The central administration's communication unit has been reorganised, which means that the administrative structure for communication at Aarhus University is finally in place.
Since 22 November, a separate process has been taking place regarding the organisational placement of the central administration's communication unit, the former back office in AU Communication.
Like the other administrative areas, each faculty has its own communication unit, but, in connection with the new administrative structure, the senior management team had decided that there would no longer be an independent administrative division for communication. One idea was that AU Communication should instead be merged with HR, but given the considerable feedback from employees, the senior management team instigated a special process to shed light on other possibilities for where to place communication before reaching a final decision.
Pro-rector Berit Eika has headed the process, during which she gathered input from the affected employees and division managers to assist in the process of reorganising communications functions in the central administration. Against this background, the senior management team has decided that the communication until will be split up and its employees reassigned to different administrative divisions. Each communication specialisation has been assessed with a view to placing in the administrative division which offers the best possibility for improving the coordination and development of the particular functions involved. The new organisation will take effect from 1 January.
A large part of the former unit will become part of Research and Business Collaboration. The part which is primarily responsible for developing and maintaining the Aarhus University website will be integrated in IT, while Omnibus will continue as an independent media, also under the IT administrative division.
A number of employees from Internal Communication and External Communication will become a part of the Rector’s Office.
Danish universities are still working with degree programme resizing on the basis of the agreement which Universities Denmark entered into with Minister for Higher Education and Science Sofie Carsten Nielsen on 4 November (read the press release on the agreement in Danish).
This was the conclusion of the meeting last Wednesday between the minister and the Presidium of Universities Denmark.
The Presidium is composed of the chair and vice-chair of the Chairmen’s Conference and of the chair and vice-chair of Universities Denmark.
At the meeting, the minister also emphasised that she would like to see the negotiations on degree programme resizing concluded before Christmas.
Professor Birgit Schiøtt has been appointed acting head of department at the Department of Chemistry for the next two years. Schiøtt heads the Biomodelling Group, which works with the mutual interaction between proteins and other biomolecules, and since 2010 she has been deputy head of department at the Department of Chemistry with responsibility for education and study programmes.
She replaces Professor Karl Anker Jørgensen, who has been acting head since 15 February this year.
At the same time, Niels Kroer is stepping down as department head at the Department of Environmental Science on 1 March 2015. He is taking up a new position as department head at the Department of Biology, University of Copenhagen.
The Senior Management Team publishes a newsletter every week. This newsletter includes a brief description of current activities and discussions. You can sign up for the Danish version of the newsletter at http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve, after which you will receive an e-mail whenever the newsletter is issued.
If you would like to subscribe to the English version of News from the Senior Management Team, please go to http://info.au.dk/medarbbreve/index.asp?sprog=en. The English version of News from the Senior Management Team is available at http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/. You can read previous editions of News from the Senior Management Team at
http://www.au.dk/en/about/uni/seniormanagement/newsletter/2014.