Director General Antti Koivula appointed chair of the University Board of the University of Jyväskylä
The chair and vice chair are elected from the external members of the University Board. Petri Laaksonen, a bachelor’s and master’s degree student at the Faculty of Sport and Health Studies, started as a new student member of the Board.
In its meeting, the Board discussed the University’s strategy and gave input for the preparation of the strategy’s goals.
The University’s strategy work started at the end of January 2023, when the university community evaluated the implementation of the current strategy and the University’s successes and future challenges via an online survey. During the early spring of 2023, discussions were also organised on these same themes in all faculties and independent institutes as well as in University Services and the Student Union. In March 2023, the University invited stakeholders and alumni to a joint event to discuss the future and the strategic choices of the University. In addition, the University Board, part of the management and members of the Collegium took part in scenario game that examined changes in the operating environment of the University. The strategy work continued in the autumn of 2023 under the leadership of Rector Jari Ojala.
In its meeting, the Board also discussed the University’s facilities strategy and commented on the main goals prepared for it.
The facilities strategy has been worked on since autumn 2022 together with the real estate company Newsec. Comprehensive information has been gathered about the use of the facilities as well as directly from the users. Information on the users’ needs has also been collected through surveys, interviews, workshops, and other means. The use and functionality of the facilities has been mapped based on the data provided by different systems, such as the room reservation system Kovs, the access control system, and WLAN connections. The broad knowledge base has also been supplemented by active inspection of the facilities.
The renewal of the University’s facilities strategy aims at achieving functional and user-friendly spaces. The objectives of the facilities strategy can be summarized in three main points:
- Facilities that promote collaboration: Opportunities for multidisciplinary collaboration are identified and natural meeting places are promoted.
- Resource-efficient use of facilities: The use of facilities and decision-making related to facility development is sustainable and resource efficient.
- Suitable facilities: The University’s facilities are developed systematically to meet the needs of various users.
Both the goals of the University strategy and the facilities strategy will be decided on at the Board’s meeting in February 2024.
The long-term development of the University’s balance sheet and options for its future use were also discussed in the meeting. The policy and principles of verification practices document was confirmed by the Board in the meeting.
