Councils, boards and committees that you can vote or run for

The Board is the highest authority of the university and is responsible for the overall and strategic management of the university. The Board has the overall responsibility for the university conducting research and providing research-based education up to the highest international level within its subject areas, etc. The Board has the overall responsibility for the continuous development of the university’s research and education programmes. The Board must administer the university's funds efficiently and for the greatest possible benefit to society.

The tasks of the Board include:

• To determine the university's organisation on the recommendation of the Rector
• To enter into a strategic framework contract with the Minister
• To appoint the Rector
• To appoint the Pro-Rector and the University Director on the recommendation of the Rector
• To set the framework for the interaction between the Board and the Rector
• To approve the university's overall strategy and goals on the recommendation of the Rector
• To establish and close faculties
• To approve the university's budget and general budget principles on the recommendation of the Rector and to sign the annual accounts
• To lay down rules on the election of internal members to the Board on the recommendation of the Rector
• To ensure that employees and students participate and are involved in significant decisions

The Board must consist of 9 members and be composed of 5 external and 4 internal members. The members' competencies must reflect the tasks of the university, and between them the members must have experience in and insight into research, research-based education, management, organisation and finances, including assessment of budgets and accounts, in order to be able to handle the overall and strategic management of the university. At least one of the external members must have experience as a recognised researcher. The chair of the Board must have experience with the strategic management of a large company or organisation and significant insight into societal issues.

The internal members of the Board are elected as follows:

• 1 member elected by and from the academic staff, including employed PhD students
• 1 member elected by and from the technical/administrative staff
• 2 members elected by and from the students

The internal members must work to promote SDU's interests and must bring the perspectives of the academic staff, the technical/administrative staff and the students into the Board's execution of tasks. The external members as well as members elected by and from the university's employees are elected for a four-year term with the possibility of re-election. Members elected by and from the students are elected for a two-year term with the possibility of re-election.

The University Council is formed in order to include the employees and the students in significant decisions about the day-to-day management of the university. The University Council is responsible for discussing and advising the executive board about university politics, including:

• The development work of the university and the strategy for research, education and knowledge exchange.
• The development contract of the university.
• The organisation of the university in relation to research and education programmes.
• The quality assurance of the university.
• Finances and budget, including external funds, etc.
• Employment policy.
• The physical and social surroundings of employees and students.
• Student environment and well-being, including drop-out rate and projects on improving the circumstances of the students.
• Management decisions.

The University Council consists of 12 members, of which 3 are representatives of the students, 3 are representatives of the technical/administrative staff, and then there is 1 representative of the academic staff from each of the university's five faculties and the Rector. The 5 academic employees are the chairs of the five academic councils, who together with the Rector are born members of the University Council. The chair of the University Council must be a recognised researcher and the vice-chair must be a student. The employees serve on the council for four years and the students for two years. Members can be re-elected.

An Academic Council has been established for each of the five faculties. The Academic Councils are responsible for ensuring the influence of the students and the academic staff on academic matters. The Academic Councils are also responsible for developing and maintaining a high academic standard at the faculties, and the councils can express an opinion and advise the faculty management on academic matters that the council finds relevant to the development of the faculties, their organisation and finances.

The tasks of the Academic Council include:

• To award PhDs and doctoral degrees
• To make recommendations to the Rector or the person authorised by the Rector on the composition of expert committees to assess applicants for academic positions
• To make statements to the Rector or the person authorised by the Rector on key strategic research and educational fields and plans for knowledge exchange
• The faculty's contribution to the development contract of the university
• The employment policy in relation to research and education
• The physical and social surroundings of employees and students
• Student environment and well-being, including drop-out rate

The Academic Council is composed of 5 of the faculty's academic employees, 3 of the faculty's students and the dean, where the dean is a born member of the council. At least 3 of the 5 academic employees must be recognised researchers, and the chair of the council must be elected among one of them. In addition, 3 technical/administrative employees attend the parts of the council meetings dedicated to non-academic matters that are attributed to the Academic Council pursuant to the Danish University Act. Representatives of the employees are elected for a four-year term, while representatives of the students are elected for a two-year term. Members can be re-elected.

At each department, the head of department establishes a Department Council, which will ensure the influence of the students and the academic staff on the department's academic matters. The Department Councils are responsible for discussing and advising the management of the departments in matters that are relevant to the development of the departments, their organisation and finances.

The tasks of the Department Councils include:

• The academic development work of the department and the strategy for research, education and knowledge exchange
• The contribution of the department to the strategy and development work of the faculty
• The organisation of the department in relation to research and the education programmes of the faculty
• Finances and budget, including external funds, etc.
• The employment policy in relation to research and the education programmes of the faculty
• The physical and social surroundings of employees and students
• Student environment and well-being

The Department Council is composed of 12 members, of which the head of department is a born member and chairs the council. Five members are elected by and from the academic staff of the department, and at least three of these must be recognised researchers. The vice-chair must be one of the council's recognised researchers. Three members are elected from the technical/administrative staff of the department and three members are elected from the students. The representatives of the academic and technical/administrative staff are elected for a four-year term, and the representatives of the students are elected for a two-year term. Members can be re-elected.

A PhD Committee has been established for each faculty. The tasks of the PhD Committee include:

• To nominate a candidate from the academic staff on the PhD committee for the position of chair and a potential vice-chair from the students on the PhD committee to the dean
• To recommend the composition of the assessment committees to the dean
• To approve PhD courses
• To draw up proposals to the head of the PhD School for internal guidelines of the PhD School, including academic supervision
• To express an opinion to the head of the PhD School about evaluation of the PhD courses and academic supervision, including international evaluations of the PhD Schools
• To approve credit applications, including credit transferred in advance, and dispensations
• To express an opinion in all matters of significance to the PhD courses and academic supervision as presented by the dean

The PhD Committee consists of a total of at least 6 and no more than 12 members. The number of members is determined by the dean of the faculty in question. The PhD Committee is composed of an equal number of members elected by and from the academic staff and correspondingly by and from the PhD students. However, a maximum of six members are elected as representatives of the PhD students, and if the representation of the academic staff is less than six, a correspondingly smaller number of PhD students will be elected. The academic staff serves on the Committee for four years and the PhD students for one year.

The deans establish one or more Study Boards that include one or more education programmes or education programme components. The Study Boards help to ensure the rights of the students and the academic staff and their participation and involvement in matters related to education and teaching. The Study Boards are responsible for the planning, the delivery and the development of education programmes and teaching. The Study Boards will be given the opportunity to express their opinion about general examination rules, marking, teaching and credits as well as all matters of significance to education programmes and teaching.

The tasks of the Study Boards include:

• To quality assure and develop the quality of education programmes and teaching. This includes involvement in the evaluation of education programmes and teaching and ensuring that a follow-up on these evaluations is conducted
• To ensure that the delivered teaching and the examination requirements are commensurate with the objectives of the education programme and the specified examination regulations
• To prepare proposals for the curriculum and changes to it
• To ensure that the individual parts of the education programme are coordinated so that the individual subjects or disciplines are not subject to amendments to an unreasonable extent
• To approve the head of studies' plan for the organisation of teaching and of examinations and other assessment that are included in the examination, and in collaboration with the head of studies undertake the practical organisation of this
• To approve credit applications, including credit transferred in advance, and within the general guidelines give dispensation from 1) the Danish Ministerial Order concerning Undergraduate and Postgraduate studies at Danish Universities (Uddannelsesbekendtgørelsen) in accordance with its rules; and 2) the provisions of the programme regulations within the framework of the aforementioned Danish Ministerial Order

The Study Boards consist of a total of at least 4 and no more than 10 members. The number of members is determined by the dean of the faculty in question. The Study Board is composed of an equal number of members elected by and from the academic staff and correspondingly by and from the students. However, a maximum of five members are elected as representatives of the students, and if the representation of the academic staff is less than five, a correspondingly smaller number of students will be elected. From among its members, the Board of Studies elects a chair from the academic staff and a vice-chair from the students. The election of a chair and vice-chair is subject to the dean's approval. The academic staff serves on the board for four years and the students for one year.