Questions and answers

Last changed: 10 July 2023
Q&A

The subject area review we are set out to do is not an easy task. You probably have a lot of questions and concerns, but hopefully you will also see a lot of possibilities and opportunities. It is a complex, important and necessary review process of looking at ourselves from the outside, the inside, from above and from beneath in order to be a strong faculty together.

Important to mention is that nothing is pre-decided, we have about one year to work through the review process, you will get involved in different stages and we need to do it together. Below you will find some questions and answers.

The Q&A will be updated and do you have question you would like answers to, please contact us.

 

1. What was the reasoning behind that the former faculty board pointed at the need to review the subject areas?

We have the decision by the faculty board and we have the faculty strategy which points us to that:

  • We need to adapt to a fast changing world around us, we need to be constantly relevant with high quality, attractive and "stay on top“
  • We aim at strong research environments with high quality and with long-term stable and predictable funding
  • Our government grants are decreasing, we are competing with other universities and we need to increase our external funding
  • We aim at a good working environment, be an attractive workplace and have secure employments
  • We need to ensure our teaching assignment, and we need to ensure our competence and knowledge supply
  • We guarantee financing of higher positions
  • We might have overlap and synergies between subject areas that we can use to make us strong

Changing conditions have lead us to a review so that we can strategically position us for future demands on research and education. Looking at this faculty-holistically, some subject areas were formulated a long time ago, and some questions are relevant to ask:

  • Are our subject areas still relevant for how allocation of the government funds work tomorrow? Are we missing anything? Are we in tune with the times?
  • Do we have a critical mass to finance PhD's and secure growth within existing and new subjects. What is the best combination of width and specialization so we cover what we need without spreading too thin?
  • How can we pool resources in a smart way to increase our quality? Less islands and more strategic collaboration?
  • How should we shape the content of our subject areas to meet the challenges / questions of the future?

 

2. What are our guesses about the future of subject areas on a principle level?

Our guesses on future subject areas are that we will:

  • Identify new ways of defining and describing our subjects and content in our subject areas
  • Identify new ways of forming subject areas and the content of the subject areas
  • Have fewer, but stronger (relevance+high quality+resources) and more cross-collaborating subject areas than today
  • Have a strategic competency plan for recruitment when such opportunities arise in the future

 

3. Who decided that we were to do a subject area review?

The LTV faculty board decided in December 1, 2021 that a subject areas review was to be conducted.

 

4. Who decides on the future subject areas?

According to SLU delegation of authority it is the LTV faculty board that decides on subject areas at the faculty in consultation with the vice-chancellor.

 

5. Is there a hidden agenda?

No! This is an open process and it is not pre-decided how many or which subject areas there will be in the future. Yes, of course the faculty management have guesses and hopes regarding what we see in the future which are: Fewer subject areas, but stronger subject areas and more cross-collaborating subject areas than today. We also hope that you will be farsighted and courageous to dare change, question and develop beyond where we are today in how we describe and define the content of our subject areas and how we shape ourselves for the future.

 

6. Who is involved in the process? 

The head of departments, the leaders and members of the subject areas, the faculty management and the faculty board are involved at different stages in the process.

 

7. What happens to the subject area subsidies (ämnesmedel)?

The total amount of subject area subsidies (ämnesmedel) aimed for the subject areas will remain the same. The size of the subject area subsidies will be depending on the number and size of the future subject area. N.B. It is the faculty board that decides regarding subject area subsidies.

 

8. What happens to current subject area leaders if subjects areas are merged?

Difficult to say and this is depending on the result of the process. It is possible that new subject area leaders may be appointed and current will share or lose the subject area leadership, but they will continue still as professors. It might be that retirements will open up for new constellations. It might also be that the results of the process shows that the role of subject area leaders will be revised.

 

9. Will there be a consequence analysis on the effect on faculty members?

Yes

 

10. Will education and teaching be taking into account in the review? 

Yes, there will be a holistic perspective on the subject areas in the review that includes research, education and environmental monitoring and assessment (EMA (FOMA)).

 

11. When will the future subject areas be implemented?

The future subject areas are planned to be implemented during 2024-2026. Possibilities for transitional solutions will be available for those will be involved in any changes.

 

12. Who can I contact if I have questions?

You can contact Tomas Österman and Christina Lunner Kolstrup and you may also contact the head of department.
 


 


Contact

Tomas Österman, Research Officer
Faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science (LTV), SLU
tomas.osterman@slu.se, 040-41 50 37, 072-718 70 78

Christina Lunner Kolstrup
Dean at the faculty of Landscape Architecture, Horticulture and Crop Production Science

Telephone: +4640415030, +46730881634
E-mail: christina.kolstrup@slu.se