Education Committee
The department's educational responsibility for first and second cycle levels includes programme courses, freestanding courses and contract education, as well as programme responsibility (for departments responsible for full programmes). In order to handle the department's educational assignments, an Education Committee shall be established with the overall responsibility for the implementation and coordination of the educational responsibility.
Composition
The Education Committee is chaired by a chairman, also the departmental director of education. The members of the committee are appointed by the head of department, unless otherwise stated, for a term of office of 3 years with the possibility of extension. The committee shall appoint a vice chairman from among its members.
There are different compositions for the Education Committee at a department without programme responsibility and for the Education Committee at a department with programme responsibility.
Education Committee at a department without programme responsibility
The Education Committee without programme responsibility shall, in addition to the chairman, consist of the following members with the right to vote:
- One to six teacher representatives from the own department
- One or two teacher representatives from another KI department
- Two to three student representatives with a personal deputy (appointed by the relevant student union)
Education Committee at a department with programme responsibility
The Education Committee at a department with programme responsibility shall, in addition to the chairman, consist of the following members with the right to vote:
- Programme director for the programmes that the department is responsible for.
- Three to six teacher representatives from the own department
- At least two teacher representatives from another KI department
- Three student representatives with a personal deputy (appointed by the relevant student union)
- One or two representatives from future employer stakeholders, one of whom is appointed by the collaboration organisation KI/Region Stockholm
The head of a clinical department may, in consultation with the relevant FoUU committee, decide that a representative/s from the region with voting rights shall be included in the Education Committee. However, the number of KI-employed teachers with a PhD must be in the majority, see the requirements of the Higher Education Act and KI's application of the requirements below.
Competence requirements
Decisions are to be made by individuals with research or artistic competence if these decisions require appraisal of the organisation, implementation or quality of a course or programme, or the organisation or quality of research. If the appraisal referred to in the first paragraph above is to be made by a group of individuals, the majority of them shall possess research or artistic competence. The Swedish Higher Education Act, Chapter 2, Section 6. Ordinance (2013:119).
When applying the above-mentioned provisions to KI, scientific competence shall refer to a completed doctoral degree (PhD).
In addition to the requirement for a doctoral degree, the person must be employed at least half-time. For persons with fixed-term employment, the employment shall cover at least two years from 1 January of the year in which the term of office begins. In this context, a teacher means a person who is employed as a teacher or researcher in accordance with the Appointment Procedure for Teachers at Karolinska Institutet.
Student representation and consultation
Students at higher education institutions are entitled to representation on all decision-making or preparatory bodies at the institution whose activities are of importance to educational programmes and the students' situation.
If a decision or preparatory work is to be undertaken by one single person rather than a body, information shall be given to and consultation be held with a student representative in good time before the decision or conclusion of the preparatory work. (Higher Education Ordinance Chapter 3 Section 9). The student representatives are appointed by the student unions.
It is Karolinska Institutet's policy for the students to be actively and meaningfully involved in the decision-making process.
The Board of Higher Education and its subordinate programme committees operate on the principle that over half their voting members, including the chairpersons or their deputies and at least one student representative, are to be present for the board or committee to be quorate.
Adjunction
The chairman may co-opt additional persons with the right to attend and express their views to the Education Committee
Delegation
The Committee for Higher Education has delegated to the Head of Department to make decisions within the department’s educational responsibility. The right to decide can be sub-delegated unless otherwise stated. However, certain issues must be further delegated to the Education Committee. The Education Committee may establish sub-bodies and delegate decision-making power to these and to GUA/PD/other unless otherwise stated.
Work models
Minutes shall be kept during meetings of the committee and its decision-making sub-bodies in accordance with KI's rules and templates. Decisions must always be made after presentations, unless otherwise stated.
In order to make decisions, the presence of at least half of the members with the right to vote, of which the chairman or vice-chairman and at least one student representative is required.
In the event that no student representative has been appointed by the student union, the presence of at least half of the members with voting rights applies, for which one of them must be chairman or vice chairman. In the event of an equal distribution of votes, the chairman has the casting vote.
In the case of decisions that affect a specific program, at least one teacher representative for the programme must be present for decision-making.
If a matter is so urgent that a decision must be made before the next scheduled meeting, the matter may be decided by notifications between the chairman and at least as many members as are necessary for decision making (decision per capsulam). If this procedure is not appropriate, the chairman alone may decide the matter.
Decisions delegated to the chairman/other must be made after consultation with the student representative. The fact that a student representative must participate does not apply to decisions concerning the exercise of authority against an individual student.
Decisions made by the chairman/other and respective decisions per capsulam must be notified at the next meeting.