An increasing number of educational reforms, launched at an increasingly rapid pace having major consequences for the faculty’s ability to maintain its current portfolio of degree programmes, has forced the faculty to adjust the portfolio several times over the years. In the future additional adjustments are likely to be necessary. This memo describes the guidelines set out by the faculty management team, which must be adhered to in connection with any partial or full terminations of Bachelor’s or Master’s degree programmes.

Responsibility

In the event that it becomes necessary to make reductions in the degree programme portfolio, the dean, as the head of the faculty, is responsible for submitting a formal request to the rector that a particular degree programme should be terminated. The dean's recommendation is based on a report from the head of the affected school, because the heads of school, as responsible for the budgets of their schools, are responsible for submitting any requests for the termination of programmes to the dean in writing.

Assessment criteria

A formal request to terminate a programme must be based on a comprehensive and balanced assessment of parameters pertaining to the programme. Some examples of the criteria that should, as a minimum, be included in the e assessment, are:

• Quality, measured in terms of student enrolment and interest, employment prospects of graduates, research-teaching integration, student well-being and academic environment, completion rates and so on.
• Economic sustainability of the programme
• Needs of society (for example, a degree programme not offered elsewhere in Denmark)
• Strategic significance of the programme for the faculty.

Process

Before drafting a recommendation for a reduction in the faculty’s portfolio of degree programmes based on the above evaluation criteria, the head of school must consult with the following parties:

• The relevant director of studies, the relevant head(s) of department, LSAU and the relevant school forum for each affected degree programme. Any staff members who will be particularly affected by the closure must be informed about the planned restructuring and invited to a meeting in order to discuss their future work role.
• The head of the school must then draft and submit a well-founded recommendation to the dean, who must then discuss the recommendation with the other members of the faculty management team and consult with the Academic Council before a final decision regarding termination is made.
• In the event that the termination of a degree programme affects staff, proposed closures should also be discussed by the relevant liaison committee(s).

Plan for phasing-out a programme

Once a decision is made to terminate a degree programme, plans for how the programme is to be phased out must be made. Students must be given sufficient time to complete the programme, and the plan must be clearly state what support mechanisms will be available for currently enrolled students.