proposed standpoints Education is part of the university's core activities, and should be included in the same line as research for the purposes of planning, decision making, implementation and follow-up. Decision-making levels should be few and clear; preparation is organised pragmatically. Resources for education are allocated in line with multi- year missions. Degree programmes must be the basis for planning; teaching and examination take place within courses.

Board/V-C Faculty Board Departmental management Central Educational Board PN Educational Board Decision on missiond and frameworks (black) Preparation of documentation for cost classification (blue)

Areas of responsibility of Educational Boards, proposals based on the professional qualifications that SLU may award under the Higher Education Ordinance Agricultural Sciences Agricultural and Rural Management Master's etc. Horticulture Hortcultural Management - Design Master's etc. Forestry Forest Management Master's etc. Landscape Architecture Landscape Management, Design and Construction Master's etc. Veterinary Medicine Veterinary Nursing Domestic Animal Science Equine Science etc. A single Educational Board

Educational offerings Revised timetable Sub-project C – proposed decision to be considered by the Board Joint activities: o 26/4 Workshop on joint principles for education programmes; directors of studies, administrators, student representatives o 15/5 Education conference on future educational offering; external stakeholders, teaching staff, students Web debate forum on education Working groups led by assistant deans in various fields: animals, forest, agriculture, as well as landscape architecture and horticulture

Reasons To facilitate collaboration within the university To allow multi-faculty departments To increase transparency of allocation of funding and costs

Harmonisation – nothing new Process survey – administrative roles: uniform approaches Uniform regulations (e.g. third-cycle education, docent admissions, etc.) The "SUHF" (Association of Swedish Higher Education) model Overall processes for construction and investment IT – e.g. joint system Document and matter management Review of service organisation (SLU Service, supplies units)

Funding allocation Uniform principles for allocation of funding from faculty to department, focusing on research and third-cycle education. Allocation of funding for first and second-cycle education falls under Sub-project B. Aim: Fewer and more general principles for calculating a budget framework for each department – linked to an operational mission. Heads of department: desire a model supporting a long-term approach and predictability, as well as the ability to manage funding within the department. The allocation is split into 1.Basic allocation 70 – 80% (mainly subject grants) 2.Performance 10 – 20% (publishing and external grants) 3.Limited-time initiatives, approximately 10%

Overhead costs Background Wide variations in overheads when departments collaborate on projects Aim To develop uniform rules on what should and should not be included in various overhead costs, to create uniform practice at the university To develop procedures for purchase/sale of services within the university A comparison with other higher education institutions is in progress

Recruitment to senior positions Background The process of recruiting professors and senior lecturers – a series of formal decisions involving many parties. Varies somewhat from faculty to faculty. Aim To agree on a uniform process Simplify the process using a good IT tool supporting the work flow – digitalisation

Analysis: How can the best use be made of the advantages of multi- faculty departments? How will multi-faculty departments be managed in practice – consequences?

Questions

Consultation and discussion on proposed faculty structure w17w16w15w14w18w19w20w21w22w23w24w25 2/4-19/4 Individual meetings with heads of department 15/4 Org.cttee 22/4 Large-scale meeting for all staff After the meeting: Staff web article on faculty structure and feedback process 24/4 Board 23/4-13/5 Joint consultation and discussion procedure 13/5 Feedback on proposal sent to project team 20/5 LR Modify proposal based on feedback 20/5 MG 20/6 Board Unions 27/5 Org.cttee 20/6 Faculty structure decision Impact analysis

23/4-13/5 Joint consultation and discussion procedure Aim: To enable all staff to express their views on the proposed faculty structure The proposal is discussed at the department The head of department will be responsible for ensuring that comments are documented and sent to the project team, preferably via the deans Feedback must be sent in by 12.00pm Monday, 13 May to

Consultation on management structure, education and organisation 24/4 Board 20/5 MG 20/6 Board 27/5 Org. cttee 18/6 GUR reporting from working groups 20/6 Decision Management structure 15/5 Educ. conf. Future educational offerings, external stakeholders, teachers, students May Working group meetings Management structure Implementation: The organisation for educational planning and decisions will be established as of 1 January Final decisions on educational offerings and resource allocation for 2015 will be made by the organisation 25/9 Decisions guidelines educational offerings, implementation plan 25/9 Board w20w19w18w17w21w22w23w24w25w39 26/4 Workshop Principles in education programmes; directors of studies, administrators, student reps.

Consultation on harmonisation of administrative procedures w17w16w15w14w18w19w20w21w22w23w24w25 15/4 Org. cttee 24/4 Board 25/4 Reference group meeting 28/5 Reference group meeting 20/5 MG 20/6 Board 27/5 Org. cttee Feedback with heads of department: 9/4 VH, 10/4 NL, 18/4 LTJ, 23/4 S 20/6 Decisions funding allocation models, calculation of overhead costs, recruitment to senior positions Working group meetings: Funding allocation models, Overhead costs, Recruitment to senior positions

Staff web Project site for Future SLU One page per sub-project with participants in different groups Meeting calendar News, articles and contributions to the debate Q&A Discussion forum for education Questionnaire

Changing process to strengthen SLU