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AARHUS UNIVERSITET

AARHUS UNIVERSITET. Aarhus University - The new administration. 1. AARHUS UNIVERSITY IN BRIEF. STUDENTS. STAFF. FINANCES. A STRONG POSITION TO BUILD ON. SITUATION BEFORE THE CHANGE. Original university with 5 faculties

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AARHUS UNIVERSITET

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  1. AARHUS UNIVERSITET Aarhus University - The new administration • 1

  2. AARHUS UNIVERSITY IN BRIEF STUDENTS STAFF FINANCES

  3. A STRONG POSITION TO BUILD ON

  4. SITUATION BEFORE THE CHANGE • Original university with 5 faculties • Merged with a business school, teaching university and two government research institutes (agriculture and environment) • Went from 5 to 9 faculties, but with no real integration and harmonisation – eg. different finance systems • No scientific integration

  5. SITUATION BEFORE THE CHANGE IN THE ADMINISTRATION • Local administrations at departmental, faculty and university level • Many generalists, few specialists and no critical mass • Duplication of effort and many layers to go through when dealing with an issue. • Not a strong university profile. Faculties having local agendas • Weak links between strategy and reality

  6. SITUATION AFTER THE CHANGE • Went from 9 to 4 faculties • Went from 55 to 26 departments • Integration of scientific disciplines to promote interdisciplinarity • Very small administrations in departments and faculties • General administration delivered through administrative centres managed by central administration and employed by central administration • Rector and deans share management responsibility (co-located)

  7. GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE NEW ADMINISTRATION • Allow researchers and academic leaders to focus on core activities • Handling of cases at one administrative level and two levels at the most • Specialization of functions in order to professionalize services • Ensuring a critical mass with a view to reducing vulnerability • Standardized and digital solutions to enhance efficiency • Strong focus on the wishes and needs of end users

  8. A SINGLE UNIFIED MANAGEMENT WHERE DEANS HAVE THREE RESPONSIBILITIES

  9. NINE AREAS OF ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIZATION University director Office of the senior management AU Strategy AU Communication AU Research and Talent AU IT Support of 4 core AU functions General administrative support AU Knowledge Exchange AU Finance and Planning AU Studies AU HR

  10. FOUR ADMINISTRATIVE CENTERS Administrative centers AR, ST, HE and BSS AU STUDIES AU FINANCE AND PLANNING Coherent and responsive services AU HR 4 directors of liaison 26 Institutes AU COMMUNICATION AU IT AU RESEARCH & TALENT Specialized services

  11. EXAMPLE: AU RESEARCH AND TALENT Administrative Center, AR Administrative Center, ST Administrative Center, HE Administrative Center, BSS Back-office: Research Support Back-office: Talent Development Back-office: International Center

  12. Director (1 AU/AUH) IT/library (3 AUH) Secretary (1 AUH) Strategy(3 AU) Post Award(4 AU) Manager of Pre Award (1 AU/AUH) HEALTH (3 AUH/2 AU) ARTS + BSS (5 AU) Science & Technology (3 AU/1 AUH) RESEARCH SUPPORT

  13. FACTS ABOUT RESEARCH SUPPORT • Started April 2002 with one person and focus on pre award • 27 staff servicing the university and hospitals and including strategy and complex post award • External funding level: 15% of total university budget – 40-50% of total research budget • FP7: +200 projects, 21 ERC grants, success rates – 20% ERC, 40% cooperation, 50% Marie Curie • Strategic focus from the start on ERC • Attracts 25-30% of all national funding

  14. SUCCESS FACTORS Heavy focus on users – RSO seen as team member Training of young and experienced staff Pro-active contact to researchers Experienced and highly professional staff Knowledge of local expertise Focusing of application effort – fewer proposals and more grants Close link between strategy, proposal and project management (project life cycle) – kind of one-stop-shop

  15. STRATEGIC PLAN FOR PRE AND POST AWARD (MATRIX) • Three types of projects • Unique, large-scale projects • Complex, multi-partner projects • Simple projects • Three types of phases – who does what? • Idea generation • Pre award • Post award

  16. STRATEGIC WORK • Secretariat for research committee (dean and the four vice deans for research) • Internal funding: Interdisciplinary centers, ideas programme • Research strategy: Funding, Research Management, Excellence, Visbility, Research Environment • Support strategy for researchers • AU Research Forum • Preparing agenda • Funding initiatives and links to (international) recruitment

  17. STRATEGIC WORK (MATRIX) • Three types of processes • Political • Funding programmes and visibility (6 interdisciplinary working groups) • Internal mapping (mapping through interdisciplinary groups) • Four kinds of parties • Rector/dean • Research committee • Researchers • Support office

  18. PITFALLS Too many changes at once – almost all connections between administrators and researchers changed Perceived to be too much a top-down process Communication internally and externally Uncertainty among administrative staff (going from generalists to specialists) Sense of A and B class of staff

  19. CRITICAL SUCCESS FACTORS • Clear vision • Willingness to focus resources • Develop a customer approach to academics • Coordinate overall strategy with local initiatives • Focus on interdisciplinarity and societal challenges • Short decision making structure and process • Evidence-based strategy

  20. Thank you John Westensee, Director, AU Talent and Research, Research SupportE-mail: jwe@adm.au.dk

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