Summer greetings from the Rectorate

Dear all

The sun is shining at the University of Southern Denmark, and a summer of relaxation, paperback novels and the opportunity to recharge your batteries for a new academic year awaits.

However, we also look back on a year where the sun wasn’t always shining on campus.

As you all know, in the spring we decided to implement financial adjustments totalling DKK 95 million, as the University’s finances were out of balance due to several years of declining student intake and rising prices. The result, as you also know, was the termination and reorganisation of positions and the closure of several study programmes and tracks at the Faculty of Humanities and the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences.

It has been a difficult time for everyone at the University.

Progress in several areas

Fortunately, there are also some rays of light.

At the moment, the forecasts for this year’s applications to SDU’s study programmes indicate that we’ll see an overall increase in the number of applicants in 2023. It’s still too early to draw any solid conclusions, but the overall prognosis is good. The growth is primarily driven by some very good application figures in Sønderborg and Esbjerg.

Another piece of good news is that new figures from the Ministry of Higher Education and Science show that SDU graduates are now finding employment much sooner than previously. In fact, graduate unemployment is now at a level that hasn’t looked better since the financial crisis. This is very heartening and shows that SDU is educating graduates who are in demand in the labour market.

The improvement in employment figures applies to all campuses, all faculties and the vast majority of study programmes, and it is also worth noting that graduates are finding employment more quickly, in spite of a generally – slightly – rising unemployment rate.

Changes and new opportunities

When we return to our campuses after the summer, we can look forward to an autumn term filled with new opportunities.

In June, SDU’s Board of Directors adopted the University’s new strategy, which proposes answers to how we can seize these great new opportunities and at the same time deal with the challenges that await in the coming years. At the core of the strategy is a focus on high quality and talented people in excellent environments. Read more about the strategy here

We also look forward to working with the two new members who have just been appointed to SDU’s Board: welcome to Troels Pedersen, senior vice president at Danfoss and Ulla Tørnæs, former minister and member of the Danish Parliament.

This autumn, we will also reach a significant milestone when medical students and our colleagues from the Faculty of Health Sciences move from Winsløwparken into the large building complex that brings together the University and the University Hospital and is unique on Danish soil. For those of you moving to Campusvej: we look forward to welcoming you!

New common grade requirement

Yesterday – 29 June – SDU’s Executive Board decided on a new model for future admissions to bachelor’s degree programmes, including the implementation of a common grade requirement across the University’s degree programmes.

From 2025, students admitted to our academic bachelor’s programmes via quota 1 must have a minimum grade point average of 7 from their qualifying examination. In the coming weeks, we will look at whether there should be special exceptions to the common grade requirement of 7.

The news about the common grade requirement of 7 was picked up very quickly yesterday by several local and national media, and therefore much less time than we would have liked passed between the internal and external announcement of the decision. We apologise for this deeply regrettable situation. As an employee of SDU, you should not receive this kind of news via the media.

After the summer break, we will launch a newsletter for all employees from the Rectorate. The newsletter will help ensure a continuous flow of information as well as greater and broader knowledge about current issues and priorities. In addition to ‘news about SDU’ and announcements from the Rectorate, the newsletter will also contain columns in which both students and employees have their say.

We’re looking forward to an exciting and eventful autumn. In the meantime, have a great summer!

Best regards

Jens Ringsmose, Rector
Helle Waagepetersen, Pro-Rector
Thomas Buchvald Vind, University Director