Status of the restructuring of the study administration at SDU

Over the past few months, collegiate bodies and other meeting forums have discussed the vision for the study administration and how the work on restructuring the study administration should be organised. A great deal of important input has been received regarding how the restructuring is organised, how the organisation is involved and what concerns are raised by the restructuring. The dialogue has also highlighted the need to clarify why the restructuring is necessary.

The purpose of the restructuring was therefore discussed and more explicitly formulated at the Executive Board meeting on 20 February. The Executive Board agrees that the purpose of the restructuring is to improve the efficiency of the study administration and to prepare the organisation to adopt a new study administrative system. The system is a standard one, and its implementation will require SDU to standardise many processes. It is expected that various solutions will lead to efficiency improvements and enable SDU to implement the new student study administrative system. Some solutions may involve organisational changes, while others may focus on standardising and improving processes without changing the organisation. As a guiding principle for the restructuring, adjustments and changes in assignments must not result in a lower quality experience for students and lecturers. A special focus will be on supporting lecturers by correctly placing and organising tasks between them and the study administrative staff.

The further work on the restructuring has become more clearly anchored. The Executive Board, consisting of the Rectorate and the deans, makes all important decisions regarding the restructuring efforts. University Director Thomas Buchvald Vind has been appointed project owner. A steering committee has been set up, consisting of Deputy Director of Education Stinne Hørup Hansen (Chair), the faculties’ heads of secretariat and Project Manager Maria Cecilie Vonsild.

Which specific areas of responsibility within the study administration will be covered by the restructuring?

The restructuring will not include all task areas within the study administration. The Executive Board has therefore decided to delimit the focus of the future work as follows:
1. Choice of study (marketing, recruitment, events)
2. Applications and admissions (particularly international and EVU students, as well as support in relation to academic assessments)
3. Teaching and examinations (especially timetable planning/room booking and the overall planning and execution of the examinations)
4. Student communication, guidance and consideration of cases (all types of guidance as well as dialogue and process in student cases)
5. Programme regulations and course descriptions (templates, editing and approval processes)
The work will also include the geographical location of the tasks, and all types of students will be included as a target group.

Further work

In April, the steering committee will prepare a project charter and a main timetable for further work, to be approved by the Executive Board. Following this, each of the five task fields will be carefully analysed to identify where the greatest potential for efficiency improvement lies, either through reorganising or standardising the processes. This is an extensive and complex task, and the steering committee expects to spend a considerable amount of time on it. As for the previous announcement that the restructuring must be completed during 2025, the time frame has been extended, and the process is now expected to last two years. As soon as there is a clarification on the timetable and concrete solution proposals, we will communicate this.

The work on the restructuring must continue to take place through a high degree of involvement

The dialogue meetings with the many stakeholders will continue to ensure the greatest possible reassurance throughout the process. The meetings must ensure an involving dialogue, and the participants’ feedback should be communicated to the steering committee and the Executive Board. This puts people at the centre of the restructuring, where discussions with both administrative staff and lecturers become central to creating ownership of the solutions arrived at by the restructuring. In addition, the members of the steering committee have involved relevant key players within their own organisation.

To learn more about the restructuring of the overall study administration (OSU), please contact the following members of the steering committee:

Stinne Hørup Hansen, Deputy Director of Education, SDU Education: stinne@sdu.dk
Annette Schmidt, Head of Secretariat at the Faculty of Business and Social Sciences: ans@sam.sdu.dk
Kirsten Præstegaard, Head of Secretariat at the Faculty of Engineering: kip@tek.sdu.dk
Mads Funding, Head of Secretariat at the Faculty of Humanities: mf@sdu.dk
Merete Munk, Head of Secretariat at the Faculty of Health Sciences: mmunk@health.sdu.dk
Niels Kring, Head of Secretariat at the Faculty of Science: NIK@sdu.dk
Maria Vonsild, Project Manager, SDU Education: mcv@sdu.dk

Read the latest newsletter here: https://sdunet.dk/en/nyheder/nyheder_fra_sdu/mennesket-forst-vision-for-sdus-uddannelsesadministration

In connection with the initiation of the work, an information page will be set up on SDUnet with information about the organisation, background material and timetable for the activities that will be initiated. The page will also feature information about the status of the work on an ongoing basis.