NOKUT says yes to university status for the University College of Southeast Norway
The University College of Southeast Norway (USN) meets all of the requirements to become a university and NOKUT is therefore following the recommendations of the expert committee that assessed its application.
“I would like to congratulate the University College of Southeast Norway,” said NOKUT’s Director General Terje Mørland following today’s board meeting.
“The University College of Southeast Norway put a lot of work into both their application and the visit to the institution last year. USN has, in a thorough process, convinced the committee and NOKUT that it is worthy of university status.”
Mørland added however that the job of becoming a good university will take a long time and be demanding:
“It is now up to the University College to establish and develop a university that can maintain a high level of quality, nationally and internationally. The expert committee has pointed out some areas in need of improvement and provided advice that USN should keep in mind on its journey.”
Study quality and research
The expert committee’s report praises the University College as a good place for students. The collaboration between the research and education spheres in the institution works well, and it also works closely with the region.
However, the committee did point out that the proportion of academic staff with scientific publications is somewhat low and that this will be a key challenge for USN going forward. USN has described its strategic initiatives for selected areas, which are aimed at strengthening its research activities, and measures aimed at increasing the proportion of associate professorships. The committee believes these measures are concrete and realistic. The committee also recommends that USN strategically, and in a systematic manner, strives to ensure it provides high quality programmes at the institution’s various campuses.
The University College now has to submit an application to the Ministry of Education and Research to change its institutional category. The final decision will be taken by the King in Council.
Background
The University College of Southeast Norway, a state accredited university college, applied for accreditation as a university on 2 May 2017. The application was considered pursuant to the provisions of the Academic Supervision Regulation, section 3-1 Requirements for the accreditation of higher education institutions and section 5-1 Applications for programme and institutional accreditation.
USN’s application was considered by an expert committee consisting of:
- Professor Jens Oddershede, University of Southern Denmark (SDU)
- Professor Aud Obstfelder, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
- Professor Ingrid Pramling Samuelsson, University of Gothenburg
- Anne Cathrine Berger, Head of the Department of Political Affairs, Norwegian Society of Engineers and Technologists (NITO)
- Madeleine Sjøbrend, master’s student, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU)
The expert committee was asked to consider whether the University College of Southeast Norway meets all of the criteria required for university status. It explained its assessment and published its conclusions in a report. The committee’s assessment was based on the institution’s application and other written materials, as well as information learned upon visiting the institution. Expert groups were also established that assessed four academic areas at the University College.