Regulations on Organisational Structure of the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences

APPROVED BY THE UNIVERSITY COUNCIL 23.06.2022

Web version last updated 26.10.2023

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SHORTCUTS

The role of the School is to offer university education and to organise research in the fields of health, business and natural sciences. The School formulates its policy for a number of years at a time, in accordance with its role and the policy of the University of Akureyri. The School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences operates on the basis of the Higher Education Act No. 63/2006, the Act on Public Higher Education Institutions No. 85/2008 and regulations for the University of Akureyri No. 694/2022.

 

Staff at the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences include Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors, Adjuncts, doctoral students, specialists, temporary lecturers, guest lecturers and staff responsible for administration and support services for the School.

 

The University Council can decide to initiate a special assessment of the operations of schools, faculties, institutions or other operational units within the University, see among other things article 13 of regulations for the University of Akureyri.

 

Regulations on Doctoral Studies and Doctoral Examinations at the University of Akureyri apply on doctoral studies.

School Assembly of the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences is a forum for consultation where discussions take place on internal matters of the School. The Dean of School shall convene the School Assembly and either act as its chair or delegate that task to another person. The University Council can seek an opinion from the School Assembly on anything related to operations of the school in question. There are further details prescribed about school assemblies in article 17 of regulations for the University of Akureyri.

The Dean of School, Heads of Faculties or their deputies, Heads of Departments and one representative of each institution, belonging to the School or its faculties, have seats and the right to vote at School Assembly meetings. Further attendees are academic staff, university teachers, doctoral students, two student representatives nominated for a term of one year in each instance by the Union of Students at the University of Akureyri and staff from the School’s administration and support services.

 

The Assembly is quorate for making resolutions about issues considered to affect the interests of the School, if 50% of voting representatives attend the Assembly meeting, and those resolutions shall be notified to those that they may concern.

 

The School Assembly elects the School representatives to the University Assembly, see article 8 of regulations for the University of Akureyri. It is authorised to elect a representative to the University Assembly with electronic voting.

 

A School Assembly shall be held at least once each semester.

The Dean of School, Heads of Faculties and the School Office Manager comprise the School Council. Two students from the School, nominated by associations affiliated to the Union of Students at the University of Akureyri, also have seats for a term of one year in each instance. School Council deputies deputise for the above specified primary members and the student deputies are nominated by associations affiliated to the Union of Students.

 

The Dean of School chairs School Council meetings, which shall be held once a month or more frequently if necessary, and the Dean is authorised to nominate a Head of Faculty to chair a School Council meeting. In the absence of a Head of Faculty, his deputy shall attend School Council meetings.

 

The School Council deals with matters relating to the whole School, including decisions of faculties on offers of courses, finances and operational performance of faculties and of the School, proposals from faculties on offer of courses and entry limitations for each academic year where appropriate. The School Council makes proposals to the University Council on amendments to regulations or on new regulations that relate to organisation and operations of the School and its faculties and institutions, on awarding of honorary doctorates and on offering an academic position to a scientist without advertisement. The School Council makes decisions on university institutions and research institutions that are founded. It is authorised to operate separate university institutions and research institutions, which are founded pursuant to agreement by the School Council. In addition to this, cases of individual students which cannot be resolved at a faculty level shall be discussed or referred to an appropriate channel.

 

The School Council is not quorate unless a majority of voting representatives attend the meeting. If a primary elected representative cannot attend a meeting, his deputy shall be called to attend. Matters are decided by majority vote. In the event of a tie, the issue is decided by the Dean’s casting vote or that of the party chairing the meeting in the absence of the Dean. Minutes shall be kept, which record decisions made by the School Council. The Dean of School appoints a secretary to the Council.

 

The School Council elaborates more detailed regulations for the School and further elaborates its organisation and make proposals to the University Council on faculty structure and on the offer of study programmes. Among other things, the annual budget of the School shall be presented and discussed at a meeting of the School Council. The Rector and the University Council can delegate the execution of other tasks as appropriate to the School Council.

The Dean of the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences is the director of the School, controls daily operations and is its academic leader and spokesman within and outside the University. The Dean is appointed by the Rector for a term of five years pursuant to regulations of procedure set by the University Council. The Dean calls representatives to a School Assembly and chairs the meetings. He is furthermore the chairman of the School Council. Further details are provided about the role, tasks, responsibility and appointment of the Dean in articles 15 and 16 of regulations for the University of Akureyri and in terms of reference issued to him by the Rector.

The School Office operates under the control of the School Office Manager who is in turn responsible to the Dean of School, who is his superior. The School Office Manager is responsible for daily operations of the School Office and further detail is provided on responsibility, role and tasks of the Office Manager in his job description. The office is a centre for support service and administration, and carries out various tasks for the School, its faculties and institutions. The office handles general services for students and teachers as well as various specialised matters such as preparing the course catalogue and timetable, registration, graduation, human resources, daily operations, etc. The Office cooperates and consults closely with the University Office and with the Rector's Office on central support service and administration.

The School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences is divided into five faculties: Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, Faculty of Nursing, Faculty of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Business Administration and Faculty of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences.

 

Faculties collaborate closely to best utilise manpower, funds, facilities, machinery and equipment for the benefit of diverse education and research. The School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences and its faculties shall furthermore support close cooperation with the University Office, the Rector's Office and with other schools and faculties at the University.

 

Faculties are autonomous in their own operations within the boundaries set by the University common regulations, and they bear professional responsibility for teaching and studies and for awarding of degrees on the completion of a programme of studies.

 

Each faculty is responsible for matters related to its subjects, decides learning content and arrangement of teaching and examinations and discusses necessary funding and new positions. The Head of Faculty, in consultation with the faculty or department, prepares the appointment of temporary lecturers and makes a proposal to the Dean of School on appointments. Faculty meetings and the Heads of Faculty manage each faculty. A faculty meeting has the authority to make decisions on all matters related to a faculty in accordance with these regulations and the regulations for the University of Akureyri. A faculty is responsible for organisation and development of the studies that the School has agreed shall take place within the faculty, and for registration and graduation on behalf of the Dean. In each faculty there is at least one study programme, which means a specified composition of courses that a student must complete to earn a specific degree. In specific cases or matters, the faculty is authorised to delegate power of decision to the faculty council or to the Head of Faculty.

 

When organising all studies at the School, the National Qualification Framework for Higher Education and Degrees (advertisement No. 530/2011) is taken into account.

Faculty meetings are the highest authority on teaching and research within each faculty. The tasks and role of faculty meetings is prescribed in article 20 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri. Faculty meeting sets rules on internal organisation of the faculty and they shall among other things, discuss the role of faculty and department meetings. Matters are decided by majority vote. In the case of a tie, the Head of Faculty’s casting vote decides the outcome.

 

Pursuant to article 21 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri, the following representatives have a right to attend and vote at faculty meetings:

 

 

A representative of the School Office also attends faculty meetings and has the right to make proposals but without voting rights.

A faculty sets further rules regarding procedures for appointment of representatives, in accordance with items c and d.

Pursuant to article 22 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri, a faculty is authorised to appoint a management committee, a faculty council. Parties having a seat at the faculty council are the Head of Faculty, Heads of Departments, and two student representatives elected by their associations for a term of one year in each instance, from the group of student representatives at faculty meetings. Faculties set more detailed rules on the number of representatives at faculty council meetings.

The Head of Faculty and faculty meetings are responsible for teaching, organisation of teaching and the development of learning. The Head of Faculty is the most senior representative of the faculty vis-à-vis persons and institutions within and outside the University. The Head of Faculty is responsible to the Dean of School, who is his superior. The Head of Faculty is the academic leader of the faculty and is responsible for policy making for the faculty, for organisation of learning and for quality of teaching and research, also for relations with colleagues and for the operations of the faculty and of its operational units being in accordance with the budget of the School.

 

The Head of Faculty is a member of the of the School Council. Between faculty meetings or School Council meetings, the Head of Faculty has the power of decision on their behalf on matters related to the faculty. The Head of Faculty chairs faculty meetings and meetings of the faculty council as appropriate and implements resolutions of the meetings. More detail is provided about responsibility, role and tasks of the Head of Faculty in article 23 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri and in the job description prescribed by the Dean of School in consultation with the Rector.

 

The Dean of School appoints a Head of Faculty for a term of two years in each instance in accordance with nomination from a faculty meeting. A Head of Faculty shall be elected at a faculty meeting from the group of Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors at the faculty. A faculty meeting shall also nominate a deputy Head of Faculty at the same time. The election shall be completed by 1 March in the year that the term of office of the incumbent Head of Faculty expires and the term of office commences on 1 July and ends on 30 June two years later.

 

The Head of Faculty shall be a Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor in full employment at the faculty and shall have significant experience of teaching, research and management, and shall have good insight into organisation and structure of learning.

Faculties are authorised to choose specific Heads of Departments to supervise one or more study programmes within the faculty, where general University requirements for minimum number of students and for credits for a study programme are fulfilled. Heads of departments are elected at faculty meetings for a term of two years in each instance. The election shall be completed by 1 March in the year that the term of office of the incumbent Head of Department expires and the term of office commences on 1 July and ends on 30 June two years later. Managing a department entails communications with students and a leadership role in teaching and learning development. Departmental teacher meetings are a forum for collaboration, and such meetings are called by the Head of Department as required. Teachers, temporary lecturers and any other parties involved in teaching within the department can be called to a departmental teacher meeting in each instance. Responsibility and tasks of the Heads of Department are further detailed in a specific job description.

Selection committees work within each faculty of the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences in accordance with article 38 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri. The role of a selection committee is to review applications for an academic position in the faculty when the Evaluation Committee has completed its deliberations and assessment of competence of applicants and to provide the Dean of School, or as appropriate, the Rector in the case of a permanent appointment, with an opinion about the applicants before a decision is made on appointment. Those having seats in a selection committee are the Head of Faculty, who chairs the committee, one representative nominated by the faculty for a term of three years on one representative that the faculty council or Dean of Faculty nominates in each case, where the party in question shall be a specialist in the academic field of the position. The Rector appoints a member of staff to selection committees who among other things, manages the appointment procedure and ensures that the work of the committee is in accordance with law and regulations, and with good administrative practices. There is more detailed specification of the role and case procedure of a selection committee, in articles 38 and 39 of the regulations for the University of Akureyri and specific rules of procedure for selection committees set by the University Council.

A selection committee opinion shall be sent to a faculty meeting which takes a position on the opinion and sends it to the Dean of School who makes a decision on the appointment.

Curriculum and credit-transfer committees operate within each faculty of the School of Health, Business and Natural Science. The role of a curriculum committee is to discuss and make proposals for the course catalogue and for programme structure and academic subjects for faculties or departments. The role of a credit-transfer committee is to make proposals on assessment of prior study programmes and for planned exchange study for students in the faculty or department in question. Individual faculties within a school are authorised to jointly create curriculum and credit-transfer committees. A faculty is authorised to combine curriculum committee and credit-transfer committee into a single curriculum and credit-transfer committee. Curriculum and credit-transfer committee shall comprise at least three representatives of teachers (Professors, Associate Professors, Assistant Professors and Adjuncts), who shall be chosen for a term of two years in each instance by the faculty meeting in question, and one student representative elected from their associations for a term of one year in each instance. The Head of Faculty shall work with the committee along with the staff from the school's administration and support services. The committee divides its tasks between its members. There is more detailed description of structure, role and rules of procedure of curriculum and credit-transfer committees in a separate agreement.

 

Curriculum committees of the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences shall have formal collaboration, with the aim of disseminating information and of optimising cooperation on studies and offer of courses at the School.

It is authorised to appoint committees or supervisors who bear specific responsibility for individual matters within a school or a faculty. Matters that can have such committees or supervisors are for example research, international communications, quality issues, public relations and compilation of the course catalogue. The committees or supervisors for these matters are elected at School Assembly or as appropriate at faculty meetings, for a term of two years in each instance.

The Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences is a professional basic unit which represents and bears responsibility for teaching and research in the fields of biotechnology and fisheries science, and for awarding of degrees in its professional fields on completion of a study programme. There are three departments at the faculty: Fisheries Science, Business Administration and Fisheries Science and Biotechnology, which is further divided into two elective fields, Natural Resource Biotechnology and Health Related Biotechnology. The faculty furthermore offers graduate studies at master's level. The faculty, under the leadership of the Head of Faculty, is responsible for the development of studies, structure of teaching and examinations and provides research in its professional field.

 

A faculty meeting is the highest authority in matters relating to the Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences, see article 7 of these regulations.

 

The Head of Faculty leads the work of the faculty on behalf of the faculty meeting and is responsible to the faculty, to its academic staff and to the School, see article 9 of these regulations.

 

The Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences provides teaching towards the following degrees:

 

BS degree in Biotechnology

BS degree in Fisheries Science

MS degree in Natural Resource Sciences

MS degree in Fisheries Science

MRM degree in Coastal and Marine Management

 

In addition to this, the University of Akureyri offers studies towards a doctorate in biotechnology and in fisheries science.

 

The Faculty of Natural Resource Sciences sets more detailed rules on study programmes which shall be included in the course catalogue.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences represents and is responsible for teaching and research in interdisciplinary health sciences in various elective fields and for the awarding of a degree on completion of the study programme. The faculty is also responsible for professional studies for an undergraduate diploma for licenced practical nurses supervised by a Head of Department under the authority of the faculty meeting.

 

A faculty meeting is the highest authority in matters relating to the faculty, see article 7 and faculty meetings shall generally be held monthly. In addition to those specified in article 7, academic staff who do not belong to the Faculty of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences, but who supervise courses at the faculty, have the right to attend and vote at faculty meetings, as well as doctoral students, see item b of article 7.

 

The Head of Faculty leads the work of the faculty on behalf of the faculty meeting and is responsible to the faculty, to its academic staff and to the School, see article 9.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences provides teaching towards the following degrees:

 

Vocational studies for licenced practical nurses - undergraduate diploma

Postgraduate Diploma in Health Sciences

MS degree in Health Sciences

 

In addition to this, the University of Akureyri offers studies towards a doctorate in health sciences.

 

When organising graduate studies in health sciences, provisions of the Healthcare Practitioners Act No. 34/2012, Health Service Act No. 40/2007, Patients´ Rights Act No. 74/1997 and Act on Health Insurance No. 112/2008 is taken into account. It is furthermore taken into account that each student can have his studies credited as specialist knowledge, see among other things, Regulations on the education, rights and obligations of registered nurses and criteria for granting of licences and specialist licences No. 512/2013, Regulations on the education, rights and obligations of medical doctors and criteria for granting of licences to practise medicine and specialist medical licences No. 467/2015, Regulations on the education, rights and obligations of physiotherapists and criteria for granting of licences and specialist licences No. 1127/2012 and Regulations on the education, rights and obligations of social workers and criteria for granting of licences and specialist licences No. 1088/2012.

 

The Faculty of Graduate Studies in Health Sciences sets more detailed rules on study programmes, which shall be included in the course catalogue.

The Faculty of Nursing is a professional basic unit, which represents and is responsible for teaching and research in the field of nursing and for awarding degrees on completion of a study programme.

 

A faculty meeting is the highest authority in matters relating to the Faculty of Nursing, see article 7 of these regulations and faculty meetings shall generally be held monthly. In addition to the parties specified in article 7, temporary lecturers who supervise courses have the right to attend and vote at faculty meetings as well as academic staff of the faculty who is not covered by item a of article 7, and the project manager at the faculty.

 

The Head of Faculty leads the work of the faculty on behalf of the faculty meeting and is responsible to the faculty, to its academic employees and to the School, see article 9.

A faculty council operates within the faculty, see article 8. Those with seats in the faculty council are the Head of Faculty or his deputy in his absence, the chairman of the curriculum committee, one representative of teachers who is elected at a faculty meeting, the project manager of clinical studies and one student representative nominated by an association affiliated to the Union of Students at the University of Akureyri for a term of one year in each instance. A representative of the School Office also attends faculty meetings and has the right to make proposals but has no voting rights. In the event of a tie, the casting vote of the Head of Faculty decides.

 

The Faculty of Nursing provides teaching towards BS degree in nursing.

 

When organising studies in nursing, provisions of the Healthcare Practitioners Act No. 34/2012, Health Service Act No. 40/2007, Patients´ Rights Act No. 74/1997 and Act on Health Insurance No. 112/2008 is taken into account as well as Regulation on the education, rights and obligations of registered nurses and criteria for granting of licences and specialist licences No. 512/2013.

 

The Faculty of Nursing sets more detailed rules on study programmes which shall be included in the course catalogue.

The Faculty of Occupational Therapy is a professional basic unit, which represents and is responsible for teaching and research in the field of occupational therapy and for awarding degrees on completion of a study programme. Within occupational therapy there are two departments: Occupational Therapy Studies at undergraduate level and Occupational Therapy Studies, postgraduate diploma awarding licence for practicing as an occupational therapist.

 

A faculty meeting is the highest authority in matters relating to the Faculty of Occupational Therapy, see article 7 and faculty meetings shall generally be held monthly. In addition to those specified in article 7, vocational project managers have the right to attend and vote at faculty meetings. Other staff appointed to the faculty but who are not covered by item a in article 7, have the right to attend and make proposals at faculty meetings but have no voting rights, see item b Article 7.

 

The Head of Faculty leads the work of the faculty on behalf of the faculty meeting and is responsible to the faculty, to its academic employees and to the School, see article 9.

The Faculty of Occupational Therapy provides teaching towards the following degrees:

 

BS degree in Occupational Therapy Studies

Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Therapy Studies, awarding licence for practicing as an occupational therapist

 

When organising studies at the faculty, provisions of the Healthcare Practitioners Act No. 34/2012, Health Service Act No. 40/2007, Patients´ Rights Act No. 74/1997 and Act on Health Insurance No. 112/2008 is taken into account. Regulations on the education, rights and obligations of occupational therapists and criteria for granting of licences No. 1221/2012, as amended, are furthermore taken into account.

 

The Faculty of Occupational Therapy sets more detailed rules on study programmes which shall be included in the course catalogue.

The Faculty of Business Administration is a professional basic unit, which represents and is responsible for teaching and research in the field of business studies and for awarding degrees on completion of a study programme.

 

A faculty meeting is the highest authority in matters relating to the Faculty of Business Administration, see article 7 of these regulations.

 

The Head of Faculty leads the work of the faculty on behalf of the faculty meeting and is responsible to the faculty, to its academic employees to its school, see article 9.

 

The Faculty of Business Administration provides teaching towards the following degrees:

 

BS degree in Business Administration

MS degree in Business Administration

 

In addition to this, the University of Akureyri offers studies towards a doctorate in business administration.

 

The Faculty of Business Administration sets more detailed rules on study programmes which shall be included in the course catalogue.

The following institutions and/or centres belong to the School of Health, Business and Natural Sciences. Their operations are further detailed in separate regulations for the institutions in question.

 

The Institute of Health Science Research is a scientific research institution based on cooperation between Akureyri Hospital and the University of Akureyri. Objective of the cooperation is to enhance teaching and research in health sciences by increasing cooperation and making these operations of the institutions more visible. The Institute of Health Science Research operates pursuant to regulations No. 202/2017.

 

The Research Centre against Violence. The objective of the centre is to enhance research and increase knowledge of the manifestation of violence, its consequences and of ways to eradicate violence. The centre cooperates with institutions and associations in Iceland and abroad, and in addition provides information at conferences and seminars on the impact of violence and disseminates knowledge on consequences of violence.

 

The Fisheries Science Centre is intended to enhance relationships between the University and industry. The objective of the Fisheries Science Centre is to strengthen the leading role of the University of Akureyri in the field of education and research in fisheries, to enhance cooperation between the University and this sector of industry, to improve the image of fisheries and to enhance studies in fisheries science.

These regulations, agreed by the University Council on 23 June 2022, are adopted on the basis Act No. 85/2008 on Public Higher Education Institutions and on regulations No. 694/2022 for the University of Akureyri. These regulations enter into force forthwith. At the same time, regulations No. 864/2009 on the Organisational Structure of the School of Business and Science and regulations No. 812/2013 on the Organisational Structure of the School of Health Sciences become void. These regulations shall be reviewed regularly and shall gained experience taken into account.

 

University of Akureyri, 23 June 2022.

Eyjólfur Guðmundsson, Rector