Standard rules of procedure for department forums

Section 1.-(1) The departmental/school forum is comprised of …(max 25)... members. The departmental/school forum is comprised of the head of department/school along with representatives elected from among the department’s/school’s academic staff, including employed PhD students, the department’s/school’s technical/administrative staff and the department’s/school’s students.

Subsection (2) The departmental/school forum elects, cf. section 28(1) of the by-laws, a chair and a vice-chair from among the academic staff representatives, including the head of department/school.

Subsection (3) The composition of the department/school forum must take into account the size, composition and diversity of the department/school, and it must be ensured that the academic staff, PhD students, technical/administrative staff and students are appropriately represented.

Subsection (4) The head of department/school determines the number of members and the structure of the departmental/school forum, with due regard for the forum’s ability to function effectively.

Section 2.-(1) The student members of the departmental/school forum are normally elected to one-year terms. The other members of the departmental/school forum are normally elected to four-year terms.

Subsection (2) The dean can change the length of terms of office, cf. section 3.

Subsection (3) At the first meeting after newly elected student members have taken office, the head of department/school briefs the members on the work of the departmental/school forum and the forum’s meeting schedule is set.

Section 3.-(1) The dean approves the departmental/school forum’s size and the lengths of the terms of office for the elected members.

Section 4.-(1) The departmental/school forum is tasked with:

1. Ensuring the development of ideas, quality, transparency and legitimacy in all decisions on academic questions.
2. Ensuring the department's/school’s academic and social identity and cohesiveness.

Subsection (2) Through continuous and timely involvement, the head of department/ school must ensure co-determination in respect of academic issues in a broad sense. The head of department/school must therefore discuss important issues within research, talent fostering, knowledge exchange and education with the departmental/school forum.

Subsection (3) The departmental/school forum may make statements concerning all academic issues of substantial relevance to the activities of the department, and has a duty to discuss the academic issues presented by the dean or the head of department/school for its consideration.

Subsection (4) The departmental/school forum has the right to make statements to the dean.

Section 5.-(1) Meetings are chaired by the chair, cf. section 28(2) of the by-laws, who is also responsible for convening meetings and for the agenda, in cooperation with the vice-chair.

Subsection (2) The chair and the vice-chair are, cf. section 28(3) of the by-laws, responsible for ensuring that an annual schedule and a plan for regular meetings are agreed on, in order to ensure that all relevant issues are discussed as planned and in due time.

Subsection (3) The annual schedule of the departmental/school forum should include:

1. The strategy of the department/school.
2. Thematic discussions of questions of principal.
3. Budget.
4. Hiring and recruitment policy.
5. Professor policy.
6. The department’s/school’s physical and social infrastructure.
7. Co-determination and the development of leadership structures and forms of leadership
8. Student affairs and well-being.

Section 6.-(1) The department/school forum holds regular meetings, normally 2-4 meetings annually. 

Subsection (2) The chair sends out an agenda or a notice cancelling the meeting to the members no later than four working days prior to each meeting. Agendas must be published on the university website or in another suitable manner at the same time.

Subsection (3) If, no later than one week prior to an ordinary meeting, a member requests that a matter be considered, the chair must include the matter as an item on the agenda for the meeting in question.

Subsection (4) The chair ensures that the information required to consider the matters at hand is provided to the members.

Section 7.-(1) Extraordinary meetings must be held as and when deemed necessary by the chair. Extraordinary meetings must also be held if so requested by one-third of the members of the departmental/school forum. The meeting must be held no later than one week after such a request.

Subsection (2) Invitations to extraordinary meetings must be sent at least 24 hours in advance. The items on the agenda must be stated in the invitation, along with the information members need to consider the matters at hand.

Section 8.-(1) The meetings of the departmental/school forum are public. The departmental/school forum may decide, however, that selected items on the agenda are to be considered behind closed doors if deemed necessary.

Section 9.-(1) The departmental/school forum advises the head of department/school.

Subsection (2) The meetings of the departmental/school forum are chaired by the chair. The chair decides all questions regarding how meetings are chaired. The items on the agenda are normally considered in the order in which they are listed on the agenda.

Subsection (3) The departmental/school forum can decide to include new items on the agenda during meetings, and it can decide to deviate from the original order set out in the agenda and consider matters in a different order.

Section 10.-(1) In the event that a member is absent for a longer period of time, an alternate can be summoned. If no alternate has been elected, elections may be held in accordance with the rules governing the original election (voting or uncontested election) if deemed necessary.

Section 11.-(1) The chair is responsible for ensuring that minutes are taken at meetings of the departmental/school forum. The minutes are submitted to the members in writing for approval no later than eight days after a meeting is held.

Subsection (2) The head of department/school ensures that the viewpoints and recommendations of the departmental/school forum are included in the minutes subsequently.

Subsection (3) Approved minutes from the meetings of the departmental/school forum are published on the department/school website or the equivalent.

Subsection (4) The chair, together with the head of department/school, is responsible for ensuring that the departmental/school forum actively reports on its work.

Section 12.-(1) These standard rules of procedure enter into force on 1 November 2012.