Part 1 The appointment process
Applications must be submitted via the JobbNorge recruitment system. You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received.
1.1 Sorting committee
In situations when high amounts of applicants are expected for a position, the call for applications will initially ask applicants to submit brief applications that will be considered by a sorting committee. The sorting committee usually consists of three people who are appointed to do preparatory work with an initial sorting of the applications. The sorting committee will select a limited number of the most qualified applicants, who will be invited to submit a complete application, including academic works. Nevertheless, the expert committee will have access to all applications received and may subsequently ask more applicants to submit complete applications. The screening committee may recommend to the appointments body that another call for applications should be issued for the position if there are too few/no qualified applicants.
1.2 Expert committee
A representative group of professionals normally comprising three people appointed as the expert committee. The expert committee will carry out a written assessment of the applicants’ qualifications. All applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee.
The objective of the expert assessment is to form the basis for continued consideration of the appointment via the university bodies. The expert committee will carry out a final assessment of academic qualifications, while educational qualifications, qualifications relating to the application of knowledge and qualifications in management and administration will be subject to supplementary assessments through trial lectures, interviews and reference interviews. Personal qualifications are not assessed by the expert committee. The expert committee will rank the most qualified applicants based on the assessment basis available to the committee.
The committee will normally have a period of three months in which to complete its assessment. The assessment will be submitted to applicants and applicants will have the opportunity to make comments and clarify any misunderstandings.
The committee’s assessment will be enclosed with the case when submitted to the appointing authority and constitutes a central part of the overall basis for assessment. Any comments will also be enclosed with the case when submitted to the appointing appointing authority.
1.3 Trial lecture, interview and reference interview
The most qualified candidates will be invited to deliver a trial lecture and attend an interview. Any references provided will normally be contacted after the interview. Interviews, reference interviews and trial lectures constitute supplementary bases for assessment in addition to the expert assessment.
The purpose of the trial lecture is to document the ability to disseminate, engage and activate research-based knowledge adapted to the relevant target group. The trial lecture may also contribute to the assessment of personal suitability, for example by observing the interaction between the applicant and students, or to assess the applicant’s digital competence through the use of various digital learning methods and learning technologies.
1.4 Recommendation
The recommending authority will carry out a comprehensive assessment based on the requirements set out in the call for applications. Greater importance is attached to academic qualifications than other qualifications for regular professor and associate professor positions, unless otherwise stated in the text of the call for applications. Educational qualifications will be given priority over qualifications in the fields of applied knowledge and academic management and administration, unless otherwise stated in the text of the call for applications. A final assessment will be carried out in which the overall qualifications, including personal qualifications, will be weighed against one another.
The ranking used in the recommendation will be based on the assessment basis as a whole, including personal qualities, and may therefore differ from the assessment committee’s ranking. This recommendation will form the basis for the appointing body’s consideration of the case.
1.5 Appointment
The appointment authority makes decisions relating to appointments. Both the recommending authority and the appointment authority must ensure that the administrative procedure has been correct and may ask additional questions/ask the committees to elaborate. Applicants must be informed if this results in the process being delayed. The appointment authority’s meeting minutes are normally publicly available. Some units publish the minutes of the meetings on their websites.
When an appointment decision has been made, an offer of employment will be sent to the person the position is offered to. When the position has been filled, information will be issued to other applicants.
Part 2 Competence promotion
Permanently employed associate professors in at least a 50% position may apply for promotion to professor.
A separate application form is used to submit applications for promotion to professor. The form must be submitted to the local unit together with the application and documentation.
Read more about promotions based on expertise here. See also subject-specific guidance on the Universities Norway website (uhr.no).
An expert committee will be appointed, normally comprising three people, who will perform a written assessment of the applicants’ qualifications. All applicants will be notified of the composition of the committee.
The objective of the expert assessment is to form the basis for the appointing body’s decision on the case. The expert committee will conclude whether or not the applicant qualifies for promotion.
The expert committee’s assessment will be sent to the applicants, who will have the opportunity to make comments and clarify any misunderstandings. The committee’s assessment will be enclosed with the case when submitted to the appointment authority, together with any comments.
The appointment authority must carry out quality assurance to ensure that the assessment has been made in accordance with applicable rules and that administrative procedures have been followed correctly. The appointment authority will make the final decision regarding promotions.
Part 3 Competence profile
The University of Oslo has adopted a competence profile that aims to highlight the breadth of the type of qualifications that must be assessed in connection with appointment and promotion to academic positions and clarify the weighting of the different types of qualifications included in this profile.
The objective of the competence profile is
- to emphasise that the University of Oslo is dependent on the institution’s academic employees being qualified to deliver the wide range of activities required by a university
- that this is expressed in the criteria applied in assessing those who are appointed to such positions, and
- that the individual employee is given credit for the effort they make and the results they achieve throughout the breadth of their activities at the university.
3.1 Skills requirements
The competence profile operates within the following five areas:
1. Academic qualifications
Academic works and contributions to various parts of the research process, any artistic qualifications
2. Educational qualifications
Educational qualifications rooted in the requirements for basic university teaching competence, any museum dissemination skills at university museums
3. Applied knowledge
Research dissemination, innovation and interaction with the community
4. Qualifications in the field of academic management and administration
Research and education management, relevant experience/training for management/administration, participation in councils, boards, positions, etc.
5. Personal qualifications
Personal qualifications of relevance to the position (e.g. good teamwork skills, communication skills, positive contributions to the working environment)
Personal qualities are not assessed in connection with applications for promotion.
The University of Oslo has developed an assessment matrix that exemplifies results/expertise, documentation and reflection notes for all areas of the qualification profile. It should be noted that the matrix includes many items for each area, as it is intended to exemplify the possibilities for documentation, but not because each item needs to be covered. The assessment should be conducted on an overall basis. Results/expertise, documentation and reflection should demonstrate what an individual has done and achieved in the various areas, as well as quality, development and breadth in activities and results.
Other relevant qualifications will be considered where provided for in the call for applications.
The basis of Rules for appointment and promotion to professor and associate professor positions at UiO is the general criteria for appointment in Chapter 1 of the regulations for appointment and promotion to teaching and research positions (lovdata.no). In Chapter 2 of the regulations (promotion rules) (lovdata.no), it is stipulated that the criteria in Chapter 1 shall be applied when assessing promotions based on expertise.
3.2 Basic expertise
The University of Oslo has introduced a requirement for individuals appointed to permanent academic positions to document two types of basic expertise.
- Basic academic competence
- Basic university pedagogical competence
Limitations to basic competence within one of these qualification areas cannot be compensated by qualifications beyond the basic competence in the other area.
3.2.1 Basic academic competence
Associate Professor: Doctoral degree or equivalent.
Professor: Substantial academic production in excess of that which is required for a doctoral degree. The research must be of high quality and demonstrate both breadth and depth. The production shall reflect an independent research profile and demonstrate the ability to address new problems. Sustained research activity is a prerequisite for the granting of professor competence. The basic requirement for being able to be awarded competence for a professorship is documented academic/artistic qualifications at the level of international and national standards for professorships in the relevant subject area.
3.2.2 Basic university pedagogical competence
Basic university pedagogical competence consists of the following elements:
Through own teaching/mentoring for newly qualified teachers and completed university pedagogical education (minimum 200 hours) the following competencies shall be developed and documented:
- Basic competencies in planning, implementation, evaluation and development of teaching and academic supervision
- Be able to reflect on their own role and discuss and justify their own choices in planning, implementation and development of teaching and academic supervision
- Be able to found their university pedagogical competence in the SoTL criteria:
- Focus on student learning
- A clear development over time
- A researching approach
- A collegial attitude and practice
How university pedagogical competence can be founded on the SoTL criteria is further described in Section 4.3.
“Basic skills” means that individuals can adopt the most common teaching and supervision methods and have the skills required for good planning and necessary further development, as well as being able to understand, justify and assess their teaching based on their own and others’ experiences, preferably with reference to relevant research.
See also the rules for practising the requirement for basic university pedagogical competence at the University of Oslo.
3.2.3 Additional requirements for professorships
All applicants must satisfy the requirements for academic and basic university pedagogical competence as specified in items 3.2.1 and 3.2.2.
For professorships in addition to basic university pedagogical competence as described above, the following are required to be documented:
- A wide range of skills in planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching
- Broad experience from academic supervision, preferably at Master/PhD level
- A wide range of competencies in systematic development work related to teaching and academic supervision
- Efforts, leadership and cooperation in own academic environment related to work on education quality
A "wide range of competencies" suggests both a greater scope and a higher level of competencies than "basic competence". However, the range of competencies must be seen in the light of the tasks available over time in the academic environment in which one is employed. In addition, applicants for professorships must document qualifications beyond the usual performance of required duties in a lower-level position, within either dissemination qualifications or management and administration qualifications.
For professorships, in addition to the two basic competencies, the applicant is required to document qualifications beyond the customary performance of responsibilities at the associate professor level, within either the application of knowledge or the qualifications in academic management and administration. "Beyond" will, in this context, demonstrate that the scope of such activity is greater than that which is considered usual for intermediate group positions in the academic environment and that the quality of the activity and the results from it are clearly higher than usual. This assessment must be based on a certain discretion and a knowledge of the academic environment with which the position is associated.
Part 4 Application structure and documentation
4.1 Application structure
The call for applications will set out what information must be included in the application. The call for applications may also request additional/further documentation to what is specified in the general guidance.
Option 1: All applicants to submit a complete application, including documentation.
A complete application will normally include
- An application text describing why the applicant is applying for the position, a description of relevant experience and associated reflections
- A detailed CV showing the applicant’s qualifications and what they have worked with.
- A complete list of publications
- Overview and brief explanation of any works that must be subject to qualitative assessment and copies of such works. The number of publications that may be submitted is specified in the call for applications.
- Copies of grade transcripts, diplomas and certificates documenting such qualifications.
- An educational portfolio providing a comprehensive and systematic presentation of the applicant’s educational expertise.
- Documentation and reflection relating to the applicant’s own qualification within the areas of applied knowledge, academic management, administration and personal qualities relevant to the position.
Option 2: All applicants to submit a brief, reasoned application and CV, including a list of publications. Following review by the sorting committee, the most relevant applicants will be invited to submit a complete application.
4.2 General information relating to documentation of qualifications
Applicants are responsible for documenting their qualifications in the areas required in the rules and such documentation must enable the expert committee to carry out proper assessments of the applicant’s qualifications.
The assessment of the various qualification areas will be based on documentation that makes it possible to take a position on their quality. The University of Oslo has created a matrix that exemplifies what can be included in the different qualification areas, examples of documentation and examples of reflection topics.
It may be appropriate to structure documentation relating to the applicant’s own qualifications as follows:
- Descriptions of activities and results
- Documentation that exemplifies and supports the descriptions, and
- Reflection on the applicant's own activities and qualifications
It is also a good idea to highlight what you have done, why you have worked in that way and which results you believe this approach had.
Descriptions, documentation and reflections should demonstrate what you have done and achieved in the different areas, as well as the quality, development and breadth of activities and results. When applying for a position at the University of Oslo, it may also be appropriate to attempt to link qualifications to the institution’s obligations in the areas concerned.
In assessing and comparing such qualifications, emphasis must be placed on the quality – i.e. the level or strength of the qualifications documented by the applicants. This must also be viewed in relation to the qualification requirements set out in the call for applications.
4.3 Further details relating to the educational portfolio
It is recommended that educational qualifications be documented systematically by means of an educational portfolio. An educational portfolio should include the following items:
- An "educational CV", which provides a concise description of the applicant's experience in planning, implementation and evaluation and development of teaching and supervision, including scope and level
- Documentation of cited conditions
- Be able to reflect on their own role as a teacher, and discuss and justify their own choices in planning, implementation and development of teaching and supervision
The educational portfolio should not be too comprehensive, and as a rule, a scope corresponding to 3-6 pages plus attached documentation will be sufficient. If a different scope requirement is specified in the announcement text, this requirement will apply. The attachments should also be limited to cover the most central points, with representative examples.
The University of Oslo’s assessment matrix sets out examples and documentation areas and approaches that can be used to document educational qualifications. It should be noted that the list includes many items in order to exemplify the possibilities for documentation, not because each item must be covered. The assessment should be conducted on an overall basis.
The University of Oslo assesses academic qualifications based on criteria set out in Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, SoTL:
- Focus on student learning
- A clear development over time
- A researching approach
- A collegial attitude and practice
Applicants should link their own experiences and reflections to these criteria.
A focus on student learning, for example, may be documented by the applicant explaining how students’ learning processes are expected to play out within a given subject area and then linking these assumptions to their own practices. This can also be documented by systematically discussing the correlation between your own teaching design and the implications for students’ learning. Moreover, this may be expressed through documentation of the applicant’s active and conscious work in the development of their own teaching, in which student evaluations of teaching are used in a systematic and constructive manner.
For example, a clear development over time can be expressed through descriptions and justification of how the applicant's own teaching practices have developed, as well as the principles, reflections, and practical experiences that have been central to this development.
A researching approach can, for example, be documented through the description of the extent to which the applicant is concerned about systematically studying how their own teaching or the educational provisions at their unit works, why it works in this way and what can be done within existing frameworks to create optimal learning opportunities for students. In such a reflection, applicants may also draw upon research-based knowledge of, for example, learning and teaching in higher education in general or in the applicant’s own subject area in particular.
A collegial attitude and practice, for example, can be documented through descriptions of collegial collaboration relating to teaching observation/supervision, collective development processes relating to revision of courses or programmes, or more informal interactions with colleagues relating to teaching and mentoring for newly qualified teachers. Here, for example, it will be possible to emphasise your own contribution to a broader academic environment, or illustrate how to draw on the experience and expertise of colleagues in developing their own teaching qualifications.
In the reflection on what is described and documented, it is important to clarify how the applicant thinks about their own – and the institution's – educational activities, how the applicant views learning, teaching, students, etc. in a way that can help explain and justify the way in which the activity was conducted and developed in the context in which the applicant worked. The reflection should cover the SoTL criteria, but the weighting between the four criteria may vary based on the level and functions of the position. It is common to give a brief account of the applicant's own learning vision. It will also be natural to give an account of the degree to which one works alone or collaborates with others in this part of one’s work — and why. It will be of particular interest to the unit at which the successful candidate will work that the applicant is able to show their plans for further developing their educational activities and associated qualifications and the development areas the applicant envisions.
Part 5 Access to information in connection with appointment processes
Announcements and decision on who is employed are public.
5.1 For applicants
Applicants are considered parties to the case and rights of access for parties are governed by Chapter 5 of the regulations to the Public Administration Act.
Applicants have the right to familiarise themselves with the public list of applicants and the expanded list of applicants including professional qualifications.
Applicants also have the right to familiarise themselves with parts of documents containing factual information relating to themselves. This includes parts of written minutes from interviews that describe what the applicant has said. It is possible to exempt assessments obtained or given in connection with the internal consideration of the case. This exemption applies to the assessments made by the appointing or recommending bodies, anyone who has prepared the case for these bodies, as well as the applicant’s current or previous employer or clients.
Parties also have the right to familiarise themselves with parts of documents containing factual information about recommended applicants and the applicant appointed to the position. Such information may be withheld if it is of no importance to the decision.
The University of Oslo submits the assessment from the expert committee to applicants, who are able to make comments. This does not entail a right to make a formal complaint, but represents an expanded right of access and the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings.
Applicants have the right to familiarise themselves with who has been recommended, the order in which they were recommended and whether there was any dissent within the recommending body. Applicants do not have the right to familiarise themselves with the justification, unless new information of importance to the case comes to light.
When the position has been filled, all applicants will be notified of who has been appointed.
5.2 For the public
Access to information for people who are not parties to the case is governed by the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act (lovdata.no).
The main rule of the Norwegian Freedom of Information Act is that case documents should be open to access unless otherwise provided for in laws or regulations. Nevertheless, access exemptions may be made for documents in cases relating to appointments in the civil service.
The access exemption does not apply to the public list of applicants. In other words, access to information relating to names, ages, positions and municipality of residence or employment will therefore be provided in the public list of applicants.
Each applicant may request to be exempted from the public list of applicants. Such requests must be justified. If you have requested to be exempted from the public list of applicants, you will be notified if the University of Oslo requires a more detailed justification or if the request is not upheld.
Even though it is possible to grant access exemptions, the University of Oslo still needs to consider whether full or partial access to information, so-called “additional access to information”, should be granted instead. Additional access to information should be granted if the consideration of the public’s need for information is assigned greater weighting than the need for an exemption.
In the event of a specific request for access to information, the University of Oslo will adopt the practice of granting additional access to information to:
- List of applicants, including their professional qualifications (for applicants that have not been granted an exemption from the public list of applicants)
- Assessments from the expert committee after the applicants’ deadline for making comments has expired.
- Facts and assessments of an academic and educational nature based on the trial lecture report.