UDS and the VH Faculty to merge

On 13 May 2022, Marianne Grauers, acting head of the university animal hospital, was tasked by the vice-chancellor to lead an organisational change at UDS. The purpose of this change is to more closely integrate animal nursing, research and teaching in clinical subjects, improve long- and short-term strategic skills provision, and improve finances and the work environment. Since this decision was taken, interviews have been carried out with UDS and VH staff as well as with members of SLU management and the university administration.

The ‘Tillsammans’ project

This project was launched in January 2020 aiming to strengthen and improve cooperation between the VH Faculty and UDS, within existing structures and mandates. The purpose was to lead change related to some central issues, going from proposals to concrete measures.

Some of the results of this project are essential for VH/UDS cooperation and future developments. The current structure means several challenges remain that must be handled, including the problems brought about by having two organisations responsible and the fact that their different structures are based on different cultures and views of their respective assignments. The final project report will be presented shortly.

Policy decision

The conclusion that can be drawn from the analyses, projects and interviews carried out is that the aim of this organisational change should be to merge the two units. This would mean that responsibility for the animal hospital would be transferred from the vice-chancellor to the VH Faculty’s dean. The acting head of the university animal hospital will continue in this capacity but will be focusing on the future merger, working in close cooperation with the VH Faculty’s dean.

The vice-chancellor’s management group will be discussing the issue throughout the semester, including how to handle existing deficits in UDS finances in future allocations of funds. Operations at UDS are to be adapted to SLU’s needs in teaching and research, with clear financial prerequisites. Although there are several points of reference with the project to expand the degree programmes in veterinary medicine and veterinary nursing, this is treated as a separate project financially.

The organisational change will run as a project. A steering group will be appointed, consisting of the vice-chancellor, the VH Faculty dean, the acting head of the university animal hospital, the director of human resources and the head of the Division of Planning. A project manager will also be appointed and tasked with forming a project group that includes a financial officer.

The next step is to draft a project directive. During autumn, a risk and impact assessment will also be carried out with staff at VH/KV and UDS. After that, the steering group will present a proposal for a new organisation and an accompanying action plan. In January 2023, the vice-chancellor will decide on the new organisation, which is to be introduced no later than 1 January 2024. The changes resulting from this project will be planned and implemented gradually. The UDS emergency services will continue as without them, we cannot keep our accreditation for training vets.

The vice-chancellor will take a formal policy decision on 27 June 2022.