Following the latest deputy vice-chancellor recruitment, a working group was appointed to review the vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor recruitment processes. It resulted in the Electoral College gaining the same number of representatives in the recruitment committee as the University Board, four plus four.
"The group now combines the best of two worlds", says Mats Benner. "Those of us in the Electoral College feel we know our University well and understand the conditions that are present in academia. The board, in turn, represents social professionalism and understands the external demands."
Now, the recruitment committee will first take a decision on recruitment strategy and a person specification – it will then work on selecting and interviewing applicants and, finally, it will present the candidates to both the Electoral College and the University Board. This is to take place at the end of spring, the University Board will take its decision on the proposal for vice-chancellor in June, and the Government will take the final decision in August. The current Vice-Chancellor and Deputy Vice-Chancellor will step down on 31 December 2020.
According to the schedule, the work to recruit a deputy vice-chancellor is to take place as soon as the vice-chancellor recruitment is finalised – i.e. in June. The work to select and interview candidates takes place in September and October and the board will appoint a new deputy vice-chancellor in December.
Mats Benner likes to see – if not a parallel process, then a partial synchronisation of the procedures for selecting vice-chancellor and deputy vice-chancellor.
"It is of course about people and duties that are to complement one another and I assume that aspect is present throughout the entire recruitment process", he says. He is not part of the recruitment committee itself; however, a general discussion on the person specification for the new vice-chancellor is taking place within the Electoral College.
"It is no secret that members of the Electoral College are very keen to have a representative and clear vice-chancellor, who is well-established within education and research and who can represent the University in serious and important issues at the University, but also in other contexts. Someone who is able to reflect our University's strengths with clear leadership", says Mats Benner.
The four Electoral College members on the recruitment committee are Catrin Malmström, head of faculty office at the Faculty of Science; Gustav Ekström, student; Johan Östling, senior lecturer in history; and Viveka Alfredsson, professor of physical chemistry.
The University Board will take a decision on its four members at the end of September and the proposed members are Ingrid Bengtsson-Rijavec, head of finance and external member; Anne L´Huillier, professor of physics; Robin Bernståhle, student; and Jonas Hafström, chair of the recruitment committee and the University Board.
