A word from the dean
Dear staff
Welcome back! I hope everyone has had the opportunity to relax and enjoy the summer with family and friends.
Unfortunately, many of our international employees are not yet free of travel restrictions, and many have only returned home on holiday in August.
Fortunately, Denmark has got a good knack on the pandemic over the summer, and now we are all excited to meet new as well as older students for the study (re)start. The corridors are slowly coming to life. It is a wonderful change from the silence that has characterized SDU for almost a year and a half.
At the faculty, the study starts this week, and the week is, as always, prepared together with our enthusiastic tutors. It has been an extra big task this year as many tutors have left during a year with COVID-19. Therefore, a small and dedicated core group has worked fiercely to create a great program in time.
There will also be extra focus on the semester start for the older students, where councils and departments are involved in various activities of an academic and social nature. In addition, an extra effort is made with study groups in all year groups to strengthen the academic and social network among the students.
It is also now that the new scheduling procedure must stand the test. The schedulers at SDU have worked hard during the pandemic with many and often acute reorganizations of the schedule. Now we look forward to a more stable schedule according to the new principles with a more fixed framework for times and premises throughout the semester.
We estimate that we are approx. 80% in line with the scheduling according to the new principles. This means that there will still be some courses that run on the old model. This is especially true of courses that we teach together with other faculties. I hope that everyone will be understanding of shortcomings and potential errors - and contribute constructively to solving any form of challenges.
Related to our educations is the government's proposal on Education throughout the country. SDU is already a regionalized university with 21% of study places outside Odense on the five campuses in the region, in Slagelse and in Copenhagen. Over the autumn, SDU will make a plan for the relocation of up to 10% of the study places in 2030, and this will be negotiated with the ministry in the spring. The process is not yet completely in place at national level, but in the coming time the agreement will be discussed in the various councils, boards and committees at SDU. We will continuously inform about the work, which I expect to be anchored in the education committee.
I wish everyone a good semester start!
Marianne Holmer, dean