Review of appointment procedures

“The aim is to create an employment process and a promotion system that is clear, transparent and established. “I look forward to working together to draw up rules and regulations that everyone can get behind. It is also important that the rules and their actual application are calibrated to ensure they’re not in conflict,” says Sigbritt Karlsson.

Before the summer, the University Board decided to order a review, following a case relating to offering a person employment as a professor.

“The difference in ways to become a professor has caused a tension in the organisation. We intend to eradicate this with the review, while also ensuring the line organisation converges more closely with the collegiate structure,” Sofia Ritzén says.

Broad association

The work will be managed by a steering committee with broad association in KTH’s organisation. In addition to the President and Dean of Faculty, the steering committee comprises the Vice Dean of Faculty, Deans, the University Director, student representatives and clerical support. Other bodies involved in the development process will be the Faculty Advisory Council, the Appointments Board, the Promotion Committee, Vice Presidents, Deans and others with recruitment and HR responsibilities at the schools.

The working group appointed by the President includes the Dean, Vice Dean, the Vice Presidents for research and education, one employee from the Human Resources and two from the University Management Office.

“We will involve a great many people and groups to ensure that everyone can get behind our conclusions and the actions we take. It is vital that we work together so that people in our education and research environments can rest assured and respect decisions that have been made consistently,” Sigbritt Karlsson explains.

The University Board decided on the current employment procedure, which came into effect on 1 April 2018.

Open dialogue

“Open dialogue is crucial, and we also need to consider and balance the fact that different subject areas have different requirements and conditions when it comes to promotion. Also, skill and qualification requirements change with time and societal development. Consequently, we have to be able to update the requirements for different roles and thereby revise the employment procedures from time to time,” Sofia Ritzén says.

Greater clarity around employment procedures and recruitment processes is important to teachers and researchers, and also to the university’s quality generally.

“The review will make it possible to focus concertedly on the points that come up, and to start something new that will benefit KTH’s development as an education and research institution,” Sigbritt Karlsson says.

Sigbritt Karlsson and Sofia Ritzén will provide ongoing reports to the University Board, and incoming President Anders Söderholm will also be involved in the process. The final report will be submitted in 6 April next year at the latest.

About the review

The work must include:
- a discussion on strategic HR issues primarily relating to teacher recruitment, including the use of job advertisements, promotion and offers of professorship, as well as the skills requirements for teacher recruitment
- a review and if required adjustments to KTH’s local regulations on employment and promotion (primarily Employment Procedures and Guidelines on Employment Procedures)
- a review of the practical application of these rules and regulations, including how calls to appoint professors are administered and documented.

The KTH University Board decided in its meeting of 17 June 2022 that a process will be initiated to review internal rules and regulations, particularly employment procedures and related guidelines, and the administration processes generally. On August 24, the University Board decided that the work with the employment order and its application must ensure that scientific and pedagogical skills are taken into account in accordance with the national regulations. The President and Dean must report on how the work is progressing at future board meetings. On September 6, the President took a decision to review the employment system at KTH and the associated governing documents. The decision (in Swedish) has number V-2022-0543. If you want to see the decision, there is information on how to find it in the search portal.  

Text: Jill Klackenberg