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University Director Kraglund: Better conditions for providing administrative support

Synergy and transparency are two of the key words behind the organisational changes to the administration that have just been decided by the senior management team in the context of the follow-up on the internal problem analysis.

2015.01.30 | Mette Helm

Photo: Lars Kruse, AU.

The adjustments to the administration are intended to meet the academic organisation’s need for efficient, professional support, and the changes will also benefit the administrative employees themselves, believes University Director Jane Kraglund.

“Naturally, it takes a little getting used to when people experience changes in their work situation. But I both hope and anticipate that the administrative staff will find that the changes that have taken place will provide them with a better framework for performing their jobs, and that closer links to the academic organisation will ensure that the best possible support is provided. And just as importantly, we’re making the administration more transparent,” she explains.

“I’m absolutely convinced that the adjustments we’re carrying out will contribute to improving the university, and now our task is to work together to realise the potential inherent in these changes,” Kraglund concludes.

Cooperation across the administration must be strengthened

It is important for the administration to ensure that the support provided is consistent and coherent throughout the university and to derive greater benefit from the synergies between units with overlapping functions. I this connection, the many formal and informal forums in the administration have a major role to play.

“No matter what part of the administration you work in, you need to keep an eye on the big picture and cross-organisational coordination. We have to make sure that we create the necessary forums for cooperation, coordination and knowledge-sharing between administrative units and between the administration and the academic organisation, because that’s what will make us a cohesive organisation,” says Kraglund.

In the course of the spring of 2015, LEA (the administration’s management team) will review the existing networks and forums, and will adjust and develop them with input from relevant units and employees to the necessary extent.

The administration must continue to develop

The organisation of the administration is not entirely in place yet. For example, some of the administration centres are still in the process of organising themselves, and the division of responsibilities and tasks among a number of the administrative units still remains to be clarified over the course of the months to come. 

“It would be an illusion to believe that there won’t be adjustments and adaptations in this period, because of course there will be. We have to adapt in pace with the needs the organisation has at any given time, and we must continually ask ourselves if there’s something we can do better. In this sense, we’ll never be done with process of change, but as I see it, the process of change is also a positive thing. After all, it gives us a great opportunity for development. We’re not going back to square one, but changes will be made on a regular basis on the future, and when that happens, it’s because we discover better ways of doing things,” she says, and goes on to explain:

“I fully understand the employees’ desire to be allowed to focus on their work instead of spending energy on organisational processes, but a university is a dynamic entity, and this means that developing is part of our work.”

While University Director Kraglund is aware of the resource-intensive nature of change processes, she nonetheless understands this development as a very important step towards a more close-knit and functional organisation after the organisational changes of recent years.

“With the decisions we have just made, the organisation is now fundamentally falling into place. Tasks will be located where they will be carried out in future, and I expect that this will create the clarity regarding administrative support that the university wants,” says Kraglund.

Facts: Changes in the administration

At a meeting on January 28 2015, the senior management team made a number of decisions regarding the future organisation of the administration that address the internal problem analysis. As a consequence, some administrative functions will be transferred from one administrative division to another, while others will be transferred from the central administration to the administrative centres.

  • The researcher mobility team is to be transferred from the International Centre under the administrative division Education to the administrative division Research and External Relations.
  • As a general rule, each administration centres is responsible for its own administration.
  • First-level AV support is to be transferred from the administrative division IT and Digital Media to each of the four administration centres with the exception of two employees who will remain in IT and Digital Media to handle cross-organisational and specialist tasks.
  • IT support for the central administration is to be transferred from Team Administration at the administration centre at Arts to the administration division IT and Digital Media under Operations and Technology.
  • Communications support for the central administration is to be transferred from Team Administration at the administration centre at Arts to the Rector’s Office.
  • Language Services is to be transferred from Team Administration at the administration centre at Arts to the administrative division Research and External Relations.
  • HR support for the central administration is to be transferred from Team Administration at the administration centre at Arts to HR in the central administration.

The changes will take effect as of 1 February 2015 with due consideration for personnel-related processes, agreements and handing off work responsibilities.

Policy and strategy, All groups, All AU units, Administration, Policy and strategy, Administrative