News from the management

When the workload starts to feel overwhelming, I tend to think like this: I need to prioritise ruthlessly among all the prioritised tasks, focusing on "what I need to do", and if there is time left, I can shift my attention to "what is nice to do".

I hope that you, like me, had the chance to enjoy some recreation and time off over the Christmas and New Year holidays. Moroeover, when things start to heat up, try the specific feeling in both body and mind from when you were on leave.

Now, I would like to give you an update on the new faculty management, the various boards, and how we have chosen to allocate different tasks and areas of responsibility (beyond our delegation structure). This to provide you with a better insight into and understanding of who does what.

New Faculty Board at LTV

The new Faculty Board (FN), elected last autumn, took office on 1 January 2025, and on 22 January, we held our first meeting. During this meeting, we reviewed FN’s tasks and responsibilities, as well as established a shared agreement on how we want to shape our working and discussion climate within FN.

As Dean, I serve as the Chair, and Aakash Chawade, as Deputy Dean, is the Deputy Chair of FN. The other FN members are Caroline Dahl (Department of LAPF), Karl Lövrie (Department of LAPF), Daniel Valentini (Department of SoL-La), Åsa Lankinen (Department of VSB), and Laura Grenville-Briggs Didymus (Department of VSB). The deputy members are Samar Khalil and György Ängelkott Bocz (both from the Department of BT), as well as PhD member Max Andersson, Deputy Chair of Ultuna Student Union (ULS) Alma Hellström and Chair of Alnarp Student Union (ASK) Elvira Löwenadler.

Generally speaking, our role in FN is to be responsible for, lead, and develop the faculty’s research, education, and environmental monitoring and assessment within our fields of landscape and horticulture. We also share responsibility for cultivation systems, plant breeding, and plant protection together with the Faculty of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences (NJ Faculty) and the Faculty of Forest Sciences (S Faculty). Moreover, SLU as a whole is responsible for matters concerning the environment, health, quality of life, food, water, and production.

Our responsibilities also include the allocation of resources to departments and other units within the faculty, appointments of senior academic positions (professors, associate professors, and assistant professors), the strategic focus of our activities, education at undergraduate, advanced, and doctoral levels, and the appointment of members to various boards (Academic Appointments Board (LFN), Docent Board (DN), Programme Board (PN-LT), and Research Education Board (FUN))—among many other tasks.

If you would like to learn more about FN’s assignements and responsibilities, you can find detailed information in LTV’s delegation order and by reading the minutes from our FN meetings.

The Faculty’s Deans and new Vice Deans – who are they and what will their responsibilities be?

As Dean, my role and responsibilities are governed by SLU’s Board and the faculty’s delegation order. In addition to this, my key focus areas for this period are research, internationalisation, work environment, gender equality and equal opportunities (JLV), and environmental monitoring and assessment (FOMA). I also serve as Chair of the Academic Appointments Board (LFN) and various steering groups related to our campus development, as well as SLU Urban Futures. Additionally, I am a member of the Vice-Chancellor’s Management Group (RL) and the Swedish Farmers' Foundation for Agricultural Research (SLF), among others.

Aakash Chawade, as Deputy Dean, is responsible for the faculty’s research infrastructures and collaborations, in addition to serving as my deputy. He is also involved in several of the Vice-Chancellor’s advisory councils and covers developments in the food, horticulture, and agriculture sectors, including animal-related matters.

We also welcome two new Vice Deans who will take office on 1 April 2025.

• The new Vice Dean for Undergraduate and Master’s Education (VDGU) and Chair of the Programme Board for Landscape and Horticulture (PN-LT) will be Senior Lecturer Caroline Dahl (Department of LAPF). Caroline will also participate in various councils related to undergraduate education and will likely oversee sectoral developments in landscape and rural development.
  
  
• The new Vice Dean for the faculty’s doctoral education (VDFU) and Chair of the Research Education Board (FUN) will be Professor Johan Stenberg (Department of VSB). Johan will also be involved in various councils related to research and development.

Finally, I would like to take this opportunity to extend a HUGE and WARM thank you to all outgoing members and deuputies in FN and other boards, as well as to our former Pro-Dean Karl Lövrie and our Vice Deans Åsa Lankinen and Håkan Schroeder who will end their assignements 31 March 2025. All have done a fantastic job over the years with great dedication and enthusiasm.

Wishing you all a wonderful spring term – and take care of yourselves!

With best regards
Christina