At the end of January, university Director Arnold Boon encouraged staff and students to send him any questions they would like him to respond to. Many students have seized that opportunity. Here are his answers.

2016.02.29 | Universitetsdirektør Arnold Boon

Dear Students,

At the end of January, I encouraged you to send me any questions you would like me to respond to. I have received a lot of questions from you. Thank you very much! Your interest indicates that we have a good basis for continued dialogue about the university’s challenges and opportunities. I have answered some of your questions in this video, and the rest in writing below.

About administrative support for students

About student housing in the new campus area

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Question:

I would like to know what you think about parking for students. Should it be possible for students to drive to classes in their own cars, or do we have to all use bikes or public transportation? (Engineering student)

Answer:

With over 40,000 students at the university, it is not possible for us to make free parking available to all of our students. Engineering students can use the city centre’s free parking spaces on equal footing with all other university students. The location of large parts of the engineering programme close to the city centre also provides good opportunities for using collective transportation.

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Question:

I would like to ask if you will demand that the departments and schools actively seek to collaborate with local student clubs and associations. I’m thinking of degree programme councils in particular. One possible example of this could be improving conditions for students at a local level and applying for/using funding. (Engineering student)

Answer:

I have the impression that the departments and schools already have a close dialogue with the students through the established bodies, such as degree programme councils and boards of studies. If students are interested in more involvement, I encourage you to contact your local department or school to discuss how this can be arranged.

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Question:

At the engineering programme, we are experiencing communication problems between the management and the students. We don’t feel that AU has an functional way to communicate, because you’re not allowed to send messages on Blackboard. Will you do anything to solve this communication problem? (Engineering student)

Answer:

At AU, we have decided that Blackboard may only be used for teaching-related communication. But as a university, of course, we have an obligation to make good information resources available, so that you are well-informed about topics that are important in relation to your education in general. We have the study portals for this purpose, and it is your responsibility as students to stay up-to-date.

If you find that the information available on your study portal is inadequate, I encourage you to contact your local studies administration unit.

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Question: 

In connection with the strategic focus on engineering, the engineering programme will grow considerably, and this will require more facilities for teaching and students to maintain the quality of the teaching offered. Engineers have a tradition for interdisciplinary projects that improve the academic level of the various engineering degree programmes. What are your thoughts in connection with this growth. (Engineering student)

Answer:

At any given time, making sure that there is a good study environment with good conditions for education is an important administrative task. The facilities must be appropriate to the needs of the degree programmes within the given resource framework. For this reason, we have to continually assess whether our facilities provide appropriate support for our academic activities – including in the area of engineering.

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Question:

Do you think that engineering should remain part of ST, or should ST be divided into two faculties? (Engineering student)

Answer:

That is a very difficult question, and it is not mine to answer. Ultimately, decisions about the organisation of the faculties are up to the board based on the recommendations of the faculty management teams and the rector.

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I hope that all of you have gotten the answers you need – if not, you are welcome to write to me at director@au.dk. You can also check out my answers for the staff.

I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you. I look forward to continuing this dialogue with you.

Yours sincerely

Arnold Boon.