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New university rectorate receives fixed-term appointment

The university board adopted Monday 17 June the recommendations for three new vice rectors and a new dean at the Faculty of Humanities and Education. The vice rectors and the dean receive a fixed-term appointment from 1 August 2019 to 31 July 2023.

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Incoming rector Sunniva Whittaker welcomes Gøril Hannås, Morten Brekke and Hans Kjetil Lysgård to the rectorate.

Incoming rector Sunniva Whittaker welcomes Gøril Hannås, Morten Brekke and Hans Kjetil Lysgård to the rectorate.

Morten Brekke has been offered the position of vice rector for education.

Morten Brekke has been offered the position of vice rector for education.

Morten Brekke is offered the position of vice rector for education. Brekke is currently assistant professor at the Department of Engineering Sciences and has been working at UiA since 1993. He has previously been college/university lecturer and senior lecturer and received his Cand Scient in theoretical astrophysics from the University of Oslo. In 2018 Brekke was awarded Excellent Teaching Practitioner as the first recipient at the University of Agder.

Hans Kjetil Lysgård is offered the position of vice rector for research and cross-disciplinary efforts. Lysgård is currently professor of human geography at the Department of Global Development and Planning at the Faculty of Social Sciences. Previous posts have been at NTNU: Norwegian University of Science and Technology and at Agderforskning both as researcher and chief adviser. Lysgård has a Dr Polit/PhD from NTNU in 2001.

Gøril Hannås is offered the position of vice rector for dissemination and innovation. Hannås is currently associate professor and head of the Department of Working Life and Innovation at the School of Business and Law at UiA. From 2012 to 2016 Hannås was part of the corporate management of National Oilwell Varco Norway and responsible for the development and implementation of risk management in the company. Prior to this Hannås was a research fellow and associate professor at the same faculty.

Rector’s management team

Hans Kjetil Lysgård has been offered the position of vice rector for research and cross-disciplinary efforts.

Hans Kjetil Lysgård has been offered the position of vice rector for research and cross-disciplinary efforts.

The vice rectors are part of the university rectorate and are included in the rector’s management team. The vice rectors are answerable to and carry out tasks on behalf of the rector.

Vice rector for education will contribute to realising and further develop

  • a strategy in the priority area Learning and Education for the Future, with special emphasis on developing a future oriented educational leadership
  • culture and systematicity to improve quality in the field of education
  • a good and inclusive learning environment
  • the university’s ambitions for the skills reform “Learning throughout life”, including the university’s alumni activities
  • the ambitions of the action plan for continuing and further education.
  • The vice rector for education heads the Academic Affairs Committee.

Vice rector for research and interdisciplinary efforts will contribute to realising and further develop

  •  a strategic development of research and the university plan for research and academic and artistic development work
  •  a systematic and targeted development of interdisciplinary efforts to contribute to solving future complex challenges  
  • following up the work on the UN's sustainability development goals
  • the ambitions in the action plan for equal opportunities, inclusion and diversity.
Gøril Hannås has been offered the position of vice rector for dissemination and innovation.

Gøril Hannås has been offered the position of vice rector for dissemination and innovation.

Vice rector for dissemination and innovation will contribute to realising and further develop

  • a strategy in the priority area Community Involvement and Innovation with emphasis on innovation, participation in debates on social issues and the ambition to
  •  further develop and create new arenas for and forms of cooperation and co-creation
  •  the goal in the development plan concerning strengthening study programmes' relevance in society and working life, including further developing Råd for samarbeid med arbeidslivet (the council for cooperation with the labour market)
  • primary contact with society and working life
  • the university’s social responsibility and its social values.

The vice rectors shall within their fields contribute to realising:

  • the ambitions of the university’s priority area Global Mindset, including internationalisation
  • the university’s ambitions and action plan for digitalisation
  • involve students and cooperate well with the student’s formal and voluntary organisations
  • tasks appointed to one of the vice rectors, but needs to be supported by the others in their fields, for instance
  • the action plan for equal opportunities, inclusion and diversity, and following up the work on the UN’s sustainability development goals.

A mandate for each of the vice rector positions will be prepared based on the tasks mentioned above.

New dean at the Faculty of Humanities and Education

Hans Hodne has been offered the position of dean at the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

Hans Hodne has been offered the position of dean at the Faculty of Humanities and Education.

Hans Hodne is offered the position of new dean at the Faculty of Humanities and Education. Hodne is currently assistant professor and head of the Department of Religion, Philosophy and History at the Faculty of Humanities and Education, the University of Agder. From 2004 to 2015 he was programme coordinator for religious studies at the primary school teacher training and at times also for the kindergarten teacher training. Hodne is a permanent member of the board for the School of Business and Law at UiA, and he has been employed at UiA since 2000.

Hans Hodne is offered a fixed-term appointment for four years from 1 August 2019.

From two to three vice rectors at UiA

On Wednesday 13 March, the University Board decided that three vice rectors will be appointed at UiA for the next rector period. The next rector Sunniva Whittaker wants UiA to have three vice rectors, and the University Director's proposal received unanimous approval from the Board.

Three primary tasks

Whittaker wants to have three vice rectors in order to reflect UiA's primary tasks and strategic priority areas. Further, Whittaker underlines that society has great expectations for UiA, and it is strategically sensible to reflect this by having a vice rector responsible for public relations. She also referred to other universities having more than two vice rectors.

In the case presentation, the University Director emphasised that the vice rectors are responsible for carrying out tasks on behalf of the rector, and therefore it is natural that the next rector has a say in forming the positions' mandate and expertise need. Based on this, the University Director recommended having three vice rectors, and the proposal received unanimous approval from the Board.

The University Board also decided that the arrangement of having three vice rectors will be evaluated before the next management period (before 1 August 2023).