The University Board's last meeting in 2023 began with a dialogue session with the Student Organization in Agder (STA).
STA leader, Maiken Køien Andersen, started by presenting the most important student political issues, highlighting four key points:
- Ensuring student rights in cases of cheating
- Integrating international students at UiA
- Improving the learning environment
- Ensuring that sustainability goals are incorporated into all study programmes
Full details of these and other resolutions from STA are available on the STA website.
In her introduction, Andersen emphasised that student involvement at UiA is particularly good, with easy access to leaders at all levels.
Plans and spending
To demonstrate the connection between strategic initiatives and the use of UiA's funds, UiA's overall plan and budget are approved in one board resolution.
The plan document identifies several areas that will be of importance for UiA in 2024.
In education:
- Follow-up on staff time utilisation
- Artificial intelligence
- Development of flexible education programmes
In research and artistic development:
- Interdisciplinary initiatives
- Review of internal support schemes
- Adjustment of UiA's work on applications for FRIPRO schemes
In external relations and innovation:
- Commercialisation and knowledge transfer
- Portfolio management of collaboration agreements
- Lifelong learning and labour market relevance
- Evaluation of alumni activities at the faculties and the Teacher Education Unit as a basis for continuation in the next strategy
In work and learning environment:
- Workforce planning and strategic recruitment of staff
- Safety and emergency preparedness
- Decision-making structure and management information
The entire plan document was approved in its proposed form and is available among the agenda documents.
Faculties shielded from new cuts
UiA's financial framework for 2024 is set at 1.8 billion kroner, which represents a 2.4% increase. However, the university will have to accommodate a wage and price increase of 5.1%.
UiA still manages to shield the faculties from budget cuts for 2024. However, this means that each faculty must plan and handle any necessary adjustments themselves. Cuts from previous years for travel and mobile phones for staff will continue.
The budget was approved as proposed by the university director and can be read in detail in the agenda documents. Understanding the background for changes for each faculty is complex and requires an analysis of result-based allocations.
Select strategic initiatives in the 2024 budget
- A dedicated position for career development of academic staff
- Continuation of one full-time position and two courses for artificial intelligence
- 5 million for planning district-friendly and flexible education programmes
- 6 million for a risk mitigation fund for new continuing education programmes
- A position for marketing flexible education programmes
- 1.2 million for the follow-up on interdisciplinary initiatives
- 1 million to strengthen innovation and commercialisation activities
- 1.5 million for strategic planning
- 4.1 million for regional collaboration and outreach
- 2.2 million to support Scholars at Risk
- 3 million for continuing education for teachers
- 1 million for implementing the action plan for equality, diversity and inclusion
- 1.1 million for implementing the action plan for internationalisation
- 2.5 million for the development of new UiA websites
- 1.5 million for implementation of the "My Studies" solution
- 3 million for an education quality scheme
Note that several of these are continuations of initiatives from previous years.
How the strategy process will unfold
The University Board was informed about the strategy process for developing UiA's new strategy for 2025-2028.
The Board provided input on how to involve students in the process.
The timeline looks like this:
- November 2023: Brief evaluation of the existing strategy
- December 2023: Meeting between UiA's leadership and external stakeholders in Oslo to gather input on future opportunities and challenges
- January-February 2024: The university leadership meets with all departments
- February-March 2024: Workshops with broad participation across various strategic areas
- April 2024: Consultation with external stakeholders in the region
- April-May 2024: Draft of new strategy released for consultation
- June 2024: Proposal for new strategy presented to the University Board
Other select topics
Revised mandates for the University Research and Innovation Committee and the Academic Affairs Committee were approved, with increased student representation beyond the proposal.
New members were appointed to the Research Ethics Committee.
All agenda documents are available for review (Norwegian only).