operational plan humanities and social sciences

Operational Plan for Humanities and Social Sciences 2015-2016 1

Operational Plan 2015–2016Humanities and Social Sciences


Operational Plan for Humanities and Social Sciences 2015-2016

This operational plan briefly outlines the objectives and planned measures of the humanities, law and social sciences at Stockholm University. The plan focuses on change and development and does not include any general description of all the activities in the scientific area. The overarching goal is to further develop research and education in the humanities, law and social sciences, as well as collaborate with the scientific area of science and the surrounding community.

The plan is based on the challenges and opportunities that have been identified. The plan will be updated every two years, and the new plan will be complemented by a brief follow-up of what has been accomplished with regard to the goals and measures of the previous plan.


ResearchResearch in the humanities, law and social sciences is both extensive and diverse. The Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences seeks to promote collaboration across department and faculty boundaries, as well as contribute to the development and establishment of inter- and multidisciplinary perspectives. The Board has identified profile areas that transcend disciplinary and faculty boundaries. In June 2014, the Board adopted a strategic plan for future calls for proposals. These calls are expected to lead to an increase in the number of interdisciplinary and inter-faculty collaborative projects, and hopefully also stimulate an increase in the number of external applications from the scientific area.

Objectives:• The Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences

should strengthen research collaboration across faculty boundaries.

• The number of applications to the The Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences should increase.

• The number of external applications from the scientific area should increase.

• Information about the research and profile areas should be easily accessible.

Measures:• Annually make calls for proposals at the scientific

area level.• Improve the website’s information about the profile

areas and current calls for proposals of the scientific area.

• Regularly organise seminars and workshops in connection with calls for proposals.

• Provide better support in connection with major applications, for example through collaboration with the Research Liaison Office.

• Improve the support for strategic work with applications at the scientific area level.

EducationThe Board of Humanities, Law and Social Scien- ces has been commissioned by the University Board to develop the quality assurance work and review assessments, priorities, and needs analyses concerning resource allocation for education, as well as care-fully consider the strategic redistribution of funding caps between different areas of operation. In the

spring of 2014, a working committee developed a proposal concerning the scientific area’s priorities. The working committee’s task includes proposing strategic principles for the range of courses and study programmes in general.

The aim of these proposals is to reduce the number of courses and study programmes through active prior-itisation, while improving the quality of the provided courses and programmes. The area has produced more education than stipulated in recent years. The predicted decrease of applicants has not yet occurred, and the number of applications to Stockholm Univer-sity continues to increase. Furthermore, Stockholm University has been granted new study places which are mainly intended for the teacher education pro-grammes. Thus, the scientific area has to be prepared to quickly adapt to changes in the funding caps.

Other issues related to quality assurance include ensuring that the programme objectives are achieved and that courses and study programmes have high completion rates. At present, it is not clear what the new national evaluation system for education will entail or how this work should be carried out at the local level. The scientific area has to follow the national development, while continuing to develop the internal systematic quality assurance work in accordance with ENQA’s Standards and Guidelines for Quality Assurance.

Objectives:• The range of courses and study programmes should

be carefully planned and prioritised.• Student completion rates should be improved

without lowering the quality of education.• Systematic methods should be implemented to

ensure that the programme objectives are achieved.• The systematic quality assurance should be

strengthened.

Measures:• Adopt and implement principles for resource

allocation and prioritisation of education.• Review courses and study programmes with low

completion rates.• Develop systematic methods to ensure that the

programme objectives are achieved at all levels, for

Research and education


example, through new templates for general and individual study plans in doctoral programmes.

• Develop collaboration and joint methods for the faculties’ quality assurance work.

Teacher educationThe teacher education programmes are an important part of Stockholm University’s operations. Having been integrated into pedagogical and didactical work in the scientific area, the development and quality assurance of the teacher education continues. The organisation is not currently optimal. Better data and central directives are required to enable the scientific area, the faculties, and the departments to make ba-lanced prioritisations concerning the range of courses and programmes. In this context, it is also important to discuss the role of teacher education vis-à-vis other vocational programmes.

Objectives:• Collaboration between subject-based teaching

departments and other departments should be improved.

• The opportunity for students with higher academic degrees (at least a master’s degree) to undertake short teacher education programmes should be promoted.

Measures:• Take an active part in the review of the core

education subjects.• Introduce short teacher education programmes for

students with higher academic degrees.• Introduce a one-year teacher education programme

for students with a doctoral degree in modern languages, if Stockholm University is awarded the assignment it has applied for.

Recruitment and continuing professional development

Like many other universities, Stockholm University has time-consuming recruitment and appointment process-es for teachers, researchers, and administrative person-nel. These functions are now under review. In addition, a review of the number of appointment committees within the faculties is in progress. When it comes to teachers, Stockholm University has established a tenuretrack system, and the recruitment of associate professors will be partially conducted via assistant professorships in the future. Stockholm University’s university teacher education is being developed in col-laboration with CeUL, and the scientific area continues to develop subject-based teaching components adapted to the university teacher education.

Objectives:• Recruitment and appointment processes should be

efficient and of high quality.

Measures:• Improve the administrative organisation in connec-

tion with recruitment and appointments.• Recruit teachers and researchers broadly and inter-

nationally.• Develop principles for assessment and review in

connection with promotions.• Advertise more assistant professorships.• Develop and follow up the subject-based teaching

component of the university teacher education.


International and national collaboration

Administration and operational support

Research in the humanities, law and social sciences involves extensive international collaborations that further develop the operations. An increasing number of teachers and researchers are recruited internation-ally, and the compositions of our collegial bodies are becoming increasingly international. Meanwhile, very few of the students participate in international exchange programmes. Here efforts to stimulate increased mobility are needed.

How the Scientific Area of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences can develop its interactions with the surround-ing community is an issue that has drawn the attention of both research financiers and authorities for growth and innovation. Stockholm University’s own units (SU Inkubator and the External Relations Office) have expressed a desire to increase the scientific area’s share of collaborative projects and innovation efforts.

Objectives:• The number of incoming and outgoing students

should increase.• The number of applications for the international ex-

change of teachers and researchers should increase.• The scientific area’s collaborative work and outreach

activities should be made more visible.• The courses and study programmes should be more

closely linked to the labour market.

Measures:• Give students the opportunity to study at a foreign

university for one or more semesters, so that they can include these semesters in their degrees.

• Improve information and support in relation to international mobility for teachers and researchers.

• Increase collaboration with workplaces and alumni.• Increase the use of work placement in study

programmes.

Organisational changesAccording to Stockholm University’s risk analysis, there is a risk that organisational units that are too small will be financially and operationally vulner-able and have inferior development opportunities. Therefore, the Scientific Area of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences should aim to have units that are large enough to counter the risk factors mentioned in the risk analysis.

A number of mergers, mainly within the Faculty of Humanities, have been implemented during the Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences’ first couple of years. More investigations and mergers are planned for the future, mainly within the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Objectives:• The scientific area should have an organisation of

stable and sustainable units.• The organisation of the scientific area should be

strengthened.

Measures:• Evaluate previous mergers and other organisational

changes.• Investigate and, where necessary, implement or-

ganisational changes of current small, sensitive, or otherwise vulnerable units.

• Develop better support for departments in connec-tion with mergers.

• Review practices, work processes, and decision- making procedures.


Research infrastructureInfrastructure issues within the humanities, law and social sciences relate to both database management and ad-vanced technology. A national reference group for infrastructure, with representatives of the eleven research universities, has now been created. This will constitute a good basis for upcoming discussions on infrastructure of national importance (mainly with VR/RFI).

The issue of uniform rent is still pending, but will be introduced in 2016. The issue will be carefully mon-itored by the Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences. Objectives:• The scientific area’s work on infrastructure issues

should be further developed.

Measures:• Seek to further develop a digital information site for

all research infrastructures at Stockholm University.• Further develop the dialogue with the Swedish

Research Council.• Stimulate more research infrastructure projects.

Operations of the Office of Humanities, Law and Social SciencesThe Office of Humanities, Law and Social Scienc-es provides administrative support to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and the Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences, as well as to faculty managements and faculty boards. The office is responsible for quality assurance and provides coordination and strategic support to the departments.

The office’s operations are growing, and the scientific area’s website is being developed further to provide better information about research, research opportu-nities, and the work of the Board of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences.

The Office of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences will continue its coordination of the faculty offices’ work. Now that the faculty offices are gathered in the A house, there is much to gain by making use of their combined resources and expertise to build a solid organisation. The work practices of the Office of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences should be coordinated, simplified, and made more transparent. Objectives:• Communications regarding the scientific area´s

operations should be coordinated.• The work and organisation of the Office of Human-

ities, Law and Social Sciences should be coordinated and strengthened.

Measures:• Make relevant documents from the scientific area

more accessible.• Launch and further develop an English-language

website.• Strengthen collaboration within the Office of

Humanities, Law and Social Sciences.• Review and improve the organisation and work

practices of the Office of Humanities, Law and Social Sciences.


Stockholm University SE-106 91 Stockholm, SwedenTel +46 8 16 20 00 www.su.se E-mail: [email protected]

operational plan humanities and social sciences

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