In May 2014, minister of Education, Torbjørn Røe Isaksen, sent a letter to all universities and university colleges concerning the future structure of the sector. Included was an instruction to consider mergers.
Three alternatives
For NTNU, three alternatives have been discussed: to maintain status quo, to merge only with Sør-Trøndelag University College (HiST), or to include the university colleges in Narvik, Ålesund and Gjøvik. They are primarily technologically oriented, but nursing and other health topics are also taught at all institutions.
The latter alternative would make NTNU Norway’s largest university with about 40 000 students and with campuses spread throughout the country.
NTNU has received government signals that its own opinion on the matter will be respected. Thus, the board meeting on 28 January may take the final decision.
No merger
In the last weeks, time has become an issue. It has raised tempers that the government wants a decision only eight months after sending out its signals. NTNU’s own Professor Per Morten Schiefloe at the Department of Sociology and Political Science has labelled the process not nearly thorough enough. His prediction is that there will be no merger. He also warns against the consequences.
“Four out of five mergers don’t achieve what they set out to. The challenge of uniting cultures, IT systems, personnel systems, archives and a heap of other factors is systematically underrated. Cooperation is good. Merging is beginning in the wrong end,” he says.
Ten nails scraping
At the run-up to decision, all university colleges were invited to a joint seminar on 7th of January. 130 representatives of staff, students and trade unions took part in the discussions. Conclusions revealed an overall positive attitude towards merger among the university colleges, while NTNU Rector Gunnar Bovim signalled a more open attitude. Up till this day he has maintained that he has not yet concluded on what solution he will recommend, or indeed, whether he will give any recommendation at all. In the seminar he put it like this:
“I will not put us through a merger if it means pulling staff by their legs with ten nails scraping the floor.”
In all directions
To start with, there wasn’t much debate about the minister’s request, called SAKS. The acronym stands for samarbeid, arbeidsdeling, konsentrasjon og sammenslåing = cooperation, task partition, concentration and mergers.
However, as deadline has come closer, temperature has risen.
Faculties, trade unions and student bodies have been invited to vent their opinion. Deadline was last Thursday. The recommendations point in all possible directions, with several faculties not being able to decide and others with minorities opposing the majority view.
Faculty by faculty
Here’s a brief summary, faculty by faculty:
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Technology
Clearly recommends status quo and equally clearly warns against any merger. Thinks status quo best preserves NTNU’s professional development and obligations towards society.
Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology
The faculty board is split between status quo and large merger and give thumbs down for HiST only. They think present status is good for scientific excellence and international cooperation. A large merger will make NTNU’s professional programs and expertise available on all campuses. They also think SAKS is in too much of a hurry.
Faculty of Medicine
has merger with HiST as first choice. The faculty also thinks the large merger has its upsides, since it will make NTNU Norway’s largest university in the health disciplines. They would like to include the University College of Nord-Trøndelag because of its work on public health.
Faculty of Humanities
prioritize a merger with HiST, which they think will give potential for increased recruitment and a more solid base for the activities. They see status quo as an acceptable second choice and oppose the larger merger. They fear energy loss in a merger process.
Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology Management
is united against the larger merger but has a full split on the board between status quo or the HiST option. The vocational training of teachers and pedagogy, health and social sciences see possible synergies from a HiST merger, others are sceptical.
Faculty of Information Technology, Mathematics and Electrical Engineering
Three departments want status quo, HiST is rated least interesting, large merger most risky. The Department of Electric Power Engineering stand alone in the wish for a merger with HiST with a merger with SINTEF as a hope for the future.
Faculty of Architecture and Fine Art
stands united in defence of status quo. They recommend that NTNU balances ambitions to expand with the qualitative development of NTNU’s characteristics as a university.
General meetings
Friday morning, just hours after deadline for faculty opinions, the first of three general meetings were held at Dragvoll, where humanists and social scientists are gathered. There, as in the statements from the faculties, opinions varied.
Professor Brit Mæhlum at the Department of Language and Literature was among the firm opponents:
“Can’t you see that we have all our nails scraping the floor? Please allow us to go back to work. Alone,” she begged Rector Bovim.
Merger-happy engineers
Monday general meetings were held first at the engineering campus Gløshaugen, where recommendations pointed more towards the larger merger.
“I took part in the speed-dating on 7 January and I can confirm that there was something of a hallelujah atmosphere. It would be a big let-down for the university colleges if the merger isn’t carried through,” said Professor Asbjørn Rolstadås at the Faculty of Engineering Science and Technology. Several other speakers supported the view that the larger alternative is preferable if there is to be a merger.
The final general meeting, at the Faculty of Mediciine, was a more sombre event.
