Next step in review of employment procedures
The work on the review of employment procedures at KTH began in September, and the first results are now beginning to taking shape.
“We have received a lot of important, interesting feedback after discussing KTH’s strategic skills-supply model with various stakeholders at KTH,” says Sofia Ritzén, Dean of Faculty.
She is heading up a working group whose job it is to review employment procedures at KTH, i.e. the steering documents that regulate career paths and qualification requirements for employing researchers and teachers. The review is also looking at how the employment procedures are interpreted, and whether clarifications and alterations are needed when it comes to how they are applied. The procedure for nominating professors is up for particular review.
For referral
Following discussions with the Faculty Council, the Appointments Board, the Promotion Committee, Vice Presidents, heads and deputy heads of School Assemblies and recruitment committees, among others, proposals will be made regarding changes to the employment procedures.
The changes the working group arrive at in order to clarify and strengthen KTH’s employment procedures will be presented to the steering committee, which in turn will report to and submit a proposal to the KTH’s board of directors at their meeting on 24 March.
Issue of quality
In late February, the proposed changes to the employment procedures will go for referral with different bodies at KTH. The main focus is on changes relating to how professors are nominated, and on increasing transparency and clarity regarding how and when KTH should apply this process for nominating a professor. The work is continuing, however, including meetings with all School Assemblies and management teams during January.
A proposal for revised employment procedures will form the basis of KTH’s statement to the Swedish Higher Education Authority, UKÄ, regarding how an offer of professorship was dealt with. The deadline for the statement is 31 March.
The review also includes an analysis of how the employment procedures are applied. Many opinions have emerged regarding the university’s practices surrounding promotion to professor, and all agree that the matter of main supervision needs to be looked at more closely.
“It’s important that a comprehensive assessment of the required qualifications is conducted, and ultimately it is also an issue of quality for both research and education at KTH,” says Sofia Ritzén.
In the longer term, the Faculty Council and Appointments Board will also be looking at some of the other issues that have emerged, for instance relating to qualification requirements and career paths for teachers and researchers.
Text: Jill Klackenberg