The University of Aberdeen is to radically reorganise and modernise its academic activity by grouping the majority of its 54 departments into schools.
Although the fine details of the overall operation are complex, it means that three of the five existing Faculties have been reorganised into 11 schools, while the structure of the remaining two Faculties is unchanged because of special circumstances.
The Faculty of Arts & Divinity becomes four schools, as does Science and Engineering, while the Faculty of Social Sciences & Law features three schools.
The Faculty of Medicine & Medical Sciences has not been changed as it has a distinctive structure of academic management, and already enjoys many of the benefits associated with schools.
And, the structure of the Faculty of Education will not change in the short term. This is because the Faculty embraces the recently-merged Northern College of Education and the structure is governed by the terms of the merger document.
The introduction of the 11 schools becomes effective next month (August 2002) and follows more than a year of formal and informal discussions at different levels within the University.
Announcing the new structure, Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal, advised that irrespective of the future of the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the University is committed to achieving the highest standards of research excellence.
"We would also like to see as large a proportion as possible of academic staff engaged in research of international standing," he explained.
On the merits of the revised teaching arrangements, he added: "To organise teaching groups within schools and Faculties, or between Faculties, is a way of improving teaching attractiveness and quality, and responding to opportunities for new degree programmes.
"The present structures no longer provided an optimal framework for teaching or teaching administration.
"The BSc and MA degree programmes will benefit from a non-departmental overview - providing the optimum number of courses with the minimum of administrative chores.
"We can expand our degree programmes in order to make our University more attractive to high-quality applicants...although we need to ensure that diversity does not result in redundant courses."
The improved administrative efficiency, resulting from larger groupings, is welcomed by Principal Rice. He pointed out: "Many small departments have commented on the administrative load that heads of department and academic staff experience.
"While the central administration should do everything it can to reduce the administrative burden, it is recognised that we are being asked for more and more information from the Funding Council and other regulatory authorities.
"This increasing burden on staff has become intolerable - particularly in small departments. Larger academic units means that the administration of teaching can be serviced at school or Faculty level."
He emphasised that initiatives from many external funding bodies, including Research Councils, make it imperative that the University's structures permit responses to interdisciplinary research initiatives with the minimum of difficulty.
Three main arguments were brought into play to support the case for introducing schools:
* The need to continue improving research quality
* The opportunity to change teaching arrangements - made possible by large units
* Improved administration efficiencies
Heads of the new schools have already been appointed and along with the respective Deans will now bring forward proposals for the internal governance of schools, and later this year, produce costed academic plans which will provide the framework for activity for the next few years.
None of the changes will affect current staffing levels.