News from the VH Faculty meeting on 18 March

The new coronavirus

The faculty management meets daily to discuss the coronavirus development.

Olle Håstad informed the faculty board of ongoing work at SLU. One important issue is how teaching should be conducted. The student representatives pointed out that it cannot be questioned whether students have personal computers or access to study material. The health aspect was also discussed: What happens if isolation becomes long-term and social relationships suffer?

The faculty board commended how calm and reasonable teachers, directors of studies and students have been in light of this new situation.

Recruitment matters

• Malin Ekström has been appointed gender equality and equal opportunities officer. The post is divided 50/50 between the VH and NJ faculties.
• Ricarda Engberg from Aarhus University and Hans H. Stein from the University of Illinois are the experts who will assess Emma Ivarsson’s promotion to docent.
• The faculty board also decided to extend Kyra Kyrklund’s employment as adjunct professor in equitation until 7 November 2020.
• The post of acting vice-dean for gender equality and equal opportunities (20 per cent of a full-time employment) is currently being advertised.

Antibiotic centre

SLU Global has identified a need for an antibiotic resistance centre. During the meeting, Professor Ulf Magnusson presented the ideas for creating such a centre, which should be faculty-wide at SLU.

Strategy

Strategy work is ongoing at the faculty. The supporting documents for the faculty strategy is input from last autumn’s workshops as well as the two-day meeting at Krusenberg in January with the faculty board, heads of department, deans and vice-deans. The idea for this preparatory work is now included in the faculty strategy formulation. Departments will soon receive a draft which they need to consider and comment on. Since the development of the faculty strategy is carried out in parallel with the SLU strategy, the proposal is not final, and changes may be necessary.

External collaboration

• Henrik Rönnberg presented a proposal for a collaboration agreement between SLU, AniCura and Evidensia. The proposal, which was approved, will now be sent for inspection and viewpoints from the collaboration parties.
• A new three-year agreement period for Agricultural Research for Northern Sweden (RJN) is currently being processed. The parties, VH and NJ faculties and external stakeholders such as Norrmejerier and Hushållningssällskapet regard continued collaboration as positive.

VH Faculty and UDS TILLSAMMANS (together)

Lisa de Verdier presented her developed current description of flows in the small animal clinic. Discussion followed