The rector’s managerial responsibility and applicable delegation provisions are described here, in addition to what forms of decision-making power the rector may delegate.
A necessary precondition for delegation is regular briefing, coordination and communication between the person who delegates decision-making or signing authority,referred to as the delegator, and the person who receives decision-making or signing authority, referred to as the delegate.
Managers exercise financial decision-making authority on the condition that a budget has been delegated to them and that the expense can be incurred within the approved budget. Decision-making authority for each level of management is expressed in terms of approval limits for each level. Financial decision-making authority applies to purchasing decisions that involve a binding purchase or binding agreement for multiple purchases from the same supplier.
Financial transactions outside the approved budget can only be carried out after prior approval by the level of management immediately above. Decision-making authority applies to all financial transactions, regardless of whether they are made with AU’s institutional funding or with funds from an external grant.
Level-three managers can set a de minimus threshold for one-time transactions of up to DKK 2,000 for all employees or a group of selected employees at their own department/school (institut).
The description below relates to the decision-making and signing authority delegated to each level of management in regard to concluding and terminating lease agreements. Decision-making authority means authority to make decisions about and approve transactions. Signing-authority in this context means authority to conclude binding agreements on behalf of the university as a signatory or by (written or oral) confirmation.
Out of consideration for coordination, all signing authority in connection with concluding lease and sublease agreements, as well as the termination of such agreements, is delegated to the deputy director for AU Estates Projects and Development (with the exception of visitor accommodation, which is handled by the faculties), and is conditional on the involvement of AU Estates Projects and Development when the process is initiated with a view to quality assurance of the contracts.
A condition for delegation of authority in this area is that transactions must take place within the framework of the campus development plan adopted by the board.
Decision-making and signing authority to conclude lease and sublease agreements with a non-cancellation period of up to ten years and/or a total rental obligation for the university of up to DKK 70 million in fixed prices as of the agreement date. The amount is DKK 40 million for agreements with a non-cancellation period of over ten years or in case of unusually onerous conditions.
Decision-making and signing authority to conclude lease and sublease agreements with a non-cancellation period of up to ten years and/or a total rental obligation for the university of up to DKK 70 million in fixed prices as of the agreement date is delegated to the university director.
Decision-making and signing authority to terminate lease and sublease agreements is delegated to the university director.
Decision-making and signing authority to conclude lease and sublease agreements with a non-cancellation period of up to ten years and/or a total rental obligation for the university of up to DKK 70 million in fixed prices as of the agreement date. The amount is DKK 40 million for agreements with a non-cancellation period of over ten years or in case of unusually onerous conditions.
Decision-making authority with regard to the conclusion of lease and sublease agreements with a non-cancellation period of up to ten years and/or a total rental obligation for the university of up to DKK 70 million in fixed prices as of the agreement date is delegated to the deans.
Decision-making and signing authority to terminate lease and sublease agreements is delegated to the deans.
Overall and operational people management must at all times be conducted in accordance with the locally and centrally established guidelines and rules, including the rules in the collaboration agreement, frameworks established in the collective agreements and other relevant legislation in the area.
People management is defined as the decision-making authority to manage, hire, dismiss and take disciplinary action against employees, including decision-making authority to agree on the specific terms and conditions for employment as well as to assign specific tasks to employees.
Involuntary dismissal of employees with special protections against termination (union reps, occupational health and safety reps, members of liaison committees and the occupational health and safety organisation) is subject to the approval of the rector.
The delegation provisions distinguish between overall people management and operational people management.
The rector has overall people management responsibility for the pro-rector, the university director, the director of E&I, the deans, the director of AIAS and the head of the Rector’s Office staff. However, responsibility for the appointment and dismissal of the pro-rector and the university director lies with the board, not the rector, who is responsible for nominating candidates to the board, cf. sections 30 and 32 of the university by-laws.
The rector delegates overall people management of the employees in their units to the pro-rector, the university director, the deans, the director of E&I, the director of AIAS and the head of the Rector’s Office staff.
Legally responsible entity
AU Research is always legally responsible for approving and signing the following types of agreements:
In addition, AU Research is responsible for reviewing and approving research collaboration agreements, with a particular focus on agreements involving rights to exploit research results and/or utilise personal data (standard agreements), however not fast-track agreements drawn up by AU Research (standard agreements).
Enterprise and Innovation is always responsible for approving and signing commercialisation agreements (licensing agreements, patents, transfer of rights).
The rector has decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve research collaboration agreements that apply to the university as a whole.
The rector delegates decision-making and signing authority in connection with the negotiation and approval of research collaboration agreements to level-two managers, including agreements that include PhD studies and general collaboration agreements related to PhD programmes in their areas.
The rector delegates decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve research collaboration agreements that apply exclusively to AIAS to the director of AIAS.
However, with regard to agreements referred to in the introduction, decision-making and signing authority in connection with such collaboration agreements is conditional on their prior approval by the legally responsible unit/entity.
This only applies to collaboration agreements for existing degree programmes, as the process for the approval of new degree programmes is different. Examples include agreements with other institutions in Denmark (degree programme collaboration, commissioned teaching and the like) and with foreign universities (exchange agreements, Erasmus+ projects and the like).
Note the following:
The rector has decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve all external educational collaboration agreements that apply to the university as a whole.
The rector delegates decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve collaboration agreements on existing degree programmes that apply to the university as a whole to the pro-rector.
The rector delegates decision-making and signing authority to negotiate and approve collaboration agreements on existing degree programmes at a specific faculty to the dean of that faculty.
The rector can, to a specified extent, delegate decision-making and signing authority to approve agreements on existing degree programmes to selected authorised employees.