The Election and the Process

The time during which the election is in progress, the election period, runs from Monday 21 October to Tuesday 29 October 2024.  The election period is the same for all faculties, as is the template for how the electronic ballots should be designed.

Between 22nd and 24th October, a hearing will be held during which candidates can present themselves, and eligible voters have the opportunity to ask questions. If the oral presentations are given in English, it must be possible for them to be interpreted into Swedish upon request. It must be possible to ask the candidates questions in Swedish, and for them to be interpreted into English. Each faculty determines its own timing. The hearing will be conducted digitally.

Additional information about the election

During the election period, eligible voters can vote for the proposals made by the nomination committee and as well as for the free nominations. Candidates proposed by the nomination committee are to be marked with an asterisk.

The vice-chancellor must approve the nomination committee’s proposed candidates for the roles of chair and deputy chair of the faculty boards (Dean and Pro-Dean). The ballot must also include an option to cast a blank vote, which signifies that the voter rejects all candidates.

The vice-chancellor has appointed faculty-specific election supervisors and their deputies. They are employees of the university administration. The election supervisors will assist the nomination committee with the design of the ballot and monitor whether there are any technical or administrative problems. Should this be the case, they will take action to resolve these problems.

Once the election period is over, the election observer will create a record of the outcome. The record will be approved by the chair and deputy chair of the nomination committee. It will state the names of the candidates and vote distribution as well as the names of those who should be appointed dean and deputy dean based on the election results.

Provisions for the elections to the faculty boards

The Election Process

There are two governing documents that regulate the election process: the SLU Board's delegation of authority and the decision of the vice-chancellor made in connection with the current election year. The delegation order describes, among other things, how often elections should take place, how the composition of the boards and nomination committees should be, and who is eligible to vote.

The vice-chancellor's decision regarding the election to the boards outlines how the actual election should be conducted, including the electoral procedure and scrutineers. Since 2015, the election has been conducted electronically.

Certain parts of the process leading up to the actual election may vary slightly between faculties, but the overall progression from start to a finished result looks like this:

1. Nomination/proposal of members to the nomination committees.
2. Decision on the composition of the nomination committees.
3. The nomination committees work to put forward proposals for members of the faculty boards.
4. Election period: This is where the actual voting takes place, and hearings are conducted, allowing candidates the opportunity to present themselves.

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The primary task of a faculty nomination committee is to propose members, including a chair (dean) and deputy chair (deputy dean), as well as two substitutes, for the faculty board. Therefore, a nomination committee needs to have a good understanding of the faculty's operations and the crucial role of the board.

The nomination committee should invite all eligible voters in the faculty to nominate individuals for the board. Based on these nominations and their own assessments, the committee should present a complete proposal to the faculty board. In addition to the committee's recommendations, eligible voters can also make their own nominations.

Faculty nomination committees consist of five or seven members, including a chairman and vice-chairman. Each member also has a personal substitute. Members and substitutes are appointed through an internal process within each faculty, where eligible voters can nominate individuals.

The nomination committees must take office no later than 1 June the year in which the faculty boards are to be elected.

The fundamental regulations for the election of faculty boards are outlined in the SLU Board's delegation authority. This document defines, among other things, who is eligible to vote in the election.

In the election of faculty boards, the following individuals have the right to vote:

• Those who are part of the electoral assembly.
• Those who have obtained a doctoral degree and are employed at a faculty, with the employment involving work for at least half-time and being of indefinite duration or for a certain continuous period, totaling no less than two years.

To be part of a faculty's electoral assembly, employment must involve work for at least half-time and be of indefinite duration or for a certain continuous period, totaling no less than two years. The employment should pertain to the following positions:

• Professor
• Senior Lecturer
• Associate Senior Lecturer
• Researcher, including those referred to as researchers FLK
• Environmental Assessment Specialist
• Postdoctor
• Lecturer
• Analyst
• Research Group Leader
• Experiment Group Leader
• Field Mycologist
• Field Pathologist

The number of members of the boards varies between 7 and 11 members, including substitutes. Among the regular members, the dean and deputy dean are also appointed.

Those eligible for election as members must meet the following criteria:

• The majority of those elected to the board must belong to the electoral assembly.
• A faculty board may have at most one member and one alternate who do not belong to the electoral assembly.

The primary purpose of a faculty board is to make decisions that promote education, research, and development within the faculty. This includes:

• Deciding on tasks and resource allocation to institutions and other units.
• Deciding on the subject areas to be included within the faculty.
• Ensuring that operations are tailored to maintain high-quality education, research, and environmental analysis and that resources are used efficiently.
• Deciding on the organisation of the faculty, including the division into boards, committees, etc.
• Deciding when the recruitment of a professor should take place and, in connection with that, establishing the employment profile.

Using one's vote in the faculty board election means having the opportunity to influence the development of the faculty's activities.

A detailed description of the missions of the faculty boards can be found in the board's delegation order.

The mission and required competence of the dean

The role of dean is a full-time position lasting three years and the position involves:

• the overall running and development of the faculty based on the SLU and faculty mission statements, visions and strategy;
• acting as a line manager as per the vice-chancellor’s delegation of authority and SLU’s policy for managers, providing heads of department with the necessary support and promote participation and cooperation on interfaculty matters;
• chairing the faculty board, and planning and following up on the work of both the faculty board and other functions;
• leading and safeguarding the faculty’s work and results within the given framework and based on SLU’s core values;
• shaping a highly functioning organisation and attractive and stimulating work environment at the faculty;
• participating in the Vice-Chancellor's Management Group;
• contributing to the overall development of SLU;
• having good communication skills and being able to create and develop positive internal and external relationships.

Required competence

• relevant academic competence
• experience leading, motivating and delegating to achieve shared targets
• the ability to motivate and encourage participation, promote collaborations
• and cooperation and create a creative work environment
• the ability to further change and development work
• good communication skills
• the ability to achieve results

1. How much time must one spend on the work of the faculty board
Answer: Expect a full day per meeting and a day for reading or other preparations. Serving on a faculty board also means that many (or all?) will receive a task in a committee or council, such as the docent board, academic appointments board, Fur, Fomar, Sar, Strå, etc. These tasks also take time to perform. The faculty's representative in one of vice-chancellor´s advisory bodies is usually required to belong to the faculty board or be a vice dean.

2. Does the newly elected faculty board receive any training?
Answer: The newly elected faculty boards are invited to induction days at Krusenberg herrgård on 2-3 December 2024.

3. Does my department receive any compensation for my frequent absence from regular work to serve at the faculty level?
Answer: Each faculty board determines its own principles for the allocation of funds to its departments. If the faculty board wishes, it can decide to provide general compensation to the departments where a member of the faculty board is employed. No personal meeting fees are paid.

4. Can someone be nominated as deputy dean who also holds a managerial role at the departmental level?
Answer: There is no formal prohibition against this, but it largely depends on the authority the deputy dean is to have. The issue of conflict of interest is important; if the deputy dean is given powers that affect the area in which they are active within their department, it is not appropriate. A person's credibility in a certain role depends on being perceived as impartial and trustworthy when exercising their authority as deputy dean.

5. Can a head of department (or equivalent) sit on the faculty board
Answer: There is no formal barrier, but in most cases, it is inappropriate. From a conflict of interest perspective, it is inappropriate due to the risk of conflicts of interest and loyalty. See also the answer to question 4 above.

6. How is the division of work between the dean, deputy dean, and possibly vice deans determined?
Answer: This is determined by the dean and the members of the faculty board themselves. The distribution of responsibilities is written into the faculty's delegation order.

7. Can a person who is not a member of the electoral assembly be elected to the faculty board?
Answer: Yes, but most of those elected to the faculty board by those entitled to vote should belong to this assembly. The nomination committee can also propose other individuals, both other SLU employees and non-employees, to the faculty board. However, the nominees must be prepared to stand for election with the risk of not being elected.

8. Are all eligible voters also eligible to be elected to the faculty board?
Answer: Those appointed as dean or deputy dean must meet the requirements for scientific competence as stated in Chapter 2, Section 6 of the Higher Education Act (Högskolelagen). Most of the faculty board members must have the scientific competence specified in the Higher Education Act.

9. What level of voter turnout is required for the election to be valid
Answer: There are no such regulations.

10. Does a voter need to use all their votes?
Answer: No, they do not.

11. How many terms can a person serve on the faculty board?
Answer: There are no formal limitations, not even for the dean or deputy dean.