Recruitment policy for academic positions and language requirements upon appointment

Approved by the Rector 17 October 2017.

Purpose

The basis for this policy is also the need to increase the number of employees with associate professor and professor qualifications

Qualification requirements in announcements

• Academic positions must be announced with a requirement for at least associate professor qualifications. This applies to both permanent and temporary positions. If there are compelling reasons for announcing a position with qualification requirements at a lower level, a written application must be submitted to the Dean or the Head of the relevant centre requesting an exemption from the requirement. Copies of all such applications must be sent to the Rector. The Dean or the Head of the Centre may ask for the Rector's opinion before granting or refusing the application.
•  The units must emphasise the requirement regarding the percentage of positions with professor qualifications in academic environments with doctoral degree programmes and professor or 'dosent' professor qualifications in environments with master’s degree programmes when announcing and hiring for academic positions associated with OsloMet's programmes at this level.
•  Announcements of professor positions at OsloMet must comply with the Norwegian Act relating to Universities and University Colleges section 6-5, subsection one. In cases where there are no applicants that are fully qualified for a permanent position at the announced level, the Act allows for a temporary appointment of an applicant who can qualify within a maximum of three years. If the temporary employee does not qualify for the position at the announced level after three years, he/she must leave the position. However, in order to make use of this option, it must be mentioned in the announcement. In such cases, the person will be temporary appointed to a position at the announced level. To make use of this provision, the following wording must be included in announcements of permanent teaching and research positions: If there are no applicants with professor qualifications, an applicant may be appointed to a temporary position as a professor on the condition that he/she qualifies for a permanent position within three years.
• Subsection two of the same provision allows for temporary appointment to a lower-level position if there are no fully qualified applicants and no candidate is expected to be able to qualify within the framework of the appointment period. If it is absolutely necessary to hire somebody for reasons related to teaching, a candidate can be temporary appointed in a lower-level position.

Requirements for international announcements and language skills for employees

• All teaching and research positions must be announced internationally and there shall be no requirements for Norwegian/Scandinavian language skills at the time of appointment, except in special cases. International announcements should also be considered for technical/administrative positions.
•  Good Norwegian and English skills are required for employees in teaching and research positions. Employees, who do not have sufficient skills in Norwegian or another Scandinavian language at the time of appointment, must be offered Norwegian language courses. Within three years from the time of appointment, the employee must show that he/she has acquired minimum Norwegian language skills corresponding to the B2 level. Employees without sufficient English skills should also be offered language instruction. Language requirements for employees at OsloMet must be included in the announcement.
• Administrative employees should have good Norwegian and English skills. Language requirements for employees at OsloMet must be included in the announcement. Employees without sufficient English skills should be offered language instruction.