16 recruitment positions allocated to UIS; Cognitive Lab referred in new UIS news story

Yesterday the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research issued a press release with some details on the distribution of the 4.000 study places and 250 recruitment positions that is proposed added in relation to the revised state budget. University of Stavanger gets 250 study places and 16 recruitment positions.

In an UIS news story titled "Utdanningsløftet gir god uttelling for UIS" (the UIS gets good share of education measure), Vice rector for research Merete Vadla Madland comments on the 16 recruitment positions, emphasizing plans for establishing a cognitive lab (in which I have been involved).

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UIS has asked Ministry of Education for ph.d.s and post.doc.s for Cognitive Lab; UIS news story

UIS has asked Ministry of Education for ph.d.s and post.doc.s for Cognitive Lab; UIS news story

The UIS news story "UIS ønsker flere studieplasser og rekrutteringsstillinger" (University of Stavanger wants more study places and recruitment positions) makes mention of the Cognitive Lab I have suggested to establish at the university, following our faculty´s visit to University of Twente last autumn. The university has communicated to the Ministry of Education and Research that a number of recruitment positions (ph.d. and post.doc.s) could be established this autumn in relation to the establishment of such a lab. The proposal has been made in relation to Norway´s revised state budget for 2020.

Minister of research and education asked about abuse, neglect, control of research

Today I attended a talk my Norway´s minister of research and education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, at University of Stavanger, and asked him a question about the government´s abuse (minister of immigration and integration Sylvi Listhaug), neglect (minister of finance Siv Jensen) and attempted control (minister of fisheries Per Sandberg) of research. Among other things, the minister responded that Sandberg felt misunderstood, and that it is more important that Jensen accepts the government´s climate policies than what she believes is actually happening with the climate. He also reiterated that research must be independent and free.

Uis received 33 proposals for external board members, including my 2

Today I asked the University of Stavanger university director John Møst whether I could get to see the minutes from the board meeting October 1st concerning UiS´ nominations for external board members (2016-2019) (this part of the meeting was closed). I did not get the document, but was informed (via Assistant director Sonja Meyer) that the nomination committee received 33 proposals, and that all were listed in the case document which was presented to the board. The UiS board, based on the recommendation from the nomination committee, has nominated 6 men and 6 women, some of which might be appointed by the Ministry of Education and Research.

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External UiS board members proposed

External UiS board members proposed

The board of University of Stavanger has external members as well as internal members, and the board will soon propose prospective external members for the Ministry of Education - which makes these appointments. I have suggested to university director John Møst that Dag Hessen and Arne Johan Vetlesen be considered.

UiS board votes to continue merger negotiations - I disagree

The board of University of Stavanger today, after a 6-5 vote, decided to continue negotiations with Stord/Haugesund University College, aiming for a merging of the two institutions. See news stories (in Norwegian) from Stord/Haugesund University College and University of Stavanger respectively.

All the employees´ representatives voted against continuing the negotiations. I am the 2nd deputy representative of temporarily employed education and research staff - and did not attend the board meeting. But let it be clear: I am opposed to this merger. Little would be gained by it, apparently, and the chances of achieving the current ambitions of the University of Stavanger would be weakened. I favour autonomous institutions in higher education, but do not see the point in establishing ever-larger institutions, spread over different campuses etc., as the Ministry of Education has set out to do.

Petition against employed rector signed

I have signed a petition calling for a refusal of the government´ proposal of changing the standard model for selecting higher education rectors from elected rector to employed rector. The petition, which highlights the importance of democracy and autonomy in higher education, has been signed by some 2.700 scholars.

Term of office for UiS board extended by half year

The term of office for the board of the University of Stavanger has by an Ministry of Education  and Research decision been extended from June 30th 2015 to December 31st 2015. This is due to ongoing restructuring of higher education institutions in Norway (fusions and such).

I am currently 2nd deputy board member for temporarily employed education and research staff. It is not yet clear whether elections for representatives for temporarily employed education and research staff, and students, will be held as planned in Spring 2015 or whether these will be postponed until Autumn 2015. 

Open meeting on possible university fusion attended

Today I have attended an open meeting at the University of Stavanger on possible university fusion. The process of restructuring in the Norwegian higher education sector has been initiated by the Ministry of Education. Today's open meeting was chaired by the rector of UiS, Marit Boyesen.

Not appointed to national committee for research ethics

Today the composition of the new national committees for research ethics in Norway for the period 2014-2017 was made public (see here) as the Ministry of Education and Research announced their appointments. I was not appointed to any of them.

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Interest in being member of national committee for research ethics

Allotment letter from the ministry to UiS received and read

A few days back I received and read the allotment letter from the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research to the University of Stavanger, which is to be distributed to all board members (I am currently second deputy representative for temporarily employed education and research staff). The letter, which is part of the ministry's "management dialogue" (styringsdialog), details the government's educational and research policies and relevant financial dispositions for 2014.

Interest in being member of national committee for research ethics

In response to an open call, I have signalled my interest in being appointed as a member of one of the three National Committees for Research Ethics in Norway ("Forskningsetiske komiteer"). Members of new committees for the period 2014-2017 will be appointed this autumn by the Ministry of Education and Research, based on recommendations from the Research Council of Norway. All three committees seek philosophers with competence in ethics.

UiS board meeting: Reports and plans; study portfolio development; plagiarism

Last Thursday I attended the board meeting of the University of Stavanger (UiS), the second board meeting this year. Issues discussed included reporting for 2012 and plans for 2013 (to the Ministry of Education and Research, which is the owner of UiS) and development of the study portfolio. In the latter case the university director did not get the board's explicit approval to implement seven measures aiming at centralising the management of the study portfolio (though several of them have broad support and will and should be carried out). I was part of presenting alternative proposals for decisions in both cases; the first, proposed with Fredrik Skår (representative for permanent administrative staff), triggered substantial debate about whether or not the board should prioritise what parameters to pay special attention to, but eventually lost the vote 10 to 1, the second, proposed with Eva Hærem (deputy representative for permanent scientific staff), was eventually withdrawn when rector Marit Boyesen and the university director John Møst took a time-out and then in their revised proposal removed the reference to the seven concrete measures, which included establishing a work group that would make suggestions about what studies to close down.

A Norwegian-language report from the board meeting is available on the UiS webpage, where you'll also find news about a plagiarism case involving a scholar which we also treated at the meeting.