Important to focus on maximizing useful support for core activities
Employment matters and the follow-up of the course quality system were some of the topics discussed at the recent Faculty Board meeting at SCI School. Fredrik Viklund, one of the members, gives an insight into the work of the board and the strategic priorities on the agenda for the future.
What were the main points of discussion at the last meeting?
"We discussed both practical and strategic issues. We decided on the establishment and discontinuation of about 20 courses in total, which requires careful planning to ensure that the course offerings meet both student needs and program goals. On the strategic side, the focus was on the annual follow-up of postgraduate and undergraduate education and the implementation of the new quality system for courses."
Why are these issues relevant to the Board now?
"After several meetings with teacher colleagues, we teacher representatives on the Board have realized how important it is for many that the course quality system works well, measures the right things and provides relevant feedback. This is a key issue for us at the moment, especially with the new system about to be launched. Another important issue is employment, where several changes are expected in the coming years. We will be putting a lot of focus on this, including a short internship this fall that will give the Board the opportunity to immerse itself and prepare for the changes ahead."
Is there any area that you consider particularly important?
"A large part of KTH's and the SCI school's resources are spent on areas that are not directly related to the core activities - education and research. Therefore, it is crucial that we, as teacher representatives, constantly work to ensure that administrative support is both efficient and easily accessible to teachers and researchers. KTH's administrative processes must be smooth and free of unnecessary obstacles; in short, it is important that the focus is on maximizing usable support for faculty activities."