NTNU’s Board is seeking input from employees and students on measures that can strengthen participation and support a decision on the university’s future leadership model. Deadline for input: 16 April 2026.

Norsk: Diskusjon om ledelse og medvirkning

• Resource Group’s Summary of Input from the Organisation March - April 2026 (pdf)

Guidelines

Watch recording of the 2 March debate meeting on appointed versus elected rector (YouTube - In Norwegian)

Questions for discussion

The Board is primarily seeking answers to two questions:

1. How do current arrangements for participation and democracy function at NTNU?
   
   • Which arenas and practices work well and provide direct participation?
   • In which areas is the perceived distance particularly large or challenging? Examples are welcome.
   • Where is it difficult to gain influence or be heard? Examples are welcome.
2. Which measures should be implemented to increase employee and student influence over important decision-making processes?
   
   • What is needed for employees and students to gain more influence? Examples are welcome.
   • How can the process leading up to appointing the rector become more open and inclusive for employees and students?
   • What measures can strengthen participation in general?

Supporting material

• Reference and preparatory material for the discussions (pdf)
  • The material is also available on a webpage
• Shorter guidelines for leaders and safety representatives (pdf)
• Slide deck for use in staff meetings (pptx)
• Slide desk for use in meetings with students (pptx)

Submission of contributions (proposals and viewpoints)

• Form for units and committees
• Form for individuals
  
  • Privacy statement about the form (pdf)

Timeline and activities

Useful background documentation

Board cases (in Norwegian)

• Board Case S‑51/2025: Plan for internal discussion on leadership and strengthened participation at NTNU
  
  • Minutes from the meeting with the decision in the case
• Board Case S‑44/2025: Leadership model at NTNU
  
  • Minutes
• Board Case S‑03/2024: Assessment of the need for an evaluation of NTNU’s leadership model
  
  • Minutes
• Board Case S‑15/2021: Participation at NTNU – current issues and further development
  • Minutes

Reports (in Norwegian)

• Appointment of leaders on fixed-term contracts at NTNU – 25 proposals (Report from the joint employer–employee working group, 13 December 2021)
• FAFO report from 2020 on employees’ experience of co-determination and participation (PDF)
  • Presentation of the report (PPTX)
• Techopolis mapping (2025)

Webpages on leadership and participation

• Organization and Management at NTNU
• Councils and committees at NTNU (in Norwegian)
• Participation and co-determination
• Student government

Resource group for the process

To facilitate good discussions, ensure the quality of the processes, and summarize the input, the board has appointed a resource group:

• Dean Terje Lohndal (Chair), Faculty of Humanities
• Professor Tone Frost Bathen, Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging
• Professor Helge Holden, Department of Mathematical Sciences
• Head of Office Anne Larsen, Department of Economics
• Senior Engineer Eli Beate Jakobsen Larsen, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
• Student Lea-Sofie Thomsen Lie, Faculty of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering
• PhD Candidate Nikola Plavac, Department of Computer Science
• Head of Department Toril Aalberg, Department of Sociology and Political Science

Secretariat

• Ida Munkeby, Office of the Director of Organization and Infrastructure (DOI)
• Kjersti Møller, DOI
• Marte Pettersen Buvik, HR and HSE Division
• Kristin Wergeland Brekke, HR and HSE Division
• Synøve Halstadtrø Mørseth, Division of Development and Governance
• Ane Møller Gabrielsen, Library Section for Research Support, Data and Analysis
• Jan Erik Kaarø, Communication Division / DOI Office

Contact: ledelse-medvirkning@ntnu.no