Will scrap the vice chancellor for innovation

During NTNU’s board meeting on 15 May, the decision will be made on who NTNU wants as its next rector. That decision is made behind closed doors.

Read all about the rector’s appointment and see the rector’s debates on Universitetsavisa’s collection page.

In the same meeting, the board must decide the area of ​​responsibility of the relevant vice-chancellors – i.e. the vice-chancellors.

See more about what will be discussed at the next board meeting in the fact box. The university newspaper streams the meeting and gives you the most important updates.

Merging two vice rectors

Former rector Anne Borg had three vice-rectors under her: Tor Grande as vice-rector for research and communication, Marit Reitan as vice-rector for education and Toril Hernes as vice-rector for innovation. After Borg stepped down, Grande moved up to acting principal. Since then, there have only been the other two vice-chancellors.

When the next trinity of vice-chancellors is to be announced in June, it is most likely that the innovation post has been moved on, and a new area of ​​responsibility is in place.

Per the recommendation in the board papers published today, NTNU will no longer have a vice-chancellor for innovation in the next rector’s term. The proposal is to instead have a vice-rector for social responsibility and dissemination, and move the innovation post to the vice-rector for research and innovation.

Innovation has now been under the innovation banner. Innovation means responsibility for maintaining strategic collaborative relationships with business actors regionally, nationally and internationally.

Gains additional responsibility for academic freedom

At the end of November last year, the deans and the board held a joint workshop to arrive at the new structure. Then there were a number of proposals for new areas of responsibility. For example, vice-chancellor for “sustainability and interdisciplinarity” or “sustainability and communication”.

When the vice-chancellor for social responsibility and dissemination is now proposed, sustainability is intended as one of NTNU’s social responsibilities. In addition, there is also regional responsibility for the cities and areas where NTNU has its campuses.

In the recommendation, it is also recommended that this vice-chancellor be given overall responsibility for following up NTNU’s language policy and new legal requirements. In addition, academic freedom and that the institution follows key ethical principles are emphasized.

All managers must have this responsibility, but it is stated that the vice-chancellor for social responsibility and communication must have a particular responsibility to contribute to a knowledge-based public debate and to shed light on contemporary ethical issues.

Will include this in the area of ​​responsibility

The board papers are clear that the final list of tasks for the vice-chancellor for social responsibility and dissemination will not be set until the position is advertised, but summarizes that it will include:

• Transversal community missions and development tasks on behalf of the Vice-Chancellor, including contributing to ensure that sustainable development is integrated into research and education and NTNU’s own organization and operations
• Responsibility for institutional business agreements
• National and regional community contact with particular responsibility for Trondheim/Trøndelag, including campus development in Trondheim
• Dissemination of results from research and professional/artistic development work, general and user-oriented dissemination
• Follow-up of NTNU’s language policy and social responsibility for Norwegian professional language contributes to the public debate on current topics and ethical issues