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Working hours at SDU

The majority of collective agreement employees in the state follow either the rules in the state’s working hours agreement or the rules in the Collective Agreement for Academics (Danish Confederation of Professional Associations).

If you are covered by the Collective Agreement for Academics, the working hours rules are stated in the agreement. ‘Working hours’ as a concept is not specified in the collective agreement, and therefore there are generally flexible options for organising working hours.

Read more about rules for your working hours here.


Working hours for academic staff at the Faculty of Humanities

Standard agreements

Read about compensation for teaching, preparation and administrative tasks for academic staff at the Faculty of Humanities.

  • The purpose of this agreement is to ensure a balance between research and teaching tasks, so that the faculty can continuously offer research-based teaching and conduct research, knowledge exchange, and talent development in accordance with the provisions of the University Act. The agreement aims to ensure that academic staff at SDU-HUM have uniform conditions and transparency regarding the work carried out at the individual departments and programmes. Additionally, the agreement includes working time norms for academic staff with only teaching and administrative tasks and without research obligations.

    The agreement also aims to establish simple guidelines so that managers and employees can, through dialogue, agree on the most optimal distribution of tasks within the departments as a whole.

  • This agreement establishes norms for:

    • Teaching and preparation, including feedback, supervision, and examination.
    • Administrative tasks, including those specifically related to teaching and research.

    The remaining working hours of academic staff are expected to be spent on research, research dissemination, and other research-related activities.

    The norms are set based on the following considerations:

    • To establish time compensations that clarify the expected average time expenditure for the various tasks.
    • To set time compensations for teaching and preparation, including feedback, supervision, and examination activities, in a transparent manner.
    • To set time compensations for administrative tasks in a transparent manner.

    With the conclusion of this working time agreement, no local agreements can be introduced at the department level beyond what this agreement specifically allows. If there is a need for local changes in time norms due to exceptional, lasting circumstances, changes are agreed upon with the dean and the Joint Union Representative, and the Cooperation Committee is informed.

    A full academic staff year (with five weeks of holiday and one week of special leave) is calculated as 1,642 hours per year, equivalent to 821 hours per semester. A teaching hour corresponds to a scheduled hour of 45 minutes. Compensations are calculated in working hours.

    It is the responsibility of the departments to keep records of employees' time status and to send an up-to-date balance statement to each employee once per semester. Surplus and deficit hours must be discussed at least once a year, for example, in connection with the annual performance review, to ensure balance over time. It is the duty of the head of the department to ensure that the time accounting for each individual is balanced (0 hours), with the possibilities for fluctuations mentioned below.

  • An individual lecturer's time accounting is a tool that allows for the adjustment of the balance between teaching and research, so that a deficit of hours is seen as deferred teaching obligation, and a surplus of hours is seen as deferred research obligation. A surplus in the accounting cannot be claimed for payment by the employee, and a deficit cannot be claimed for repayment by the department. In the event of an excess or deficit, the head of the department and the employee must agree on a plan to ensure balance over time. The agreements typically consist of a reduction in teaching duties for a given period. If other elements are included, this must be reported to the union representative. The head of department provides an annual update on such agreements.

    There should be a focus on preventing systematic accumulation of hours.

    An individual temporary agreement on a different distribution of working hours than mentioned below can be made. This can occur in connection with transitioning to senior terms of employment or in other situations where a different distribution of research and teaching/administration time may be appropriate. The possibility of such an agreement can be discussed during the annual performance review. For lecturers, an agreement must involve the union representative. Professors can make agreements themselves but are encouraged to involve the union representative.

    Savings schemes can be introduced at a department to ensure the possibility of systematically saving for teaching-free semesters. Participation in the savings scheme is voluntary for each employee. Agreements on the scheduling of teaching-free semesters are made with the head of the department, taking into account the department's overall task portfolio.

    • For associate professors and full professors, the allocation of hours for tasks related to research and knowledge exchange is initially set at 45 percent of the total working hours (742 hours per year), while tasks related to teaching, including supervision, talent development, and other teaching-related and administrative tasks, including assessment work and research management tasks (see section 5.1 below), are initially set at 55 percent of the total working hours (900 hours per year).

      An excess of teaching hours can be advantageous, for example, for saving up for periods with partial or complete teaching-free time. However, the excess must not exceed 900 hours, and similarly, the deficit must not be greater than 450.

      Externally and internally funded buyouts for research and/or development tasks affect the distribution of working hours between teaching and research. How the buyout impacts the employee's other research or teaching tasks is agreed with the head of the department once the application has been approved, with the aim of accommodating the employee's overall task portfolio, the project's requirements, and the department's tasks. The head of department informs the union representative annually about the allocation of buyouts.

      It is possible to agree on entire teaching-free semesters, but exemption from teaching for more than one year must be presented to the dean. Buyouts for research management will always be buyouts during teaching time.

    • For fixed-term lecturers, the same work obligations apply as for professors and lecturers. Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a deviation of 60 working hours in either positive or negative favour at the end of the employment period for a fixed-term lectureship is acceptable.

    • For assistant professors, the allocation of hours for tasks related to research and knowledge exchange is initially set at 63 percent of the total working hours (1,042 hours per year), while tasks related to teaching and, to a limited extent, administration constitute 37 percent of the total working hours (600 hours per year). There is no separate compensation for participation in university pedagogy courses.

      An excess of teaching hours can be advantageous, for example, for saving up for a teaching-free semester. However, the surplus must not exceed 400 hours, and the deficit must not exceed 300 hours during the employment period. The overall teaching schedule for an assistant professorship should aim to provide the assistant professor with a teaching-free semester, ideally placed in the middle of the period.

      Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a deviation of 60 working hours in either positive or negative favour at the end of the employment period for a fixed-term assistant professorship is acceptable.

      When transitioning from a tenure track assistant professorship to a lectureship, any surplus or deficit in teaching hours will be carried over.

    • A PhD student is required to undertake tasks for the employing institution amounting to 840 working hours over three years. No more than 660 of these hours can be allocated to departmental tasks (teaching, examination, and assessment). The remaining part of the work obligation can consist of dissemination, research, library work, or other academic tasks (excluding administrative tasks), which are planned in collaboration with the supervisor and the PhD school director and included in the PhD plan.

    • Research assistants and postdocs who teach only to a limited extent/do not teach regularly do not receive basic compensation, as they are not expected to take part in routine administrative duties.

      For research assistants and postdocs who teach to a limited extent/for a limited period, compensation for teaching is provided in accordance with the provisions set out in section 1.1 of the Norm Agreement for Part‑time Academic Staff (DVIP) at the Faculty of Humanities.

      Compensation for feedback, supervision, examinations, and other tasks follows the provisions in sections 6 and 7 of the present agreement.

      Changes apply as of spring semester 2027.

     

  • Applicable as of the planning of the spring semester 2027

    For teaching associates and lecturers without research obligations, the total annual working time is 1,642 hours.

    Teaching associates and lecturers are allocated 30 hours per semester from the basic pool (see tasks covered under section 5.2), as well as 24 hours per semester for maintaining and updating their existing teaching portfolio. These two forms of compensation amount to 108 hours annually.

    Teaching associates and lecturers may agree with their line manager that hours can be allocated for professional development, course development, outreach activities, networking, the preparation of textbooks or other teaching materials, particularly demanding disciplinary responsibilities, or educational administrative tasks, etc.

    The head of department must ensure that the remaining annual workload of 1,534 hours for full‑time teaching staff is distributed evenly across the two semesters and is responsible for ensuring appropriate planning of the staff member’s working time. The workload requirement is considered fulfilled if the workload in a semester is at least 750 hours. If the workload in a single semester exceeds 767 hours, the surplus is transferred to the next semester and must then be taken. A shortfall below 750 hours is likewise transferred to the following semester.

    The time bank is reset each year at the end of the spring semester.

    The first reset of the time bank will take place at the end of spring 2028. Individual staff members may enter into agreements, by the end of spring 2028, regarding the reduction of hours without the time bank being reset in connection with the post‑spring 2028 reset.

    Teaching associates are compensated with 270 hours for completing the university pedagogy programme, distributed across two semesters.

    The above working‑time rules do not apply to research assistants (see new section 3.4).

    Applicable up to and including fall semester 2026

    For teaching assistants and senior teaching assistants without research obligations, the total working hours amount to 1,642 hours per year. Of the total working hours, 15 percent (equivalent to 246 hours annually) is allocated to professional development (including, for example, academic and social meetings, introductory meetings on new IT systems, updating teaching portfolios, pedagogical and didactic competence development) and administrative work related to teaching that goes beyond the regular organisation of courses (tasks may include, but are not limited to, coordination of subjects with multiple instructors, mentoring and guiding part-time lecturers, student orientation activities, or similar). The remaining working hours per semester thus amount to 698 hours.

    The head of the department should strive to ensure that the full-time teacher's remaining work obligation of 698 hours per semester is fulfilled. However, if this is not possible, the work obligation is considered fulfilled if the time load in a semester is between 650 and 698 hours. If the time load in a single semester exceeds 698 hours, the surplus is carried over to the next semester. A deficit below 650 hours is carried over to the next semester. The head of the department can approve that a work obligation is exceptionally fulfilled even if the time load is below 650 hours. It is the responsibility of the head of the department to ensure that the working hours are balanced for each employee. Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a deviation of 100 hours in either positive or negative favour is acceptable for senior teaching assistants and teaching assistants.

    The above rules for working hours also apply to research assistants. If the research assistant is employed part-time, the teaching load is calculated as a fraction corresponding to the part-time employment.

    Teaching assistants are compensated for completing university pedagogy courses with 270 hours distributed over two semesters.

    When transitioning from a teaching assistant to a senior teaching assistant, any surplus or deficit in teaching hours will be carried over.

    • A special compensation pool (departmental pool) is established to compensate for significant operational and development tasks that fall outside the compensations set in the standard agreement. Tasks that can be compensated may include, but are not limited to, subject coordination, other coordination tasks, research management, editorial work, committees established at the departmental level, major revisions of study programmes, activities to improve the study environment, project applications, competence development, and initiatives related to the department's strategy.

      It is not possible to compensate tasks from the departmental pool that are already standardised in this agreement.

      The guidelines and principles for the distribution of the pool are determined by the head of the department in consultation with the departmental council and the department's union representative. The pool is managed and distributed by the head of the department. It must be possible for employees to apply for the pool themselves and to nominate colleagues. Likewise, agreements on shares of the pool can be made with the head of the department in advance.

      For each professor and lecturer in the department, 30 hours per semester are allocated to the pool, and for each assistant professor, 15 hours. The pool's hours are primarily distributed to employees with research obligations but can be allocated to other job categories for specific tasks.

      The pool is distributed once per semester. All hours in the pool should, in principle, be distributed at each allocation, but a surplus or deficit of 15 percent is acceptable.

      The head of the department must ensure that an overview of the pool's distribution is prepared annually. This overview must be available to the department's employees and presented to the departmental council and the cooperation committee to evaluate whether the pool is functioning as intended.

      The department pool has been changed from 25 hours to 30 hours. Changes apply as of autumn semester 2026.

    • Basic compensation is granted to staff with research obligations. A basic compensation corresponding to 6.6% of the teaching obligation for the relevant staff category is allocated in advance, corresponding to the following number of working hours per semester:

      • Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor: 30 hours
      • PhD student: 12 hours

      For staff without research obligations, see section 4.

      The basic pool covers administrative duties, including departmental meetings, academic collegial meetings, committee meetings, coordination of courses with multiple lecturers, study‑start activities, and mentoring or guidance of part‑time lecturers (DVIP) in relation to disciplinary responsibilities.

      The number of hours should be understood as an average workload calculated over several years.

      All research‑based courses offered by the faculty have an appointed discipline coordinator. The discipline coordinator, together with the programme chair and committee, is responsible for the course description in the curriculum and must be consulted if the committee wishes to amend the wording. The discipline coordinator is likewise the contact person for part‑time lecturers (DVIP) teaching the course.

      For senior arrangements and part‑time employment, the basic compensation is set at 6.6% of the teaching obligation in accordance with the employment fraction stated in the employment contract. If this creates challenges in relation to expectations regarding workplace duties, the matter must be discussed with the line manager and, where relevant, the union representative.

      Example: For an associate professor employed at 50% with a teaching obligation of 410.5 hours per year, the basic compensation amounts to 6.6% of 410.5 hours/2 = 13.5 hours per semester.

      In cases of full (100%) buy‑out for externally funded projects for an entire semester, the basic pool is suspended. During the application phase, expectations must be aligned regarding the staff member’s contribution to the academic environment. The head of department must involve the programme chair/research leader.

      Changes apply as of spring semester 2027.


    • The following provisions apply to all forms of teaching at bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels.

      Teaching time is defined as the number of contact hours of 45 minutes each. Each contact hour of 45 minutes is compensated with 1 working hour. As a general rule, the instructor is compensated with 2.5 hours of preparation per contact hour, i.e., 3.5 hours in total. PhD students are compensated with 3 hours of preparation per contact hour, amounting to a total of 4 hours.

      For parallel teaching, the first group is compensated with 2.5 hours of preparation, and subsequent groups are compensated with 0.75 hours of preparation per contact hour, i.e., 1.75 hours in total. For PhD students, the first group is compensated with 3 hours of preparation per contact hour, while subsequent groups are compensated with 1 hour of preparation per contact hour, amounting to a total of 2 hours.

      A contact hour designated as a VIP exercise hour is compensated with 0.25 working hours for preparation, i.e., 1.25 hours in total. The number of contact hours compensated as VIP exercise hours is indicated in the "Internal Information" field in the course description.

      Working hours related to ph.d.-students apply as of spring semester 2027.

    • Feedback activities are set at 25 minutes multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course. Compensation is only given if it is stated in the course description that feedback is included in the course.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

    • The following standards for supervision and assessment have been determined in relation to


      Bachelor project

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts

      1 sudent

      10 working hours

      1 working hour

      2 students

      15 working hours

      1 working hour

      3 students

      20 working hours

      1 working hour

      Master’s project

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts

      1 student

      12 working hours

      1 working hour

      2 students

      18 working hours

      1 working hour

      3 students

      24 working hours

      1 working hour

       

      Master’s thesis

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts - no show

      		 Subsequent examination attempts - not passed Subsequent examination attempts - change of supervisor or subject

      1 student

      20 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  20 working hours

      2 students

      30 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  30 working hours

      3 students

      40 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  40 working hours

      In relation to theses and master’s projects with oral defence, the oral defense is included in the stated working hours.

      The above stated is the standard working hours. However, in connection with allocating supervision for subsequent examination attempts extra working hours beyond the above stated can be allocated on the basis of an individual academic assessment of the need for supervision for the student.

      The changes apply as of the spring semester 2027

      Project-oriented course

      The Contact Committee for the Norm Agreement, at their meeting on 1st July, negotiated an amendment to the norm for the project-oriented course. The following clarifications are made regarding the project-oriented course:

      The supervisor’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the supervision agreement complies with the rules for the project-oriented course.
      • The supervisor should provide limited guidance to the student in connection with the project-oriented course.
      • The supervisor acts as the examiner for the student’s report.
      • The supervisor must facilitate contact with the programme leader in case of issues between the student and the internship site.

      The programme leader’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The programme leader refers students to RIO if they have trouble finding a company.
      • The programme leader is the person students should contact in case of conflicts with the internship site. The programme leader is supported by U&K, with possible involvement of the Student Guidance.

      The Study Board’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The Study Board is responsible for evaluating the project-oriented course.

      The norm for the project-oriented course is set as follows:

      Project-oriented courses

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts
       

      5 ECTS credits

      4 working hours

       No further compensation

      10 ECTS credits

      4 working hours

      No further compensation

      15 ECTS credits

      5 working hours

      No further compensation

      20 ECTS credits

      6 working hours

      No further compensation

       30 ECTS credits

      7 working hours

       No further compensation

      The amendment will take effect from 1st September 2024.

    • The standardisation of work related to examinations is determined based on the following norms multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      ECTS credits scope

      Compensation per student enrolled on the course

      Courses with a scope of up to and including 7 ECTS

      30 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 7.5 ECTS up to and including 10.5 ECTS

      50 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 11 ECTS up to and including 15 ECTS

      60 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 15.5 ECTS up to and including 20 ECTS

      70 minutes

      The compensation for examinations includes tasks related to the preparation of exam questions, handling of exam complaints, reporting plagiarism, and re-examinations.

      For courses where the final assessment is based on class participation, the compensation is set at 15 minutes multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      Compensation for self-study subjects follows the above norm in relation to ECTS weight. If the self-study subject is worth less than 7.5 ECTS, the norm for "Courses up to and including 7 ECTS" is applied. There is no supervision associated with self-study subjects.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

      In the case of exam complaint decisions where the student is granted either a re-examination or a re-assessment, compensation is awarded to the appointed assessors according to the above compensation based on the course's scope.

      For oral defences related to theses and master's projects, see section 6.3.

    • In cases where the course description specifies that an internal examiner participates in oral exams, the internal examiner is compensated for the actual time spent on the oral exam multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      In cases where the course description specifies that an internal examiner participates in:

      • an oral exam with a preceding written product, or
      • exceptionally, a written exam,

      the internal examiner is compensated as follows:

      ECTS credits scope

      Compensation per student enrolled on the course

      Courses with a scope of up to and including 7 ECTS

      30 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 7.5 ECTS up to and including 10.5 ECTS

      50 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 11 ECTS up to and including 15 ECTS

      60 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 15.5 ECTS up to and including 20 ECTS

      70 minutes
      The compensation for examinations includes handling exam complaints and re-examinations.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

      Addendum: Internal Examination with Part-Time Lecturers
      Agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022
      It has been agreed that compensation for internal examination is not automatically granted in cases where the exam is conducted by a part-time lecturer (DVIP) who is not yet independent or requires mentoring in connection with exam assessment.

      There is consensus that it may be beneficial for a full-time academic (VIP), whether the subject coordinator or another, to mentor a part-time lecturer without grading experience regarding the grading standards for a given course.

      There is also agreement that full internal examination compensation cannot be granted for all tasks in the aforementioned cases, but a model where the VIP reviews some "sample" tasks from the top and bottom of a batch of tasks would be acceptable.

      It is possible for department heads to allocate individually decided compensations for this ad hoc mentoring of part-time lecturers without grading experience. In this context, it should be noted that teaching assistants must be granted separate examination rights to conduct exams. Examination rights are granted in connection with the academic assessment during the application for the position.
    • If multiple instructors are responsible for the teaching, the compensation is divided among them.

      Addendum agreed between Parties A and B on 20th December 2022:
      Instructors who act as guest lecturers internally within the faculty's programmes are compensated according to section 6.1 of the standard agreement for each teaching session (3.5 hours for teaching and preparation). The regular instructor's compensation is reduced by the number of hours the guest lecturer covers. It is assumed that the regular instructor is not present during the guest lecturer's sessions. If the regular instructor participates in the lecture, they receive 1.25 hours for teaching and preparation.

      For external guest lecturers, the above principle also applies, but it is assumed that the instructor has some preparation for the teaching when an external guest lecturer is involved.

    • As a general rule, class splitting occurs when there are 61 enrolled students. However, the head of the department may determine a different number for class splitting (both higher and lower). The final decision on the size, merging, and duplication of classes is made by the head of the department in dialogue with the Head of Studies and the study board. In assessing whether class duplication is necessary, consideration is given to the nature of the academic discipline, the ECTS frequency, and other relevant factors.

    • For teaching conducted outside normal teaching hours (after 6 pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays), instructors are compensated with 4 working hours for preparation and teaching time for each contact hour.
    • Compensation for teaching and preparation in courses with teaching methods that differ significantly from typical methods (such as lectures and class teaching) is negotiated individually with the head of the department, involving the union representative.

      Compensation for examination formats that differ significantly in scope from the set compensations for ECTS is negotiated individually with the head of the department, involving the union representative.

      Addendum agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022:
      Compensation for subjects where supervision constitutes the majority of the teaching must be negotiated with the head of the department, involving the Head of Studies and the union representative.

    • Teaching or examinations conducted at a different educational site from where one is primarily employed are assigned a norm according to the following key:

      • Kolding – Odense: 2 hours per teaching session
      • Kolding – Sønderborg: 2 hours per teaching session
      • Sønderborg – Odense: 4 hours per teaching session
      • Slagelse – Odense: 2 hours per teaching session

      For travel to multiple educational sites, the highest norm applies.

      Compensation can also be granted for travel related to supervision, such as for BA projects and theses, but supervision of students at campuses other than the employee's main campus should, as far as possible, be conducted virtually.

      No compensation is given for travel to staff meetings with the expectation of physical attendance at other campuses, as travel expenses are reimbursed.

    • Agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022

      It has been agreed that compensation is not automatically granted if an academic staff member has subject responsibility for many courses.

      It is possible for the head of the department – after specific assessment – to allocate individually decided compensations to academic staff who have subject responsibility for courses taught by a part-time lecturer (DVIP) who is not yet independent or requires mentoring in connection with course planning and execution. Compensation is given for ad hoc mentoring of less experienced part-time lecturers.

      Such individually allocated compensations are financed from the department's normal operations. The rationale is that the use of part-time lecturers (especially teaching assistants) represents a significant cost saving for a course, and it is reasonable to consider that the necessary colleague mentoring is currently a hidden cost of using part-time lecturers, which should be accounted for and covered by the department receiving the ECTS.

    • A distinction must be made between full teaching courses, which are compensated according to the standard agreement's general rules for compensation, and individual teaching hours, which should be compensated by agreement with the head of the department.

      When determining individual teaching hours, the head of the department must consider the actual expectations from the requester regarding the teaching course, participation in meetings, etc.

    • For the coordination of ATU activities, 10 working hours are allocated.

      For conducting activities related to ATU (e.g., in-depth seminars, workshops, introductory seminars, etc.), 3.5 working hours are allocated for the first hour and 1.25 working hours for each subsequent hour.

      For conducting other recruitment activities (e.g., masterclasses for advanced subjects, workshops for high school classes, or similar), 3.5 working hours are allocated for the first hour and 1.25 working hours for each subsequent hour.


  • Administrative tasks related to research (such as head of centre, head of research, research programme manager, etc.) are compensated for via the departmental pool of funds.

    • The following shows the agreed compensations, including negotiated changes as of 1st February 2025.

      7.1.1 Supervision

       PhD Supervision: If a co-supervisor is appointed, the compensation is divided between the main supervisor and the co-supervisor.

      30 working hours per semester (total of 180 hours regardless of the duration of the course)

      Assistent professor mentor*

      15 working hours per course
      Assistent professor research mentor* 15 working hours per course

       

      7.1.2 Assessment of Assignments/Theses/Research Applications

       Prize Assignment Assessment:

       20 working hours

       PhD Thesis (Chair):

       30 working hours

       Doctoral Thesis (Chair):

       60 working hours

       Doctoral Thesis (Internal Member):

       30 working hours

       Internal Review (both Reviewer 1 and 2):

       5 working hours

       

       7.1.3 Assessment work in connection with hiring

       PhD appointment:

      3 working hours per applicant

      Associate professorship and assistant professorship (chair)
      (also includes postdocs and DIAS assistant professors):

      7 working hours in administration +
      7 working hours per shortlisted applicant

      Professorship (chair):

      7 working hours in administration +
      10 working hours per shortlisted applicant
      Shortlistning of applicants:* Under 10 applicants: no ekstra hours
      10 applicants or more: 1,5 working hours per 10 applicants (all applications are counted)

       

      7.1.4 Assessment Work in Connection with the Professor Promotion Programme

       1 assessment 

       8 working hours

       2 assessments

       12 working hours

       3 assessments 

       16 working hours

       4 assessments 

       20 working hours

       

      7.1.5 Appointment committee for advertised full-time positions without obligation to carry on research:

      Teaching associate professor, teaching assistant professor:

      3 working hours for administration + 3 working hours per applicant.

      Research assistant:

      1 hour of work in administration + 1 working hour per applicant

       

      7.1.6 Appointment committee for advertised academic part-time positions:

      Part-time lecturer, assistant lecturer:

      1 working hour for administration + 1 working hour per applicant

      7.1.7 Employment in non-advertised academic part-time position:

      Part-time lecturer, assistant lecturer:

      1 working hour for administration + 1 working hour per employee

       

      7.1.8 Other assessment tasks

      Assessment when transitioning to teaching associate professorship:

      3 working hours

      Assessment when transitioning to associate professorship
      (includestenure trackand DIAS assistant professors):

      14 working hours

      Assessment when transitioning to professorship:

      17 working hours

       

      7.1.9 Appointment committee for advertised academic full-time positions:
       Assistent professor, associated professor, full professor:* 7 working hours

       

      * Changes applies as of autumn semester 2026


    • Function

      Working hours per semester

      Collective union representative for the humanities (CUR):

      170

      Department union representative (DUR)

      If not CUR 40

      Liaison committee, vice-chair:

      35

      Liaison committee, ordinary member:

      If not DUR 10

      Health and safety representative

      35

       FAMU/HoAMU

      15

      CAMU

      8

      Academic council, chair

      70

      Academic council, ordinary member

      6

       Academic council, representative for the Heads of Study

       6

      PhD committee, ordinary member

      10

      Study board, ordinary member

      15

      Department council, vice-chair

      15

      Department council, ordinary member

      6

      Gender equality committee, ordinary member

      6

      HUM representative REC

      25

      HUM Representative library committee

      6

      Philosophy of Humanities, coordinator 

      5

      University history committee, day-to-day manager

      30

       HUM Representative e-science Operations Board

      40

       HUM Representative DEiC

      20
       HUM Representative, Commitee for Digital Competencies in Education at SDU 10 
       Subject coordinator for minor subjects offered as part-time programmes 37

      The above listed funtions are in force as of 15th April 2026.

      Committee work estimated at less than 5 hours per semester is not compensated.

      Other council, board, and committee positions are covered by the departmental pool of funds.

      The above list may be changed following negotiation between the dean and the collective union representative.

    • Other significant administrative tasks are compensated from the departmental pool by agreement with the head of the department.

      For compensation for administrative tasks related to the role of Heads of Studies and/or chair of the study board, please refer to a separate local agreement.

      For compensation for administrative tasks related to the role of PhD school director, please refer to a separate local agreement.

      Addendum agreed between Parties A and B on 2nd December 2024:

      The following administrative tasks are compensated as part of the standard agreement:

      Task

      Working hours

       APV, per completed survey

      15 

       Compulsory Health and Safety course

       25

     

  • When transferring existing individual compensation banks, hours already accumulated in the bank up to and including 6 SKT are converted at a rate of 75 working hours per SKT, while additional SKT are converted at a rate of 68 working hours. For full-time lecturers, accumulated banks up to and including 12 SKT are converted at a rate of 75 working hours per SKT, with additional SKT converted at a rate of 68 working hours.

    Existing agreements regarding the scheduling of research sabbaticals will be maintained. For transferred banks exceeding 900 hours, the employee and the head of the department will agree on a suitable reduction plan, taking into account the department's overall task portfolio.

    PhD students/assistant professors with 2 years or less remaining in their employment and other fixed-term contracts entered into before the agreement's effective date will follow the old standard agreement until their employment expires.

  • It has been agreed that, in connection with the implementation of the standard agreement, a liaison meeting will be held once per semester between the parties A and B to monitor the practical application of the standard agreement.

    The first liaison meeting will be held in March 2022.

    The agreement was evaluated in the spring of 2025. As a result of the evaluation the parties have agreed that the liaison meetings are suspended. 

    The agreement will be evaluated next time i autumn 2029.

  • Disagreements about the interpretation of the agreement are to be submitted to the dean and collective union representative for academic staff for clarification.

    For either party, the agreement may be terminated with one year’s notice by 1 February or 1 September.

    Implementation and amendments

    The agreement is signed in September 2021 and comes into force from 1 February 2022. For information on the original agreement, please contact your local union representative.

    Later amendments

    The agreement was evaluated in 2025-2026. An agreement on amendments was signed on 15 April 2026. It is stated below the individual point when the changes come into force, but with the spring semester 2027 at the latest. For more information on this, please contact your local union representative. 

Addendum to the standard agreements

Read about the Faculty of Humanities’ additions and clarifications to the standard agreement for academic staff.

This addendum to the Standard Agreement of 27 September 2021, with subsequent additions, lists all additions, clarifications and other negotiated conditions between management and employee representatives in relation to the working hours of academic staff at the Faculty of Humanities.

  • Calculation of the Basic Allocation for a Postdoctoral Researcher (Postdoc)

    If a postdoctoral researcher has teaching duties as part of their employment, the basic allocation of hours is determined in accordance with the rule for full-time teaching staff (the 15% rule).

    Upon the appointment (or extension) of a postdoctoral researcher, the department calculates the total number of working hours available for teaching-related activities (i.e., non-project-related work) in accordance with the co-funding arrangement and the funding body's guidelines. Of these hours, 15% is allocated to professional development (including, for example, academic and social meetings, introductory sessions on new IT systems, updating the teaching portfolio, and pedagogical and didactic skills development) and to administrative work related to teaching that goes beyond the normal planning and organisation of courses.

    The remaining 85% constitutes the maximum number of hours that may be spent on teaching activities.

    • A special compensation pool (departmental pool) is established to compensate for significant operational and development tasks that fall outside the compensations set in the standard agreement. Tasks that can be compensated may include, but are not limited to, subject coordination, other coordination tasks, research management, editorial work, committees established at the departmental level, major revisions of study programmes, activities to improve the study environment, project applications, competence development, and initiatives related to the department's strategy.

      It is not possible to compensate tasks from the departmental pool that are already standardised in this agreement.

      The guidelines and principles for the distribution of the pool are determined by the head of the department in consultation with the departmental council and the department's union representative. The pool is managed and distributed by the head of the department. It must be possible for employees to apply for the pool themselves and to nominate colleagues. Likewise, agreements on shares of the pool can be made with the head of the department in advance.

      For each professor and lecturer in the department, 30 hours per semester are allocated to the pool, and for each assistant professor, 15 hours. The pool's hours are primarily distributed to employees with research obligations but can be allocated to other job categories for specific tasks.

      The pool is distributed once per semester. All hours in the pool should, in principle, be distributed at each allocation, but a surplus or deficit of 15 percent is acceptable.

      The head of the department must ensure that an overview of the pool's distribution is prepared annually. This overview must be available to the department's employees and presented to the departmental council and the cooperation committee to evaluate whether the pool is functioning as intended.

      The department pool has been changed from 25 hours to 30 hours. Changes apply as of autumn semester 2026.

    • Basic compensation is granted to staff with research obligations. A basic compensation corresponding to 6.6% of the teaching obligation for the relevant staff category is allocated in advance, corresponding to the following number of working hours per semester:

      • Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor: 30 hours
      • PhD student: 12 hours

      For staff without research obligations, see section 4.

      The basic pool covers administrative duties, including departmental meetings, academic collegial meetings, committee meetings, coordination of courses with multiple lecturers, study‑start activities, and mentoring or guidance of part‑time lecturers (DVIP) in relation to disciplinary responsibilities.

      The number of hours should be understood as an average workload calculated over several years.

      All research‑based courses offered by the faculty have an appointed discipline coordinator. The discipline coordinator, together with the programme chair and committee, is responsible for the course description in the curriculum and must be consulted if the committee wishes to amend the wording. The discipline coordinator is likewise the contact person for part‑time lecturers (DVIP) teaching the course.

      For senior arrangements and part‑time employment, the basic compensation is set at 6.6% of the teaching obligation in accordance with the employment fraction stated in the employment contract. If this creates challenges in relation to expectations regarding workplace duties, the matter must be discussed with the line manager and, where relevant, the union representative.

      Example: For an associate professor employed at 50% with a teaching obligation of 410.5 hours per year, the basic compensation amounts to 6.6% of 410.5 hours/2 = 13.5 hours per semester.

      In cases of full (100%) buy‑out for externally funded projects for an entire semester, the basic pool is suspended. During the application phase, expectations must be aligned regarding the staff member’s contribution to the academic environment. The head of department must involve the programme chair/research leader.

      Changes apply as of spring semester 2027.


Standard agreement for DVIP

Read about standards and working hours for DVIP at the Faculty of Humanities.

The following has been laid down in accordance with the Circular on the agreement on external lecturers and teaching assistants at universities, etc. under the Ministry of Higher Education and Science (CIR1H no. 9271 of 16/03/2022) (hereinafter referred to as the Circular).

  • The purpose of this Agreement is to ensure a balance between research and teaching tasks, so that the Faculty can always offer research-based teaching and conduct research as well as knowledge exchange and talent development, cf. the provisions of the Danish University Act. The agreement will help to ensure academic staff at SDU-HUM uniform conditions and transparency in relation to the work carried out at the individual departments and courses of study. In addition, the agreement contains standard working hours for academic staff with teaching and administrative duties, but no obligation to carry on research.

    Finally, the agreement seeks to establish simple guidelines, allowing managers and employees – in dialogue with each other – to agree on the optimal distribution of tasks at the departments as a whole.

  • This Agreement lays down standards for

    • Teaching and preparation, including feedback, guidance and examination.
    • Administrative tasks, including tasks specifically related to teaching and research.

    The other working hours of academic staff are expected to be spent on research, research dissemination and other research related activities.

    The set of standards is made on the following grounds:

    • to establish hourly compensation that clarifies the expected average number of hours spent on performing the various tasks.
    • to establish hourly compensation for teaching and preparation, including feedback, supervision and examination activities, in a transparent manner.
    • to establish hourly compensation for administrative tasks in a transparent manner. 

    With the conclusion of this working hours agreement, no local agreements can be introduced at departmental level beyond what this agreement specifically provides for. If local changes in the specifications of standard working hours are needed due to conditions of an unusual, lasting nature, any changes shall be agreed with the dean and convener, and SU is informed.

    The FTE for academic staff (when taking five weeks of annual leave and one week of special holidays) is calculated as 1,642 hours per year, corresponding to 821 hours per semester. One teaching lesson is equivalent to a scheduled hour of 45 minutes. The compensations are calculated in working hours.

    It is the responsibility of the departments to keep an account of the employees’ hourly status and to send out a current balance statement to each employee once every semester. Any excess or deficit of hours must be discussed at least once a year, e.g. in connection with the performance and development review, with a view to ensuring balance over a period of time. It is the duty of the head of department to ensure that the account of hours of each employee are in balance (0 hours), however, allowing for the fluctuations mentioned below.

  • Each lecturer’s account of hours is a tool that allows them to shift the weighting between teaching and research, so that a deficit of hours is seen as deferred teaching commitment, and an excess of hours is seen as deferred obligation to carry on research. Thus, the employee cannot receive reimbursement for an excess of hours in the statement and any deficit cannot be recovered by the institution. In the event of an excess/deficit of hours, the head of department and the employee must enter into an agreement that in the long term ensures balance. Among other things, the agreement must seek to ensure that there is no systematic accumulation of hours.

    An individualised temporary agreement may be entered into on a different distribution of working hours than that which is mentioned below. This may be done in connection with the transition to employment on senior terms or in other situations where a different distribution of hours for research and teaching/administrative tasks may be appropriate. The possibility of such an agreement can, for example, be discussed during the performance and development review. For associate professors, an agreement must be entered into with the involvement of the union representative. Professors may enter into agreement themselves, but are encouraged to involve their union representative.

    Savings schemes may be introduced at a department to ensure the possibility of systematic saving for semesters with no teaching. The savings scheme is voluntary for the individual employee. Agreements about the placement of semesters with no teaching are negotiated with the head of department, taking into account the department’s overall task portfolio.

    • For associate professors and full professors, the allocation of hours for tasks related to research and knowledge exchange is initially set at 45 percent of the total working hours (742 hours per year), while tasks related to teaching, including supervision, talent development, and other teaching-related and administrative tasks, including assessment work and research management tasks (see section 5.1 below), are initially set at 55 percent of the total working hours (900 hours per year).

      An excess of teaching hours can be advantageous, for example, for saving up for periods with partial or complete teaching-free time. However, the excess must not exceed 900 hours, and similarly, the deficit must not be greater than 450.

      Externally and internally funded buyouts for research and/or development tasks affect the distribution of working hours between teaching and research. How the buyout impacts the employee's other research or teaching tasks is agreed with the head of the department once the application has been approved, with the aim of accommodating the employee's overall task portfolio, the project's requirements, and the department's tasks. The head of department informs the union representative annually about the allocation of buyouts.

      It is possible to agree on entire teaching-free semesters, but exemption from teaching for more than one year must be presented to the dean. Buyouts for research management will always be buyouts during teaching time.

    • For fixed-term lecturers, the same work obligations apply as for professors and lecturers. Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a deviation of 60 working hours in either positive or negative favour at the end of the employment period for a fixed-term lectureship is acceptable.

    • For assistant professors, the allocation of hours for tasks related to research and knowledge exchange is initially set at 63 percent of the total working hours (1,042 hours per year), while tasks related to teaching and, to a limited extent, administration constitute 37 percent of the total working hours (600 hours per year). There is no separate compensation for participation in university pedagogy courses.

      An excess of teaching hours can be advantageous, for example, for saving up for a teaching-free semester. However, the surplus must not exceed 400 hours, and the deficit must not exceed 300 hours during the employment period. The overall teaching schedule for an assistant professorship should aim to provide the assistant professor with a teaching-free semester, ideally placed in the middle of the period.

      Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a deviation of 60 working hours in either positive or negative favour at the end of the employment period for a fixed-term assistant professorship is acceptable.

      When transitioning from a tenure track assistant professorship to a lectureship, any surplus or deficit in teaching hours will be carried over.

    • A PhD student is required to undertake tasks for the employing institution amounting to 840 working hours over three years. No more than 660 of these hours can be allocated to departmental tasks (teaching, examination, and assessment). The remaining part of the work obligation can consist of dissemination, research, library work, or other academic tasks (excluding administrative tasks), which are planned in collaboration with the supervisor and the PhD school director and included in the PhD plan.

    • Research assistants and postdocs who teach only to a limited extent/do not teach regularly do not receive basic compensation, as they are not expected to take part in routine administrative duties.

      For research assistants and postdocs who teach to a limited extent/for a limited period, compensation for teaching is provided in accordance with the provisions set out in section 1.1 of the Norm Agreement for Part‑time Academic Staff (DVIP) at the Faculty of Humanities.

      Compensation for feedback, supervision, examinations, and other tasks follows the provisions in sections 6 and 7 of the present agreement.

      Changes apply as of spring semester 2027.

     

  • For teaching assistant professors and teaching associate professors without obligation to carry on research, the total working hours amount to 1642 hours per year. Of the total working hours, 15 percent (corresponding to 246 hours per year) is allocated to professional development (e.g. professional and social meetings, intro meetings about new IT systems, updating of teaching portfolio, pedagogical and didactic competence development) and administrative work related to teaching which goes beyond the general organisation of courses (the tasks may include, but are not limited to, coordination of subjects with several lecturers, sparring with and supervision of academic part-time staff, study start activities or the like). The remaining working time per semester amounts to 698 working hours.

    The head of department must ensure that the full-time lecturer’s remaining work obligation of 698 hours per semester is fulfilled, but if this is not possible the work obligation will be considered fulfilled if the hourly load in a semester is between 650 and 698 hours. If the hourly load in a single semester is more than 698, the surplus is transferred to the next semester. A deficit below 650 hours will be transferred to the next semester. In exceptional cases, the head of department may approve that a work obligation has been fulfilled even if the hourly load is less than 650 hours. It is the responsibility of the head of department to ensure that the working hours are in balance with the individual employee. Since it is not always possible to meet the teaching obligation exactly, a fluctuation of 100 hours, either in positive or negative terms, is acceptable for teaching associate professors and teaching assistant professors.

    The above rules for working hours also apply to research assistants. If the research assistant is employed part-time, the teaching load is calculated as a fraction corresponding to part-time employment.

    Teaching assistant professors are compensated for the completion of higher education pedagogy with 270 hours spread over two semesters.

    Any excess or deficit of teaching hours is transferred in the transition from teaching assistant professor to teaching associate professor.

    • A special compensation pool (departmental pool) is established to compensate for significant operational and development tasks that fall outside the compensations set in the standard agreement. Tasks that can be compensated may include, but are not limited to, subject coordination, other coordination tasks, research management, editorial work, committees established at the departmental level, major revisions of study programmes, activities to improve the study environment, project applications, competence development, and initiatives related to the department's strategy.

      It is not possible to compensate tasks from the departmental pool that are already standardised in this agreement.

      The guidelines and principles for the distribution of the pool are determined by the head of the department in consultation with the departmental council and the department's union representative. The pool is managed and distributed by the head of the department. It must be possible for employees to apply for the pool themselves and to nominate colleagues. Likewise, agreements on shares of the pool can be made with the head of the department in advance.

      For each professor and lecturer in the department, 30 hours per semester are allocated to the pool, and for each assistant professor, 15 hours. The pool's hours are primarily distributed to employees with research obligations but can be allocated to other job categories for specific tasks.

      The pool is distributed once per semester. All hours in the pool should, in principle, be distributed at each allocation, but a surplus or deficit of 15 percent is acceptable.

      The head of the department must ensure that an overview of the pool's distribution is prepared annually. This overview must be available to the department's employees and presented to the departmental council and the cooperation committee to evaluate whether the pool is functioning as intended.

      The department pool has been changed from 25 hours to 30 hours. Changes apply as of autumn semester 2026.

    • Basic compensation is granted to staff with research obligations. A basic compensation corresponding to 6.6% of the teaching obligation for the relevant staff category is allocated in advance, corresponding to the following number of working hours per semester:

      • Assistant Professor/Associate Professor/Professor: 30 hours
      • PhD student: 12 hours

      For staff without research obligations, see section 4.

      The basic pool covers administrative duties, including departmental meetings, academic collegial meetings, committee meetings, coordination of courses with multiple lecturers, study‑start activities, and mentoring or guidance of part‑time lecturers (DVIP) in relation to disciplinary responsibilities.

      The number of hours should be understood as an average workload calculated over several years.

      All research‑based courses offered by the faculty have an appointed discipline coordinator. The discipline coordinator, together with the programme chair and committee, is responsible for the course description in the curriculum and must be consulted if the committee wishes to amend the wording. The discipline coordinator is likewise the contact person for part‑time lecturers (DVIP) teaching the course.

      For senior arrangements and part‑time employment, the basic compensation is set at 6.6% of the teaching obligation in accordance with the employment fraction stated in the employment contract. If this creates challenges in relation to expectations regarding workplace duties, the matter must be discussed with the line manager and, where relevant, the union representative.

      Example: For an associate professor employed at 50% with a teaching obligation of 410.5 hours per year, the basic compensation amounts to 6.6% of 410.5 hours/2 = 13.5 hours per semester.

      In cases of full (100%) buy‑out for externally funded projects for an entire semester, the basic pool is suspended. During the application phase, expectations must be aligned regarding the staff member’s contribution to the academic environment. The head of department must involve the programme chair/research leader.

      Changes apply as of spring semester 2027.


    • The following provisions apply to all forms of teaching at bachelor's, master's, and PhD levels.

      Teaching time is defined as the number of contact hours of 45 minutes each. Each contact hour of 45 minutes is compensated with 1 working hour. As a general rule, the instructor is compensated with 2.5 hours of preparation per contact hour, i.e., 3.5 hours in total. PhD students are compensated with 3 hours of preparation per contact hour, amounting to a total of 4 hours.

      For parallel teaching, the first group is compensated with 2.5 hours of preparation, and subsequent groups are compensated with 0.75 hours of preparation per contact hour, i.e., 1.75 hours in total. For PhD students, the first group is compensated with 3 hours of preparation per contact hour, while subsequent groups are compensated with 1 hour of preparation per contact hour, amounting to a total of 2 hours.

      A contact hour designated as a VIP exercise hour is compensated with 0.25 working hours for preparation, i.e., 1.25 hours in total. The number of contact hours compensated as VIP exercise hours is indicated in the "Internal Information" field in the course description.

      Working hours related to ph.d.-students apply as of spring semester 2027.

    • Feedback activities are set at 25 minutes multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course. Compensation is only given if it is stated in the course description that feedback is included in the course.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

    • The following standards for supervision and assessment have been determined in relation to


      Bachelor project

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts

      1 sudent

      10 working hours

      1 working hour

      2 students

      15 working hours

      1 working hour

      3 students

      20 working hours

      1 working hour

      Master’s project

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts

      1 student

      12 working hours

      1 working hour

      2 students

      18 working hours

      1 working hour

      3 students

      24 working hours

      1 working hour

       

      Master’s thesis

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts - no show

      		 Subsequent examination attempts - not passed Subsequent examination attempts - change of supervisor or subject

      1 student

      20 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  20 working hours

      2 students

      30 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  30 working hours

      3 students

      40 working hours

      5 working hours

      		  10 working hours  40 working hours

      In relation to theses and master’s projects with oral defence, the oral defense is included in the stated working hours.

      The above stated is the standard working hours. However, in connection with allocating supervision for subsequent examination attempts extra working hours beyond the above stated can be allocated on the basis of an individual academic assessment of the need for supervision for the student.

      The changes apply as of the spring semester 2027

      Project-oriented course

      The Contact Committee for the Norm Agreement, at their meeting on 1st July, negotiated an amendment to the norm for the project-oriented course. The following clarifications are made regarding the project-oriented course:

      The supervisor’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The supervisor is responsible for ensuring that the supervision agreement complies with the rules for the project-oriented course.
      • The supervisor should provide limited guidance to the student in connection with the project-oriented course.
      • The supervisor acts as the examiner for the student’s report.
      • The supervisor must facilitate contact with the programme leader in case of issues between the student and the internship site.

      The programme leader’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The programme leader refers students to RIO if they have trouble finding a company.
      • The programme leader is the person students should contact in case of conflicts with the internship site. The programme leader is supported by U&K, with possible involvement of the Student Guidance.

      The Study Board’s role in connection with the project-oriented course is defined as follows:

      • The Study Board is responsible for evaluating the project-oriented course.

      The norm for the project-oriented course is set as follows:

      Project-oriented courses

      1st examination attempt

      Subsequent examination attempts
       

      5 ECTS credits

      4 working hours

       No further compensation

      10 ECTS credits

      4 working hours

      No further compensation

      15 ECTS credits

      5 working hours

      No further compensation

      20 ECTS credits

      6 working hours

      No further compensation

       30 ECTS credits

      7 working hours

       No further compensation

      The amendment will take effect from 1st September 2024.

    • The standardisation of work related to examinations is determined based on the following norms multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      ECTS credits scope

      Compensation per student enrolled on the course

      Courses with a scope of up to and including 7 ECTS

      30 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 7.5 ECTS up to and including 10.5 ECTS

      50 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 11 ECTS up to and including 15 ECTS

      60 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 15.5 ECTS up to and including 20 ECTS

      70 minutes

      The compensation for examinations includes tasks related to the preparation of exam questions, handling of exam complaints, reporting plagiarism, and re-examinations.

      For courses where the final assessment is based on class participation, the compensation is set at 15 minutes multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      Compensation for self-study subjects follows the above norm in relation to ECTS weight. If the self-study subject is worth less than 7.5 ECTS, the norm for "Courses up to and including 7 ECTS" is applied. There is no supervision associated with self-study subjects.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

      In the case of exam complaint decisions where the student is granted either a re-examination or a re-assessment, compensation is awarded to the appointed assessors according to the above compensation based on the course's scope.

      For oral defences related to theses and master's projects, see section 6.3.

    • In cases where the course description specifies that an internal examiner participates in oral exams, the internal examiner is compensated for the actual time spent on the oral exam multiplied by the number of students enrolled in the course.

      In cases where the course description specifies that an internal examiner participates in:

      • an oral exam with a preceding written product, or
      • exceptionally, a written exam,

      the internal examiner is compensated as follows:

      ECTS credits scope

      Compensation per student enrolled on the course

      Courses with a scope of up to and including 7 ECTS

      30 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 7.5 ECTS up to and including 10.5 ECTS

      50 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 11 ECTS up to and including 15 ECTS

      60 minutes

      Courses with a scope of between 15.5 ECTS up to and including 20 ECTS

      70 minutes
      The compensation for examinations includes handling exam complaints and re-examinations.

      The number of students enrolled in the course is recorded on 1st October and 1st March.

      Addendum: Internal Examination with Part-Time Lecturers
      Agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022
      It has been agreed that compensation for internal examination is not automatically granted in cases where the exam is conducted by a part-time lecturer (DVIP) who is not yet independent or requires mentoring in connection with exam assessment.

      There is consensus that it may be beneficial for a full-time academic (VIP), whether the subject coordinator or another, to mentor a part-time lecturer without grading experience regarding the grading standards for a given course.

      There is also agreement that full internal examination compensation cannot be granted for all tasks in the aforementioned cases, but a model where the VIP reviews some "sample" tasks from the top and bottom of a batch of tasks would be acceptable.

      It is possible for department heads to allocate individually decided compensations for this ad hoc mentoring of part-time lecturers without grading experience. In this context, it should be noted that teaching assistants must be granted separate examination rights to conduct exams. Examination rights are granted in connection with the academic assessment during the application for the position.
    • If multiple instructors are responsible for the teaching, the compensation is divided among them.

      Addendum agreed between Parties A and B on 20th December 2022:
      Instructors who act as guest lecturers internally within the faculty's programmes are compensated according to section 6.1 of the standard agreement for each teaching session (3.5 hours for teaching and preparation). The regular instructor's compensation is reduced by the number of hours the guest lecturer covers. It is assumed that the regular instructor is not present during the guest lecturer's sessions. If the regular instructor participates in the lecture, they receive 1.25 hours for teaching and preparation.

      For external guest lecturers, the above principle also applies, but it is assumed that the instructor has some preparation for the teaching when an external guest lecturer is involved.

    • As a general rule, class splitting occurs when there are 61 enrolled students. However, the head of the department may determine a different number for class splitting (both higher and lower). The final decision on the size, merging, and duplication of classes is made by the head of the department in dialogue with the Head of Studies and the study board. In assessing whether class duplication is necessary, consideration is given to the nature of the academic discipline, the ECTS frequency, and other relevant factors.

    • For teaching conducted outside normal teaching hours (after 6 pm on weekdays, and on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays), instructors are compensated with 4 working hours for preparation and teaching time for each contact hour.
    • Compensation for teaching and preparation in courses with teaching methods that differ significantly from typical methods (such as lectures and class teaching) is negotiated individually with the head of the department, involving the union representative.

      Compensation for examination formats that differ significantly in scope from the set compensations for ECTS is negotiated individually with the head of the department, involving the union representative.

      Addendum agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022:
      Compensation for subjects where supervision constitutes the majority of the teaching must be negotiated with the head of the department, involving the Head of Studies and the union representative.

    • Teaching or examinations conducted at a different educational site from where one is primarily employed are assigned a norm according to the following key:

      • Kolding – Odense: 2 hours per teaching session
      • Kolding – Sønderborg: 2 hours per teaching session
      • Sønderborg – Odense: 4 hours per teaching session
      • Slagelse – Odense: 2 hours per teaching session

      For travel to multiple educational sites, the highest norm applies.

      Compensation can also be granted for travel related to supervision, such as for BA projects and theses, but supervision of students at campuses other than the employee's main campus should, as far as possible, be conducted virtually.

      No compensation is given for travel to staff meetings with the expectation of physical attendance at other campuses, as travel expenses are reimbursed.

    • Agreed between Parties A and B on 8th February 2022

      It has been agreed that compensation is not automatically granted if an academic staff member has subject responsibility for many courses.

      It is possible for the head of the department – after specific assessment – to allocate individually decided compensations to academic staff who have subject responsibility for courses taught by a part-time lecturer (DVIP) who is not yet independent or requires mentoring in connection with course planning and execution. Compensation is given for ad hoc mentoring of less experienced part-time lecturers.

      Such individually allocated compensations are financed from the department's normal operations. The rationale is that the use of part-time lecturers (especially teaching assistants) represents a significant cost saving for a course, and it is reasonable to consider that the necessary colleague mentoring is currently a hidden cost of using part-time lecturers, which should be accounted for and covered by the department receiving the ECTS.

    • A distinction must be made between full teaching courses, which are compensated according to the standard agreement's general rules for compensation, and individual teaching hours, which should be compensated by agreement with the head of the department.

      When determining individual teaching hours, the head of the department must consider the actual expectations from the requester regarding the teaching course, participation in meetings, etc.

    • For the coordination of ATU activities, 10 working hours are allocated.

      For conducting activities related to ATU (e.g., in-depth seminars, workshops, introductory seminars, etc.), 3.5 working hours are allocated for the first hour and 1.25 working hours for each subsequent hour.

      For conducting other recruitment activities (e.g., masterclasses for advanced subjects, workshops for high school classes, or similar), 3.5 working hours are allocated for the first hour and 1.25 working hours for each subsequent hour.


Working hours for study management

Read about the framework for working hours allocated to study management at the Faculty of Humanities.

  • This addendum to the Standard Agreement for academic staff at the Faculty of Humanities date of 27 September 2021 describes a model for allocating compensation that accounts for the evolving workload of administrative tasks, both operational and developmental, for which a Head of Studies/study board chair is responsible.

    As a result of the restructuring and a consequently lower student population, the study board structure will be adjusted from 1 January 2022, with some study boards being merged. The names and number of study boards are available on the faculty's website.
    The detailed division of responsibilities between the head of studies and the study board chair is set out in the Memorandum on the implementation of SDU’s quality policy at the Faculty of Humanities (with subsequent revisions).

    In connection with their appointment as head of studies, the staff member is offered a career review meeting with the head of department, focusing on supporting the staff member’s research career during and after their term as head of studies. The topic is also systematically addressed during performance and development reviews throughout the head of studies’ term of office.

    A member of staff who steps down from the post of head of studies after a full four-year term is entitled to one teaching-free semester. Upon stepping down after two or more four-year terms as head of studies, the member of staff is entitled to two teaching-free semesters. Semesters off teaching are deducted from the staff member’s teaching hours, provided that this does not result in a deficit of more than 450 hours in the teaching hours. The semester(s) free from teaching duties may be taken within the first year and a half following resignation, at the staff member’s own discretion.
    A full-time lecturer who steps down from the post of head of studies after one or more full four-year periods is granted half a semester off teaching (350 hours) for professional development. This partially teaching-free semester may be taken within the first year following resignation, at the staff member’s own discretion.

    Heads of studies who are not chair of a study board are compensated separately for attending study board meetings, in accordance with the provisions of the Standard Agreement for Academic Staff at the Faculty of Humanities.
    • The position of Chair of the Study Board is compensated with 90 working hours per semester.

    • The role of Head of Studies is compensated according to the level of complexity of the programmes for which the Head of Studies is responsible.

      The complexity level is based on an overall assessment of:

      1.  the total number of programme regulations for which the Head of Studies is responsible.
      2.  the number of degree programmes for which the Head of Studies is responsible.
      3.  whether the programme is a matrix programme spanning multiple departments within the Faculty of Humanities.

      4.  whether the programme is organised across faculties.

      5.  whether the programme is organised in collaboration with external partners (including international partners).

      The complexity level is assigned on the basis of an overall assessment of the factors listed above. 

      Compensation by complexity level

       Complexity 1

      120 working hours per semester

       Complexity 2

       140 working hours per semester

       Complexity 3

       160 working hours per semester

       Complexity 4

       180 working hours per semester


      In addition, the       Head of Studies is compensated with five minutes per student within the Head's area of responsibility.

      This compensation is calculated based on the number of students and is determined using student data from the most recent academic year (1 October – 30 September).

      The calculation of student-related compensation and the assessment of the complexity level are reviewed annually on 1 October. Information about the current compensation allocation can be obtained from the departmental administration.

      An overview of the allocated compensation is sent to the Heads of Department, who are responsible for communicating the compensation as part of the Head of Studies' workload registration.

      Supplement: Basic Course in Educational Leadership
      Agreed between Management and Staff Representatives on 8 February 2022

      It has been agreed that newly appointed Heads of Studies who participate in the AEU Basic Course in Educational Leadership will receive compensation equivalent to 40 working hours. The Faculty is responsible for informing new Heads of Studies about this arrangement.

      Supplement: Observer Representing Heads of Studies on the Academic Council
      Agreed between Management and Staff Representatives on 20 December 2022

      For Heads of Studies responsible solely for a part-time Master's programme, compensation is set at 60 hours of basic compensation plus hours allocated for student contact.

      If the Head of Studies also performs subject coordination duties or similar tasks, additional compensation must be agreed with the Head of Department and funded from the departmental allocation pool.

      For Heads of Studies who, in addition to a part-time Master's programme, are also responsible for a regular degree programme, the part-time Master's programme is included in the assessment of the complexity level.

       

      Supplement: Observer for Heads of Studies in the Academic Council

      Agreed between Side A and Side B on December 20, 2022

       

      In accordance with Section 33(4) of the University's Statutes, an observer representing the Heads of Studies must be appointed to the Academic Council.

      The observer receives compensation of 6 hours per semester for participation in Academic Council meetings.

       

    • For full-time teaching staff appointed as Head of Studies or Study Board Chair, the compensation allocations described above shall generally apply. However, special terms and conditions may be negotiated on an individual basis with the Head of Department, with the involvement of the union representative (TR).

    • In connection with the phase-out of programmes that are suspended due to enrolment caps, Heads of Studies shall receive compensation in accordance with the model described above for as long as regular teaching and examinations are conducted in relation to the final ordinary cohort admitted to the programme.

      Once the regular programme has been fully phased out, compensation for the Head of Studies shall be determined through negotiations between the Head of Studies, the Head of Department, and the Vice-Dean, with the involvement of the union representative (TR). The compensation shall be based on the number of active students enrolled in the programme and the scope of tasks related to the quality assurance policy, taking into account that the responsibilities in this situation differ significantly from those of other Heads of Studies.


  • All Heads of Studies are granted a service allowance stipulated by circular agreement. The allowance is awarded in accordance with the collective agreement for academics (AC agreement) and is based on the number of student full-time equivalents (FTEs).

    Student FTEs are calculated for the most recent academic year (1 October – 30 September) and are measured as the number of student FTEs within the Head of Studies’ area of responsibility.

    Heads of Studies who simultaneously serve as Chairs of the Board of Studies are granted the service allowance based on the number of student FTEs within the Board of Studies’ area.

    In addition to this allowance, all Heads of Studies are granted a faculty-level service allowance of DKK 12,100 (at the 31 March 2012 pay level).


Sidst opdateret: 12.11.2026