The rules are based on the following laws, agreements and regulations: the Universities and Colleges Act, the Main Collective Agreement for the State, the Act on Civil Servants in the State, UiO's personnel regulations, election rules and procedural rules for the election or appointment of department head/ deputy head, Regulations relating to studies and examinations at UiO and UiO's Standard Regulations for Departments.
§ 1 Department Agencies
The department of Psychology has:
- A Department Board
- A Head of Department
- A Head of Education and a Head of Research, one of whom is also Deputy Head of Department
- Six sections each led by a section manager
- An administration led by a Head of Administration
- Program Council for all study programs
§ 2 Department Board
§ 2.1 Field of Authority
The Department Board is the highest governing body of the department. The board is responsible for establishing overall goals, priorities, and strategies for the department's activities, within the framework of applicable laws, regulations, and rules, as well as decisions made by the university or faculty board.
The Board exercises its authority by adopting:
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Overall plans, principles, and priorities for the department's activities
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Long-term plans, with particular emphasis on research, education, and dissemination strategies
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Annual plans, hourly rate accounting rates, and budgets
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The department's internal organization into departments, subject groups, or similar, within the framework provided by the superior body
The Board is responsible for follow-up through:
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Approval of financial statements and annual reports
In addition, the Board shall:
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Propose to the faculty a nomination committee for the election of the department head/deputy head in accordance with the university's rules and the faculty's clarifications. The nomination committee consists of two academic staff members, one technical-administrative staff member, and one student.
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Appoint an election committee for the election of the department head/deputy head. The election committee consists of one academic staff member, one temporary academic staff member, one technical-administrative staff member, and one student.
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Make appointments for academic positions where the faculty has delegated this authority to the department.
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Make recommendations for academic appointments where the faculty has the authority to appoint.
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Appoint members to program councils for the psychology study programs.
All decisions of the Department Board are made by delegation from and on behalf of the University Board.
§ 2.2 Composition
The Department Board is led by the department head with the deputy head as deputy, and has nine members:
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1 department head
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1 deputy department head
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3 representatives with 3 deputy representatives for the permanent academic staff
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1 representative with 1 deputy representative for the temporary academic staff
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2 student representatives with 2 deputy representatives
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1 representative with 1 deputy representative for the technical and administrative staff
§ 3 Election
§ 3.1 Election of Department Head and Deputy Head of Department
The election of the department head/deputy head is conducted as a single election unless the department board decides that the deputy head is appointed by the department head.
The election of the department head/deputy head is held electronically and according to the weighting of voting groups determined by the university. Eligibility for the positions of department head/deputy department head is limited to the permanent academic staff at the department and external candidates. If only one proposal for a department head/deputy head is received within the deadline, the election committee will make this known and set an extended deadline for submitting proposals (cf. § 26 of UiO's election regulations).
If only one candidate proposal for department head/deputy head is received within the deadline specified in the schedule, no election is held. In that case, the existing department board shall make the appointment. The proposed candidate is considered elected if the majority of all elected representatives (whether present or not) to the department board votes in favor of the proposal. If such a majority does not exist, the election process is started again. The election committee sets a new start and end time for the election and a schedule.
§ 3.2 Election of Department Board
The election of representatives from the various groups is based on the university's election rules. The department board may decide that the election for specific groups can be held as a ballot election or mail election. The student representatives can be elected in an election meeting.
The term of office for department board representatives is four years for representatives for the permanent academic staff, technical- and administrative staff, and external representatives. For the temporary academic staff and student representatives, the term of office is one year.
The department head and deputy head, by virtue of their roles, become members of the department board. If they are already elected members of the department board, the first deputy representative for the permanent academic staff will become a regular member.
A representative or deputy representative resigns if their affiliation with the group or faculty ends.
§ 4 Head of Department
§ 4.1. The role of the Department Head
The department head is the highest leader of the department and leads the department's activities within the framework set by the university board, the faculty's plans, and instructions from the dean, as well as decisions made by the department board. The department head has overall responsibility and authority with regard to all tasks that are not explicitly within the scope of the department board's authority and has general authority to decide ongoing individual cases.
The department head is the leader of the department board. The department head is responsible for preparing proposals with suggestions for decisions in matters falling under the department board's authority (cf. § 2). The department head is responsible for implementing the decisions made by the department board.
The department head should have a management group that is appointed by the department board in consultation with the department head.
The department head has responsibility for external networking, information, and contact with external partners.
The department head may be assigned tasks for the faculty.
§ 4.2. Election of Department Head
The election of Department head and Deputy Head should be conducted in accordance with rules established by the university board.
These rules determine the procedures, eligibility criteria, and any specific requirements for the election of department leaders in accordance with the university's governance framework.
§ 4.3 Appointment of Department Head
If a majority of the department board wishes, the department head and deputy head can be appointed in accordance with the university board's established rules. The decision to recommend appointment must be made at least ¾ year before the end of the term.
This provision enables the department board to pursue an alternative path of appointment in exceptional circumstances or to bring in an external leader with specific expertise relevant to the department's work. However, the university board's appointment rules should be followed carefully to ensure the appointment process's transparency and fairness.
§ 5 The Deputy Head of Department
The deputy head assumes the department head's responsibilities and authority when the department head is absent for an extended period.
The deputy head is a deputy member of the department board and takes over as the acting department head. The deputy head's role is important in ensuring continuity in the department's operations and decision-making processes in the department head's absence.
§ 6 Sections
The department consists of six academic sections, and each section is led by a section manager responsible for the section's staff.
The section managers sit in the management group and are appointed by the Department Board.
The section managers' role is to lead and manage the department's academic and administrative activities, including research, teaching, and personnel management, within the framework of the department board's decisions and the instructions of the Department Head.
§ 7 Head of Administration
The Head of Administration (kontorsjef) manages the department's administrative and management work in consultation with and on delegation from the Department Head.
The Head of Administration serves as the secretary of the Department Board and ensures the smooth and efficient administration of the department's affairs.
The head of administration's role is important in supporting the department's academic and research activities and managing the department's financial resources and staffing needs.
§ 8 Program Council for Study Programs
The department establishes program councils for all study programs leading to a bachelor's, master's, or clinical degree.
The Program Council is delegated by the coordinating responsibility for its study programs within the framework of the Regulations for Studies and Examinations at UiO.
The Program Council should process the academic frameworks, important priorities, and plans for quality assurance and quality development of the programs. Beyond this, the Program Council can delegate its tasks to the Program Leader. Decisions about the ongoing operation should be delegated to the Program Leader.
The Program Council should be composed to reflect the academic communities involved in the program and ensure student representation.
The Program Council reports to the Department Head. The Department Head appoints the Program Leader and members of the Program Council.
§ 9 Commencement
This regulation came into effect immediately after the University Board's approval on on May 7th, 2019.