Name, title and department:

Thessa Jensen, Associate Professor at the Department of Communication and Psychology 

Why are you running for the board?

Because I have a hope of being able to change something. If nothing else, perhaps I can help the outside members of the board understand what it means to be a university-employed researcher and teacher.

In your eyes, what is AAU's biggest challenge?

That we end up in an organization that places more emphasis on administrative tasks than on what a university should work on: research, education, knowledge dissemination, education. All of which requires time for reflection and planning. We already spend a disproportionate amount of time with meetings, evaluations, and reports, which have nothing to do with the core tasks. We are killing the university – and not least the PBL approach – because tutoring hours and preparation time are being cut; because we lack colleagues in daily operations. And because a Department of PBL does not guarantee that the university will remain a PBL university.

And what is the solution to that?

That the managers at all levels communicate the employees' views upwards, so management and board become familiar with the employees' wishes, criticisms, and visions. Management has to start leading upwards. Deans and vice-deans should make demands on the Pro-rector and Rector, on the board. Where are they in the public debate? Where are they in the coffee meetings with the decision makers? Where are they in the circle of friends around foundations and relevant boards?

Why should one vote for you in the board election?

Put in a nice way: because I want to work for employee influence, a critical look at the budget model, greater openness about the board's work (drop the closed agenda items and the secrecy, please) and greater cooperation with SSH employees.

Said in a less nice way: because something has to happen if we want to avoid  ending up as a zombie university, where administration and bureaucracy suck the last remnants of research curiosity, job satisfaction and teaching ideas out of us who are the university’s foundation.

What are your key issues?

More employee influence, more openness about the board's work, a critical look at the new budget model, and better collaboration with SSH employees.

You are welcome to contact me on my email (thessa@ikp.aau.dk) or become a member of my Teams room: Thessa's tea salon. The Teams code is: 7jq5s4i