The University of Stavanger does not escape cuts and tougher economic conditions. But as a student, you should hardly notice it.
First of all: You don't need to fear for your study programme. Should it become necessary to close the programme, the university board will impose transitional arrangements on the faculty so that no students admitted to the program will suffer.
It is otherwise only the university board that can decide to close a study programme. So-called zero admissions to degree studies are also decided by the board.
Where one year courses are concerned, the dean can decide on zero admission or closure, but transitional arrangements also apply here. Everyone who is admitted, must be able to complete within the applicable time frames.
Teaching hours
One department, Department of Education and Sports Science (IGIS), is going from 75 hours to 67 hours of classroom teaching on a 15-point subject this academic year.
But counting teaching hours per credit, UiS has been above the national average here, explains head of department at IGIS, Lars Rune Waage. He points out that in the university sector it is common to calculate between two and five teaching hours per credit, corresponding to between 30 and 75 hours for a 15 credit course.
“With fewer hours in the classroom, the teaching is laid out a little differently, but since this is only a small reduction from an initially high number of teaching hours, it will not have very big consequences”, says Waage.
“Studies and students our main concern”
“It is understandable that students may feel uncertain about their own study situation when they hear that the university has to cut costs. But the studies and the students are our main concern, and we do everything we can to spare them in this process”, rector Klaus Mohn says.
“Although times can be a bit demanding right now, pushing towards the edge of the comfort zone has its positive aspects. Perhaps especially for a young and innovative university like UiS. We therefore also see this as an opportunity to improve and become even better at innovation and new thinking” , the rector adds.