Once the strategy has been adopted, the work must continue with the professional departments and the administration separately, and in collaboration, specifying how they will contribute to fulfilling the overall goals set in the strategy. These action plans must describe the department's activities, highlighting measures and milestones linked to the overall objectives.
This document contains a brief analysis of trends and challenges that form the backdrop for the strategy and outlines the value base before the goals in the strategy are stated in five general areas. The entire target structure is initially shown in an illustration, and the document follows the division from the illustration onwards into the text section.
In the document, we also refer to the development agreement that Molde University College has entered with the Ministry of Education. It is a key component of our award letter and thus the leader of our business.
The strategy is not final, exhaustive or exclusionary; rather, it sets up some of the central expectations for ourselves, for the next 6 years. In addition, the sector targets and management parameters applicable at any time apply, as well as the development agreement HiMolde has entered with the Ministry of Education.
Trends and challenges (T)
T1: Demographic and structural changes
We are experiencing strong centralization in Norway, driven partly by globalization and the need to build up units that are strong enough to compete on an international market. Concurrently, we are going throughregional reform. With relevant expertise, our region can take on larger tasks on behalf of the state. This will contribute to new jobs originating in research, development, innovation and teaching.
T2: Technological changes and globalization
Digitization and robotization make it possible for Norwegian companies to compete with low-cost countries without moving production out of the country. Simultaneously, these advances maylead to major changes in our local working life. Thistransition requires the ability to make use of such enabling technology, both at a personal level through further education and on an institutional level through new business models. New technology will lay the foundation for completely new industries. Consequently, the knowledge that we impart at Molde University College must be continually updatedthrough research and directly incorporated into new study programs to our students.
T3: Environment and sustainability
The developing environment, especially the climate effects of man-made emissions are more noticeable than ever. We share a responsibility to contribute to achieving the UN's sustainability goals. Molde University College stands behind the goals. The study programs will take a clear position and contribute to a knowledge-based development of society in a sustainable direction.
T4: Development of welfare in society
The societal changes, such as increased life expectancy and increased requirements for welfare, necessitateincreased investment in competence and knowledge, especially within the area of health and welfare. This, in turn, requires more nurses, social workers and professional staff with master's and doctoral degrees in both the municipalities and in the health institutions in the future. The college's courses in logistics, economics and social science will provide useful competence to tackle these future welfare challenges. Molde University College will always fulfil this central societal mission as best as possible.
Value base (V)
V1: Academic freedom and the intrinsic value of knowledge
As an academic institution, the ideals of academic freedom and the inherent value of knowledge are central core values for Molde University College. It is important to protect academic freedom, freedom of speech, critical thinking and scientific development. This is a responsibility that both the institution and the individual employee have, that benefits society. Academic staff must be given the prerequisites to develop their research interests.
V2: Knowledge-based social development
Molde University College will facilitate a knowledge-based development of society, the region and working life. Leveraging our surroundings, the location and the solid contribution of our professional departments to be able to make use of the resources found here for value creation, innovation and social development.
V3: Inclusive education with lifelong learning
Molde University College puts the student at the centre. Our teaching aspires to be the optimumstarting point for the students' future professional life.
We will ensure that they can take part in research, voicetheir ideas and reflect on what they mean for both themselves and the wider world. Through research, dissemination and reflection, both lecturers and students should experience mastery and personal development.
V4: Promote sustainable consumption and production
Molde University College will offer research-based and internationally oriented educations that provides students with insights and opportunities, contributes to sustainable development, and fosters future-oriented innovation in working life.
Based on our vision, the trends and challenges we see and the values we base on, as described above, five overall focus areas for Molde University College are outlined, with associated defined focus areas under each of them:
Outstanding educations (U)
U1: Research-based educations
We will offer the best in research-based education programmes.
For us, this means that:
- Molde University College will strive for professional appointments with the right competence profile, i.e. that we are active in research in the subjects taught at the college.
- The departments must have long-term recruitment plans and monitor the need for employee expertise that contributes to the research being translated into good teaching and vice versa.
- Basic university and college pedagogy is important. The college must require such documented competence from its academic staff and make arrangements for the necessary further pedagogical training. Adaptation of teaching methods, the right level of digitisation and well-thought-out student activation must also be part of study and teaching management.
U2: Varied and engaging teaching
Detailed in Parliamentary announcement no. 16 "Quality culture in Higher education", are the government's expectations for higher education. Molde University College's strategy must also, through the departments' own development work, design measures that fulfil these expecations. Goal achievement can be identified through various means, includingthe study barometer, course evaluations, quality groups and other evaluations.
For us, this means that:
- Meriting of outstanding teachers must be followed up with documented results, involving both qualification through continuing education in HE pedagogy and own didactic research and reflection
- We will contribute to establishing educational teams and strengthen cooperation between teachers.
- The college will work to further develop principles and methods for good teaching that can benefit both teachers and students.
- Further development of research-based teaching must be accelerated in a direction where students can participate in research projects and research projects are included in teaching.
- We will raise the quality of teaching using a differentiated set of tools, including digital tools. Goal achievement can be identified through the study barometer, course evaluations and quality groups.
U3: A well-functioning and efficient quality system
Our quality handbook is an important part of the strategy for the college.
The study programs must be based on research and development work, relevant experience from working and social life and as well as consider national and international perspectives. The connection between education and research as well as between teaching and research must be emphasised.
The students must encounter a good and comprehensive learning environment that caters to physical, psychosocial, organizational, digital and educational aspects. The learning environment must help to promote learning and student engagement and stimulate students to finish in the stipulated time.
Molde University College must fulfil its social mission by meeting regional and national needs for manpower, contributing to competence development and lifelong learning, as well as being an active provider of knowledge regionally, nationally and internationally. This requires a strongand integrated quality culture at Molde University College.
The study barometer's relevant indicators must show improvement in the period. Our development agreement with the Ministry of Education is also an agreement with the students that we will further develop the study portfolio and increase the quality of education.
The requirements for knowledge and competence in working and social life are becoming increasingly greater. It requires that the college's education offer is continuously developed in collaboration with working life, is based on up-to-date research and that the knowledge is conveyed with high pedagogical quality.
This requires further development of academic and pedagogical competence, and development of the staff so that Molde University College always offers relevant, varied and flexible research-based teaching of high quality. To achieve this goal, we depend on dialogue and cooperation with the students:
All degree-granting study programs must undergo a full quality evaluation every 6 years. The students will provide feedback for this.
The study's relevance to society and working life, and the candidates, is important. This is measured regularly as outlinedin the development agreement
The study barometer gives many indications of the development in our programmes, and the college willfollow up this feedback each year with its own departmental measures
Molde University College must supervise all courses we offer. Course evaluations, program and academic year evaluations (during and at the end) will be carried out
All quality teams must have conducted and recorded meetings in collaboration with the students at least twice each semester
Study quality work is organized under the rector's leadership, where the head of studies, deputy rector for education and the deans have clear responsibilities and tasks.
Research with reach (F)
F1: Top-level publication
We must have ambitions to publish more, and at a high standard.
A balance should be sought between publication based on consideration of merit and social dissemination, adapted to the specific nature of the subjects.
The research groups' room for action must be increased, among other things to be able to arrange professional meetings and conferences. Resources must also be prioritized so that more time and expertise can be gained for general communication in journals and chronicles.
We will investigate, test and evaluate an arrangement that strengthens the incentives for those who obtain external research funds.
We want to see an increase in the relevant indicators every year during the period. Molde University College must facilitate the visibility and applicability of research.
F2: Ambitious projects
To increase the supply of external projects that finance purchases and scholarship holders, we must be able to make our own resources available in a better way than before in order to be able to write the applications needed for the Research Council and the EU's many programmes.
The external funding opportunities are pointed out in particular as they require effort from an organisation, working life partner, company or public agency (or consortium of such), which will benefit from our research in the short or long term.
We will develop more coordinated efforts to strengthen international and domestic external funding.
Our own strategic funds must be used to a greater extent for preliminary projects that result in an application for external funding. The goals for the period are:
Increased activity in the research groups in order to be able to develop more applications and increase publication activity
All academic staff must participate actively in at least one research group
Greater monitoring of calls for tenders and strengthened competence for application writing
We will contribute with collaborations with Møreforsking Molde AS and across departments.
We will invite master's students to research groups
Participation in several international projects will be prioritised higher and we will become better at utilizing the support scheme found in the Research Council, Innovation Norway, DIKU and the EU, in collaboration with other HE institutions and Møreforsking Molde AS
F3: International research with regional relevance
Molde University College will contribute to Norwegian higher education and research following the international research front and the development of higher education offers. We will establish exchanges and project collaboration with international universities and colleges and similar institutions in other countries. This also includes exchange and degree cooperation. This should, directly or indirectly, benefit regional social and working life, either by entering into research projects involving regional players or bringing in international speakers/researchers with local relevance.
F4: Internationalization
All our students and staff must be made aware of the opportunities available for international exchange and project collaboration. Funding and study program models must be arranged so that more people travel abroad.
If there are no exchange or collaboration agreements suitable for our regional partners, students and employees, work will be done to get such arrangements established.
Molde University College has many international degree students and many ERASMUS cooperation agreements.We will aim to prioritize publishing with an international environment and generally have good routines for international exchange for students and staff.
Interaction with working and social life (A)
A1: Attractive study programs for students and working life
Our societal demands (working life and politicians) are increasingly calling for more relevant and flexible study options. We should strive to impart knowledge with a long shelf life. At the same time, our programs should be easily accessible to everyone, for example, through the possibility of taking individual subjects in combination with work. Many have a need to continually develop their existing skillset, or acquire completely new knowledge.
We can help establish this in a number of ways, and while each department must draw up their own development plans for this, in light of relevance and specificity, the following are, among other things, to be considered important factors:
- That the students realise and develop their academic interests and reflective skills
- That we involve work and business, public sector and administration as well as in dialogue and evaluation of our study programmes
- That we will increase the flexibility and attractiveness of our study programs so that more people who are in work choose to take advantage of the opportunities we offer for further education through credit-bearing subjects
- That we make use of Internationalization and other exchanges: Molde University College must, for all study programs, facilitate and encourage exchanges of such a nature and aim toscore better than the average for the sector on relevant indicators
- All study programs must assess how the UN's sustainability goals are to be included in the teaching
The development of external research projects remains, alongside our teaching, the point of reference towards the environment, which must be given the highest priority in development up to 2025. It gives us access to valuable experience, makes it easier to contribute to regional development and adapt our study programs so that they are optimised for the work we do as an educational institution, both locally, nationally and internationally. External projects also involve additional opportunities to finance the business.
Molde University College has been given a special responsibility to provide a wider educational offer in Kristiansund.
A2: Competence for a changing society
The collaboration agreement with NTNU, the joint degree with the University of Volda and international collaborations should provide noticeable benefit for both HiMolde and the region, by drawing increased expertise to both the college and the region.
We must have updated and versatile education options on offer within the institution's subject areas. Molde University College is to become a visible and sought-after provider of education that is suitable for both first-time students and employees as well as professionals looking to further their careers.
We will educate students with critical reflection skills allowing them, through our education, to gain the prerequisites for active participation in society.
Digitization and other ways of making our courses flexibly available must be included in study program planning and is the study management's area of responsibility
Optimisedcandidate surveys will be carried out, so that we get a correct picture of the background and needs of all our students.
The aim is to increase the number of students who combine work and studies with us.
A3: Sustainability, innovation and renewal
Molde University College will train candidates who will contribute to quality improvement, innovation and sustainable value creation for their future employers.
Based on their professional activities, the departments must have an updated action plan at all times, to cement the strategy for the relevant sustainability goals.
Molde University College shall contribute to innovation and value creation based on results from research and professional development work.
An important part of the innovation and entrepreneurship work is that Molde University College will continue to develop its Technology Transfer Office (TTO). The TTO work in Molde must be marketed to, connected to and utilized together with working life and public innovation in the region.
The offer of partial funding for development work that is based on research at the college will be improved through us, in collaborationwith inventors and entrepreneurs among the college's staff and students applying for support from FORNY or similar programs in the Research Council.
Social study environment (S)
S1: More students to the University College's study sites
Molde University College will increase its student numbers. Growth will provide structural and economic robustness, regional ripple effects and good performance of the social mission. Professional, responsible growth can be realized through a greater number of applicants, larger admissions, more study programs and more desirable international offers.
The action plan must specify concrete growth ambitions for each department, even if it is not possible to set targets for growth in the same way for all subject areas. But for all subject areas, it must be sought either to get more students, more or new study programmes, alone or in collaboration with other institutions. Given the exchange target set for the sector, international opportunities must be examined..
Growth will also translate to more positions, and as a local employer with the opportunity to build up an environment of skilled workers, this is an important contribution to regional development. But it remains paramount that we have the right staffing to achieve our goals.
Molde University College must ensure growth, flexibility and relevance is centralin its study programs without compromising the ambition to cover permanent tasks with permanent employment. Therefore, the departments must be given the opportunity for long-term planning and staffing.
S2: Campus with good study facilities, a place students want to be
We strive for a vibrant campus, where students thrive and are offered a flexible and versatile education in a stimulating learning environment.
Varied workplaces for students; reading spaces, quiet spaces, group rooms and social zones, are all important prerequisites for a good working environment on campus, and the availability must therefore be strengthened.
Both campuses, in Molde and Kristiansund, will be a strategic tool for achieving professional ambitions. These campuses must offer good working conditions for students and staff alike, and invite cooperation and interaction both within the campuses and towards society. A separate, long-term campus development plan will be developed for the Molde campus during 2019. In Kristiansund, during 2019, it will be decided where Molde University College will offer its teaching in the future. For the rest of the period, work will be done to realize the first parts of the plans, and to prepare for the longer-term parts.
S3: Develop the campus towns
Our students will have a rich offer on campus and, in their own student community, be able to develop relationships and social activities that they themselves have control over and manage. To be able to build their own identity and culture, it is important that the student community has facilities and premises which enable this, for example student houses and/or sports halls.
We want to help ensure that the residents of both cities know about the campuses, become familiar with the offers in our student environment and that both cities are good student cities.
Our ambition is for the city's residents, as well as our students, to feel a sense of belonging, well-being and pride in being a campus city. Relevant surveys, such as SHOT (Students' Health and Well-Being Survey) will help us in the further development of the student cities.
Solid organisation (O)
O1: Safety from discrimination and harassment
Moldes University College has a zero-tolerance policy for discrimination, bullying, harassment and sexual harassment. As employees of a Norwegian academic institution, we have a great opportunity to positively influence society. We are in contact with many young people and are given responsibility for important phases in people's lives. Some may be in a vulnerable situation and so we must always act responsibly, wisely, respectfully and with consideration for other people.
O2: Top-level human resources
To the greatest extent possible, we want to recruit the best employees to Molde University College. Within the academic departments we want to prioritize resources for permanent first positions and scholarship holders for all departments. We shall seek to avoid temporary nature, where it does not weaken the offer of academically up-to-date, relevant and exciting communication to the students or the need for development projects with a shorter time horizon.
O3: Competent and efficient administration
Molde University College requires an efficient and adaptable administration that supports this institution's social mission and growth ambitions, and contributes to ensuring that the academic activities can be carried out well and that the students are given the necessary help and support.
Work processes must be rational and characterized by high quality. The quality of the administration's work must be further developed by having good schemes for competence development for employees and management.
Good cooperation between management, employees, and trustees must be prioritised, with the trustees' participation and co-determination (ref. Main agreement) as an important contribution.
Alongside the further development of daily operations, two major development projects are highlighted as the main tasks for the administration in the coming years: digitisation and campus development.
Development project 1 - digitalisation:
In this industry, it is important to make use of sector solutions that are found together with the other institutions. Digitisation must either raise the quality or streamline/improve the work processes. The Ministry of Education has developed a separate strategy: "Digitalisation strategy for the university and college sector, 2017-2021". Molde University College will work actively with this strategy, and the digitisation work will be more systematic.
Mainly, selected sector solutions are to be chosen instead of self-development. When introducing new systems, our own work processes must be evaluated. Efficiency gains and/or quality enhancement must be made clearly visible. Molde University College's employees will participate in development work in the sector, and in relevant forums. There is a high motivation to work with continuous improvement and more digitisation of administrative routines and tasks.
Development project 2 - campus development:
The campus development plan in Molde must be finalized and adopted in 2019. The same must be clarified about the place of teaching in Kristiansund. The administration is given responsibility for the implementation of the plans following a decision by the board, in collaboration with specialist departments and other partners.
The development agreement – an integral part of the college's strategy
The development agreement entered with the Ministry of Education is, during the agreement period, an integral part of the University College's strategy, and will be found in its entirety as an appendix to the University College in Molde's strategy.