Update to employees regarding the work on the support services

The information from what is happening in the change work is requested by many and is therefore now being shared to provide a clearer picture of the new support services and the organisation. Below you can read about the proposed changes, the new departments including associated units. 

The proposal has come from the University Board having decided to introduce an administrative level from 1 April 2027, which means that all support activities will be gathered in a common organisation. 
 
The goals of the change are to create clearer responsibilities and decision-making paths, better coordination between different parts of the support services and more common working methods. Issues that affect several parts of the support services will be handled jointly and create better conditions for contributing to the University's allocation of resources and savings requirements.  

The organisational change and departments affected  

According to the proposal, the support services will be organised in 8 departments (where the last three are new departments): 

• Digitalization and Service (DOS) 
• Property Department (FAS) 
• Department of Economics and Planning (EKO) 
• Human Resources (HR) 
• The University Library and Student Support (UB) 
• [New] Division of Management Support (LED) 
• [New] Research Support Office (FOS) 
• [New] Educational Support Department (UBS) 

The changes and the proposal for a new organisation for the University's support services directly affect FUS, KOM, STUA, ULS, NMT office and the HUV office. They will change from their current form and together form the three new departments in the new support services, which means that several functions from these will be integrated and gathered in there. 
 
According to the proposal, the function of Guidance and Special Support in the University Library will also be transferred to the Division of Educational Support. 

The planning function at EKO will be transferred to the Management Support Department. 

The Sports Academy will be moved to the Department of Educational Support.  

Management Support Department (approximately 50 people) 

The proposed Division of Management Support will bring together university-wide functions for strategic and operational management support, bringing together local support to university, faculty and department management, as well as boards and councils.  

Two faculty offices will be located here. Two offices will enable specialist expertise close to operations and more accurate support, as Mid Sweden University's two faculties have clearly different academic profiles, educational offerings and operational logics. At the same time, common processes and standardised working methods will be coordinated at university level. 

It is proposed that the Management Support Department be led by a Head of Department and be organised into four units: 

• University Strategic Unit 
• Unit for Departmental Management Support  
• NMT Office 
• HUV Office

Educational Support Department (about 80 people) 

Teachers and students constitute the University's largest single target groups. The Division shall offer cohesive, professional and operational educational support to students, teachers, programme and course coordinators, heads of department and deputy heads of department, as well as external partners. The support shall cover the entire educational process – from planning, establishment and communication of the range of courses offered to admission, implementation, examination, follow-up and development. 

The Division of Educational Support is led by a Head of Division with three subordinate units:  

• Teacher Support Unit,  
• Student Support Unit,  
• The Unit for Educational Development and External Relations. 

Research Support Office (about 20 people) 

The Research Support Office will offer operational research and innovation support as well as support for strategic development in issues related to research, innovation and utilisation of research results.  

The assignment includes increasing the University's ability to attract external research funding and broadening the portfolio of funders, strengthening the long-term development of research environments and working for increased utilisation of research results, as well as providing operational and strategic support in research-related areas. 

It is proposed that the Research Support Office be headed by a Head of Division without units.

The background to more coordination, standardization and streamlining of work processes 

By gathering functions in clearer organisational contexts, better conditions are created for cohesive contact routes, fewer handovers, increased accessibility and more uniform working methods.  
 
The background to a more target group-adapted support service had its origins in the investigation that was carried out in 2025. That investigation showed that the support is provided from several parts of the organisation and that there is potential for better coordination and clarity to create more cohesive and equal support. Among other things, in the form of a need for digitalisation and a review of the organisation of the support. 
 
In 2026, continued work was carried out to investigate and produce proposals on how the entire support services can be further developed. After extensive dialogues with staff in the support services, teachers, researchers and representatives of the faculties, it was proposed that the administration and the faculty offices should be brought together in a common organisation and that the support services should be developed towards a more cohesive, efficient, standardised and business-related support.  
 
New ways of working will be developed together as the organisation takes shape.