Research Our strategic goal is to significantly increase the quality of research output. A necessary condition for this is to significantly increase the external research funding. Increase publication in high quality outlets Incentive schemes within the general budget framework. To be implemented when standards are available. AU Herning negotiates with the awardees of external grants to give them a small percentage of their overhead generated toward their research efforts. AU Herning uses one off payments as rewards for highquality scientific production. AU Herning ensures that no researcher sits alone ; every researcher is connected to at least one major research project. All AU Herning researchers have a five year research plan, which is aligned and approved by the research centre director to whom they report or directly by the head of department. They brief their colleagues on their research plans, and the research production is evaluated at annual employee development interviews. Develop clear and comparable standards for publication in highquality outlets Project has been initiated. Final version by end of 2013. AU Herning is a very broad based department. We have one representative who sits in a national committee for publication standards, but have not yet developed departmental standards. AU Herning s research centres will do this before the end of 2013. Improve faculty support in relation to applications for external research funding AU Herning has requested and been assigned a contact person from the AU Research Support Office. AU Herning has both hosted and participated in grant proposal writing courses. Every year, AU Herning sends at least one researcher on the research management course.
Talent Development Our strategic goal is to further strengthen and improve the recruitment of the most talented researchers. Deepen initiatives and models to recruit the most talented students both internally and externally into the PhD field programmes Expansion of budget: A rise in the total wage cost for PhD student from EUR 9 million in 2011 to EUR 11.7 million in 2016. The Graduate School is open for admission twice a year in connection with the general call. Systematic recruitment of PhD students through the Business and Social Sciences PhD programme. Once a year, AU Herning will advertise internationally for potential PhD candidates, and a PhD student will only be employed if he/she matches the departmental needs with respect to research base. AU Herning strategically invests in attracting industrial PhDs. The aim is to be known as an ideal place to be educated in an industrial PhD focusing on business and technology. AU Herning actively encourages its best students to apply for PhD scholarships/fellowships. AU Herning is actively working to align its talent development model to those of the other BSS departments. Participate actively in international job markets for junior faculty. AU Herning uses the conventional channels for recruitment as well as our international networks. We have not yet chosen to use international job markets when it comes to recruitment of foreign PhD students or junior faculty. Facilitate the use of flexible and competitive career paths. Development of generic model for tenure track positions. AU Herning offers 7 year tenure tracks, but has yet to employ a candidate within this model, except for a recent joint position with the Department of Law.
Education Our strategic goal is to improve the quality of the research based education provided at the school and increase the graduates employment opportunities on domestic and international job markets. Ensure a high level of qualifications at entry by attracting top end high school students Contribution to det rullende universitet (the mobile university) and educational s to the Academy for Young Talents Continuous focus on/s to different recruitment activities AU Herning has, in addition to participating in the mobile university, a large set up in connection with a bridgebuilding programme, where more than 1,800 high school students each year participate in activities at AU Herning. AU Herning s goal is to be present at especially local education fairs with great AU Herning visibility. In addition, AU Herning is participating as a key player in the network Uddannelsesby Herning (Education Network Herning), which aims to market Herning as an attractive place to study. Emphasise students individual development by supporting them in identifying the right educational path Funds available for different study environment projects General focus on developing current and new study programmes AU Herning continuously focuses on optimising the study environment in a relatively small physical location, and it actively participates in activities within that framework, including: Initiatives to reduce the dropout rate Initiatives to organise more social and academic events Initiatives to improve the integration of international students Significantly increase the fraction of teaching conducted by active researchers The total wage cost of active researchers as a percentage of total faculty wages is rising over the budget years According to the accreditation criteria, about half of AU Herning's education portfolio must be research based. The strategy to achieve this goal is to: Upgrade the qualifications of existing staff. Prioritise research in connection with recruitment of new employees. In connection with retirement/resignation, replace fulltime teachers with research based teachers within subjects that make sense according to the accreditation criteria. Cooperate with the rest of AU and associated research staff through shared positions and/or extra work.
Significantly increase the focus on didactic development of faculty through courses on supervision, teaching in a multicultural classroom, experimental learning and through comprehensive instruction in the use of modern educational IT 8.5 mill. kr. to CUL (continuing and possibly rising each year) 5.5 mill. kr. to the new LMS (Black Board) On a regular basis, AU Herning sends its full and part time staff on various CUL (Centre for Teaching and Learning) courses according to prioritised needs. AU Herning will begin migration to the new Blackboard after having converted to AU STADS in 2013. Continuously discuss high quality teaching at department level Study environment s available for initiatives focusing on high quality teaching (2.5. mill kr. in 2012) Task group focusing on development of a new system for teaching evaluation AU Herning is subject to several boards of studies each with its own evaluation procedure requirements. It is AU Herning s goal to get this harmonised as far as possible preferably in one single electronic AU Herning evaluation system. On a continuing basis, AU Herning has follow up meetings with teachers who are receiving bad evaluations they will always be called in for a clarifying dialogue and may be offered supervision, training or the like often in close coordination with CUL. Increase the collaboration with businesses, organisations and the public sector through AU Career and AU Alumni services to promote employment prospects of graduates See Knowledge Exchange section Currently, AU Herning has its own AU Herning alumni association. The objective is that (after the STADS conversion) it can be integrated with AU Alumni with its own local branch, however. Furthermore, AU Herning has its own local branch of AU Career, which particularly focuses on one of AU Herning s distinctive features our mentor programme a feature with great strategic value, which should be maintained. The tasks of the local branch will be reviewed in 2013. Form a limited number of strategic educational partnerships with respected peer universities Dialogue between Dean s Office and administration and study boards initiated to discuss BSS partnerships 2.5 mill kr. to study grants (exchange) AU Herning has in cooperation with our local international office (organised under Research and Talent) prepared a prioritised list of partner institutions and has significantly reduced the number of these institutions. AU Herning s professors maintain relations with the universities that they came from. AU Herning actively uses part time professorships and cosupervisors in PhD programmes to build strategic partnerships with peer universities.
Knowledge exchange Our strategic goal is to further improve our portfolio of postgraduate and further education programmes to reflect the needs and demands of society, with particular focus on MBA and MPA programmes. Strengthen and increase corporate partnerships to identify the need for continuing education as well as research collaboration Visits/dialogues with companies and organisations to uncover the demand/need for continuing education. School s centre for continuing education AU Executive, BSS a profit centre which allocates its profits to the departments based on the performance of their continuing education programmes. Further development of AU Herning s close contact with private and public organisations via Business Development Centres and Business Link Central Denmark. Quality development of mentor programmes and student projects: Development of the MATCH process between students and companies. Closer contact between the company, students and AU/supervisor. Development of evaluation model for mentor programmes (360 degree feedback). Implementation of external events, where AU Herning interacts with and visits the local area. This will promote the university s contacts with the local business community. Representatives from the local business community and other educational institutions will get the opportunity to participate in the Student Incubator s exam (Business Catapult) to promote synergies across educational institutions and in the surrounding community. DKK 6 million allocated to the school s career centre each year. Geographical expansion of career centre to include services for all students at BSS. New corporate agreements under negotiations e.g. Aarhus Municipality, law firms and organisations within Creating a university for companies virksomhedsuniversitet (strategy development in progress). AU Herning will appoint an external advisory board in 2013 with an exclusive focus on knowledge exchange. Placement of international students in mentor programmes.
the field of political sciences. Cooperation established with international job and internship portals to provide BSS students easier access to jobs and internships abroad. Increased focus on international students employability through InterResource EUfinanced project focused on retention of international graduates in the Mid Jutland Region. Webportal for knowledge exchange in pipeline at university level. Establishment of local corporate ambassadors at school and department level in pipeline to increase the focus on establishing connections between researchers and companies/ organisations. Establish partnerships with international peer universities to improve the quality and scope of initiatives within continuing education Benchmarking exercise with Gothenburg University (GU) (School of Economics and Law.) AU Herning participates and benchmarks itself against KASK, and in 2013, it will explore using the Knowledge Exchange KPI used in the European Institute for Innovation and Technology education certification process. Expand the availability and quality of alumni activities across the school with particular focus on continuing education DKK 2 million allocated to AU Alumni, BSS each year. Alumni ambassadors (a faculty and a staff member from each department) established at each department to ensure that local needs/interests are represented. AU Herning has its own active alumni association and continues to support its activities.