Leadership and organisation

Bodies for decision-making

Decision Meeting

All formal decisions are taken at the decision meeting which takes place once a month. The decision meeting is the department's highest decision-making body, and thus where all major decisions regarding the school's activities are taken.  

LCG - Local Cooperation Group /  LSG - lokal samverkansgrupp

The Local Collaboration Group meets once a month and facilitates a dialogue between the Head of department and union representatives, enabling joint participation in planning, decision-making and follow-up on departmental matters such as financing, HR policy, work environment, equal opportunities and competence development. Before an issue is processed at the decision meeting, it is addressed by the LCG, and before that usually also in one of the preparatory bodies, such as the programme council or a working group.

Programme Committee

The Programme Committee is organised under the faculty and is responsible for the content, development and overall quality of the program. 

Research Committee

The Research committee addresses overarching questions related to research at UMA and defines the guiding principles for the overall structure. It serves as a forum for discussing themes, proposals and ongoing activities. Meetings are held twice per semester with a focus on specific research-related questions. Members are selected to represent the various roles and levels involved in research across UMA.  

Education Committee

The Education committee deals with overarching questions about education at UMA, such as policies, strategies, visions and overall quality in teaching. 

PhD Committe

The PhD committee addresses strategic and practical support for doctoral education across the department. The group meets approx. once a month to discuss and anchor decisions related to recruitment of PhD students, PhD courses and criteria for quality assessment of the program.  

Planning Committee

The planning committee meets once a month to discuss and plan overarching operational matters, strategies and initiatives.  

Work Environment Group

The work environment group brings together employer, employee and student representatives to address current work environment issues and priorities. The group meets bi-monthly to develop practical solutions based on the action plan for systematic work environment efforts, while also responding to ad hoc issues as they arise.  

Main Coordination Meeting

The Main coordination meeting supports the coordination of different educational tasks across the department, including logistics such as; spaces and resources. It also serves as a platform to communicate activities and events within different courses to all involved. On average, four meetings are planned each semester. 
 
Additional BA & MA coordination meetings are chaired by MA & BA coordinators. 

 Roles & distribution

Head of Department

The Head of department holds the overall formal responsibility for the school and subject of architecture, with focus on strategic development, and handles operative issues, including staff, economy and work environment.

Deputy Head of Department

The Deputy head of department supports the Head of department in operative and strategic issues, and functions as substitute for Head of department when necessary.

Assistant Head of Department

The Assistant Head of Department handles strategic and operative issues related to collaboration with external partners within both education and subject development work. As such, from the outside a key person for initial and sustained collaborations with school, from the inside a key resource and support for setting up and managing collaborations with external stakeholders.

Director of Studies

The Director of Studies handles issues relating to overall planning, operations, follow-up and staffing in basic and advanced level education. 

Programme Director

The programme director is the educational leader of the program, and thus responsible for that the content, structure and quality of the program is maintained in the subject when taught in cooperation with course responsible, colleagues in the team of teachers and other tutors. The programme director is responsible for the continuous planning, monitoring and quality assurance of the programme, including programme specific staffing and budget, and that the admission, education and examination of students is done in accordance with local and central procedures and guidelines.

Director of PhD Studies

The Director of PhD Studies is responsible for the planning, operations, and follow-up of the PhD programme.

Director of Research

The Director of Research is responsible for overall planning and followup for research related matters.

Studio- and course responsible

The studio- and course responsible is responsible for the studio/course schedule, course information, tutoring, examination, evaluation and reporting of grades, and that this is done in accordance with existing guidelines and policy.

Student union

Designsektionen

Designsektionen is part of the NTK (natural sciences and technology) student union, a non-profit student organization. Designsektionen support their members by addressing student related social issues, educational matters, work environment concerns, and by organizing events such as orientation activities. The section serves as an important link between students and the student union, often working together to ensure a rewarding student experience.