News in brief from the Faculty Board meetin on 26-27 February

Vice Deans

The following vice deans were appointed:

• Ida Kollberg, Department of Plant Production Ecology:
  Vice Dean responsible for education at the undergraduate and advanced levels, as well as Chair of the Program Board (PN-NJ)
• Petra Fransson, Department of Forest Mycology and Plant Pathology:
  Vice Dean responsible for doctoral education, as well as Chair of the Doctoral Education Committee
• Jens Olsson, Department of Aquatic Resources:
  Vice Dean responsible environmental monitoring and assessment, as well as Chair of the Foma Committee
• Göran Bergkvist, Department of Plant Production Ecology:
  Vice Dean responsible for infrastructure and collaboration within agricultural sciences

The Board also decided that the Pro-Dean should have a specific responsibility for other research infrastructure issues.

The Dean intends to return to the Board with a proposal for an additional vice dean with social science expertise. Due to the preparation of a new joint organization for work environment and JLV issues at SLU, no vice dean will be appointed to handle JLV issues.

Committees and boards

The Board then decided on the staffing of all the committees and boards under the Faculty Board. The staffing of these committees will soon be displayed on the staff web page

Recruitment matters

External experts
The board appointed experts for five ongoing recruitments of associate senior lecturers, senior lecturers, and professors.

Initiating recruitment
The board decided to initiate the recruitment of a professor in soil and environmental physics at the Department of Soil and Environment. This professor will eventually replace the current professor in biogeophysics upon his retirement.

Approving advertisements
The board approved advertisements for the following recruitments:

• Senior Lecturer in microbial ecology in limnic systems (Department of Aquatic Sciences and Assessment)
• Professor in landscape ecology (Department of Ecology)
• Professor in food science and food technology (Department of Molecular Sciences)
• Professor in environmental policy and environmental governance (Department of Urban and Rural Development)
• Professor in terrestrial ecosystem ecology (Department of Ecology)

Graduate schools

The Faculty Board discussed a continued investment in graduate schools. The current graduate schools have assignments lasting until the end of the year, but for 2026 and the period up to and including 2029, decisions need to be made regarding which graduate schools will be in place and what resources they will have for their important work. The Doctoral Education Committee (Forskarutbildningsnämnden) presented its ideas on an open call, which will result in a basis for the Faculty Board’s decision on graduate schools in autumn 2025.

Strategic work

The Faculty Board had an extensive discussion regarding the ongoing strategic work at SLU. The SLU Board will decide on an updated strategy at some point in the autumn, and based on this strategy, the faculties will develop action plans. The work on the strategy and action plans is complex and will likely continue throughout the remainder of 2025.