The last University Board meeting of the year started with a dialogue with the Student Welfare Organisation in Agder (SiA).
90 per cent of students connected to SiA are UiA students, and good cooperation between UiA and SiA is essential for student wellbeing.
Managing Director Pål Harv presented SiA's activities, which include 2300 student accommodations, Norway's largest (and probably best) student canteen, a bookstore with outlets on both campuses, two kindergartens and one fitness centre.
Topics discussed included student numbers, what happens if fewer students come to campus and more follow blended or fully online course offerings, insufficient government support for rehabilitating older student accommodations, and developments in student health.
University Director Seunn Smith-Tønnessen and Harv concluded the dialogue meeting by affirming the close and good cooperation between the two institutions, which they believe bodes well for the further development of student wellbeing in Agder.
Introducing four-year plans
To follow up on UiA's strategy, the University Board adopted a four-year plan. It is a higher-level plan that is directly linked to the goals and areas emphasised in the strategy.
This will be followed up in the coming years with action plans and other processes detailing what needs to be done to achieve the strategy’s goals. The faculty and teacher education unit strategies are set to be evaluated by the Board in January 2025.
The strategy and plan have directly affected the budget for 2025, which was approved in the same session.
2025 - a year of financial leeway
UiA's long-term budget clearly shows that the university is facing more stringent financial conditions - and that is a certainty.
However, for 2025, the University Board approved what can be considered a standard budget, without the introduction of any new cuts.
There are several reasons why there is some financial leeway next year. UiA has achieved good results that are reflected in the government's budget, has been rewarded in the Ministry of Education's initiatives for flexible and decentralised studies, and has been granted additional student places. UiA also expects energy costs to be significantly lower in 2025 compared to recent years.
Two major initiatives were approved, tied to the use of new technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as flexible education.
18 million for AI and new technologies
The fourth goal of the university's strategy states that "UiA leads the way in efficient, sustainable and responsible use of new technology and new work methods."
To achieve this, the University Board has allocated more than NOK 18 million in 2025. Each faculty will receive half a million, while the teacher education unit will receive NOK 250,000.
In addition, NOK 15 million will be set aside for infrastructure and other initiatives to equip the university for the effective adoption of AI and other new technologies. An internal process is underway with the faculties and administration to distribute these funds towards helpful measures.
Increasing the flexibility of programme offerings
The other major commitment made by the University Board is concerned with making study programmes more flexible, in other words, making them easier to pursue without being a full-time campus student.
To bolster these efforts, the faculties receive NOK 500,000 each and the teacher education unit receives NOK 250,000. The Board also reserved NOK 6 million to follow up an upcoming plan for district-friendly and flexible study programmes, and the university’s central services will get two additional full-staff members to assist with this work.
Some other selected allocations for 2025:
- A new system for athlete monitoring at the Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences - NOK 2 million
- Support for the School of Business and Law at UiA to apply for new accreditation - NOK 265,000
- Computers and infrastructure linked to a new specialisation in academic esports at the master's level at the Faculty of Engineering and Science - NOK 1 million
- A new full-time position at the Division of IT for the development of the Service Now service development platform
- Funding for semester start week, including training for students taking part in the buddy programme and the 'student hub' - NOK 150,000
- Investment in cross-disciplinary areas outlined in UiA's strategy - NOK 800,000
- Funds to carry out a new candidate survey - NOK 800,000
- Funds for the Board to follow up UiA's strategy, including the impending new communication action plan - NOK 4 million
- Funds earmarked for investment in fixtures and equipment for UiA's part of the upcoming science centre on Campus Kristiansand – NOK 5 million (a total of 9 million will be spent on fixtures and equipment, and an additional 1 million on the opening exhibition in 2026)
Please note that this is just an extract, the complete set of agenda documents gives a fuller picture.
Other selected decisions
- The Board adopted instructions for daily management, university board duties and case handling, in addition to instructions for rules of procedure for collegiate bodies.
- The University Board delegated the responsibility of appointing members to UiA's Suitability Committee to the Rector.
- The University Board discussed the appointment of a new dean for the Faculty of Engineering and Science. The new dean will be announced on uia.no in due course.
- The University Board addressed the matter of recognising new distinguished teachers at UiA (meritterte undervisere). The result will be published on uia.no shortly.
All agenda documents are available for review (in Norwegian)