Proposals for the future of operational support presented
A proposal for how the future of operational support should be organised has now been presented by the working group that investigated the issue. The proposal means that there should only be one administrative level of support and that three new departments will be created within the administration.
"We have competent employees in our support services today, but our view is that the support needs to be organised in a different way so that we, for research and education, can get the most out of the important work that is being done. The aim is to strengthen quality, reduce vulnerability and create long-term sustainable working methods. The goal is for the change to provide more resources for research and improved quality of education," says Anders Fällström, Vice-Chancellor.
The external investigator Jörgen Tholin and Karin Olsson and Maria Torstensson have formed a working group and interviewed a large number of managers and employees in both academia and support, as well as students and union representatives. During the process, open meetings have also been held to capture views and thoughts.
Faculty offices and administration form joint operational support
The working group's proposal was presented to the management council in April and has since been discussed and further developed. It was presented to Chefsforum on Tuesday and will be submitted as a proposal to the university board. The proposal involves the introduction of an administrative level where offices and administration form a joint operational support. The goal is to achieve closer and more equal support, reduce the risk of duplication of work and enable the development of the entire support operation.
"Through the proposal, we want to create the conditions for uniform working methods that lead to higher quality and a quality boost in academic support. The support is organised according to the core business processes, which are education and research. A cohesive support structure creates better conditions for dealing with changed external conditions and increased ambition," says Jörgen Tholin, investigator.
The proposal for new operational support means that three new departments will be established within the administration to create more uniform working methods and a clearer division of responsibilities:
- Educational Support Department
A unified department for all educational support. - Division of Research Support
A single department for all research support. - Management Support Division
A unified department for management support to departments, faculties and university management.
A Supervisory Board is formed and new forms of dialogue are developed
The proposal also means that a new administrative board will be established, including the University Director, deans, representatives from collegial bodies and students. New forms of dialogue will be established to ensure that the support meets the needs of the Academy.
The proposal also means that the current form of FUS, KOM, STUA, ULS and the faculty offices will change. Other departments within the administration will also be affected.
"On Tuesday, managers were informed about the proposal and on Wednesday the employees will be reached by the same information. What is now happening is that a risk assessment and business analysis will be carried out during the summer, where it will be clear what changes are planned to be made. Trade union parties will also be involved," says Anna Olofsson, Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
The timetable is set for April 2027
The goal is for the University Board to make a decision to introduce an administrative level at its meeting on 24 September. During the autumn, the details of the new organisation will be finalised and further risk and operational analyses will be carried out. The goal is for the organizational changes to be implemented from April 2027.
"Of course, we understand that the proposal gives rise to many questions and that there is a great need for information. We do not have answers to all questions today, it is part of the process that we work out them together, and we work hard to provide both managers and employees with the right information as soon as we have more to tell. says Louise Beskow, University Director.
A special information page is being developed where it will be possible to ask questions and take part in questions that have already been answered. For the time being, you can turn to your immediate manager if you have questions.