The document was adopted by the Dean on 17 September 2018.
It is in line with the principles and structure of OsloMet’s Strategy 2024.
The plan covers the present state of the faculty and describes the faculty’s profile and values. The document also covers each of OsloMet's four main goals described in Strategy 2024 and elaborates on the faculty’s efforts to achieve these goals. The activities mentioned under each of the main goals in the plan are intended to be carried out within six years.
1 Status
1.1 Education
TKD has a broad portfolio of bachelor's programmes, and a growing portfolio of master’s programmes. Most programmes at TKD have a satisfactory completion rate and credit production.
The students report that the study programmes are of consistently good quality through course evaluations and other surveys. There is a great variety of teaching methods, and a long tradition of using digital tools as part of the teaching.
The faculty is now establishing DIGIN in cooperation with the other faculties and OsloMet. The aim is to increase the quality of the programmes by offering training in student-active teaching methods, experience exchange for ‘best practice’ within and between the study programmes, and projects in Makerspace.
The faculty works actively on internationalisation of the programmes. The focus is on English-speaking courses, introducing whole study programmes in English, developing activities that support internationalisation at home, internationalisation of programme descriptions, and working with institutions of interest.
The faculty has its own guidelines for R&D-based education. The guidelines are well implemented in most programmes, although there is always room for improvement.
The faculty has a continuous focus on modernising the programme portfolio. One of the biggest challenges is the lack of master’s programmes in engineering and technology subjects. This is being addressed, however, with two new master's programmes scheduled to start by the end of 2020. TKD also has a great potential for cooperation with other faculties and is currently examining the possibility of a joint programme within the field of health technology together with the Faculty of Health Sciences. Makerspace is another major initiative that is intended to function as an innovation hub both for the faculty and OsloMet.
Another challenge is the low number of applicants to several of the faculty's study programmes. A number of measures are being developed to attract more applicants.
The faculty's first doctoral programme should be ready by the turn of the year 2018/ 2019 and will represent a unique combination of academic fields from all the technology departments at the faculty, developed and run in close cooperation with Simula@OsloMet. The faculty will also initiate another PhD in design, art and drama and technology, possibly in interdisciplinary cooperation with other PhD programmes at OsloMet.
1.2 Research and development (R&D)
The term R&D in TKD’s strategy includes artistic research. The faculty is able to demonstrate a strong increase in R&D at an international level. This has become particularly visible through a strong increase in the number of publications, and in the number of applications submitted for external funding to the Research Council of Norway and the EU.
The development trend is that more researchers now have a sense of the importance of research publication and have turned their interest more towards external funding and bigger research projects. The average scores are too low, although some projects obtain very high scores and support. The process of completing applications must be further professionalised and a better understanding is needed of what it takes to succeed. There is also a need to activate more environments, find more funding channels appropriate to our research areas and be better at building cooperation and consortiums at both the national and international level.
The faculty acknowledges at the same time a certain risk of quantity becoming more important than quality both in publications and applications, influenced by the publication points system and incentive schemes. A number of measures are being planned to consolidate a positive culture where quality is key.
1.3 Dissemination
The faculty is generally not visible enough in debates and in the media, and thus makes little contribution to the dissemination of new knowledge.
However, the work on knowledge dissemination has been strengthened by researchers attending OsloMet’s courses on excellent research dissemination and by participating in fairs and events. The departments also contribute to dissemination by organising conferences and seminars with national and international target groups. Students of art and design subjects have also featured in the media on many occasions. Efforts will be made to consolidate these positive trends through systematic work.
1.4 Innovation
Innovation is increasingly becoming a focus at OsloMet, and the faculty's strength in this field is evident through it being awarded and participating in new research projects through the EU and the Research Council of Norway.
Innovation within health technology and artificial intelligence is among the faculty’s particular focus areas. This is a strategic position which will enable TKD to utilise its unique technology, design and art and drama portfolio to help solve some of the challenges facing society. This particularly applies to interdisciplinary cooperation with the Faculty of Health Sciences and Simula@OsloMet.
OsloMet Makerspace is another initiative, which contributes to a greater focus on innovation and cooperation with 'Gründergarasjen'. The students of TKD are key to this work and are therefore an important resource to OsloMet as a whole.
Society is experiencing major changes, and the faculty is strengthening its cooperation with the labour market to contribute to more innovation through the development and application of new technology.
1.5 Organisation/management
With its departments and administration, TKD has the same organisational structure as the other faculties at OsloMet. In addition to the ordinary line organisation, the faculty is managed by a number of councils and committees.
The faculty wishes to assess these councils and committees as a whole and has initiated a process to achieve this goal. So far, the faculty has partially conducted critical evaluations of councils and committees, such as the Faculty Council, the Teaching Committee, the R&D Committee, DLM and ALM. The faculty is simultaneously establishing new councils, such as PhD committees and programme councils for master's programmes and the PhD programmes.
A supportive administrative infrastructure has been developed over many years, which is constantly becoming more professional. The expertise of our staff is systematically raised and plays a large part in achieving the faculty's good results. However, there is still potential for improvement and strategic development.
The present model for research management at the departments is incomplete and reflects that there has been a one-dimensional focus on education in many arenas. Now the focus is on competence-raising, at the same time that alternative management models are under consideration.
2 Profile
Strategy 2024 describes OsloMet thus:
OsloMet shall take a hands-on approach to meeting the needs of society and employers. Our study programmes shall be of high international standard, based on research, close contact with professional practice and up-to-date, student-active forms of learning. Our research shall be relevant and capable of solving the challenges of tomorrow. Our graduates shall be educated to be engaged citizens who recognise the importance of, and are motivated for, lifelong learning. Our staff shall conduct themselves in accordance with our values. Our organisation shall be well-run and professional.
TKD’s unique profile is well within the parameters of OsloMet's profile, yet also highlights the faculty’s characteristic multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature. This is concretised by facilitating closer interaction within the faculty where user-oriented technology is linked to both functionality, design and aesthetics as illustrated in the TKD innovative value chain model:
The model visualises the overall perspective and interdisciplinary interaction, which are the means by which we aim to influence and impact business and industry, and society as a whole. The model also reflects the programmes' need for constant innovation and the ability to adapt in a labour market undergoing rapid change. The value chain also reflects the different academic environments' need to be creative when encountering new approaches, methodological tools and different research traditions. Last but not least, the value chain also reflects completion and value creation through implementation and practical application.
3 Values
OsloMet’s values can be found in Strategy 2024 ‘Learning Innovative Diverse.’ The Faculty of Technology, Art and Design has additionally chosen the values ‘Forward-looking Collaborative.’
Forward-looking
Forward-looking staff and students are characterised by their ability to take the initiative, thirst for knowledge, desire to pursue ideas and openness to unconventional approaches. We shall strive for more and be ambitious!
Collaborative
Collaborative staff and students are characterised by the ability and willingness to support each other through difficult periods to achieve a common goal. We actively share knowledge and experiences, take advantage of each other's skills, show mutual respect and are generous when initiatives don’t work out as planned. We communicate openly, interact across subject areas, show mutual curiosity and an inclusive way of working.
4 TKD's main goals in relation to OsloMet 2014.
‘Our subject areas’ refer to ‘technology, design and art, design and drama.’
Strategy 2024 OsloMet shall be one of the country's leading suppliers of
research-based knowledge to the welfare society.
Goal 1 TKD shall be the country's leading academic field for research-based knowledge within our subject areas – and in interaction between them
This shall be achieved by:
- establishing leading research groups that attract partners from the world's best academic environments.
- carrying out socially relevant research projects with funding from the EU and other major calls.
- presenting research results of high scientific quality
- developing new knowledge and technological solutions based on society's future needs together with users and other interested parties from both the public and private sectors
- involving students in the research groups and in ongoing research projects
- maintaining research ethics and social commitments and contributing to scientific transparency.
Goal 2 TKD shall be at the forefront of conveying relevant, research-based knowledge within our subject areas – and in interaction between them
This shall be achieved by:
- further developing a programme portfolio relevant to society that prepares sought-after candidates for both the private and public sectors.
- continuously updating the programmes with new research-based knowledge in technology, design and art, design and drama and the interaction between them.
- building interdisciplinary environments where innovative solutions can be developed and disseminated
- systematically initiating and/or organising academic meeting places, such as workshops, seminars and conferences suitable for disseminating new knowledge and progress.
Strategy 2024 OsloMet shall be at the forefront of using new technology, innovative solutions and new work methods.
Goal 3 TKD will be a leading force in enabling technology and interdisciplinary interaction between our subject areas
This shall be achieved by:
- implementing new teaching, research and work methods that promote quality in education and cooperation between the faculty's different subject areas
- promoting a quality-oriented sharing culture
- driving the use and development of digital solutions that simplify and rationalise work processes.
Goal 4 TKD shall contribute to meeting society's needs for lifelong learning within and across our subject areas.
This shall be achieved by:
- establishing a high-quality and broad range of education within further and continuing education, part-time education and lifelong learning in close cooperation with the labour market.
Goal 5 TKD shall contribute to increased innovation, more entrepreneurship and more interdisciplinary cooperation.
This shall be achieved by:
- establishing interdisciplinary meeting places for students and researchers
- actively interacting with relevant innovation environments
- further developing cooperation across the faculties
- enabling good ideas to be further developed with a view to commercialisation.
OsloMet shall be an urban university with regional and national tasks, and with a clearly international character.
Goal 6 The programmes offered at TKD shall meet the labour market’s future needs for expertise
This shall be achieved by:
- developing and structuring our interaction with the national and, in particular, regional labour market
- identifying the labour market's expectations of future needs and taking these into account
- involving the labour market in our teaching and research activities to ensure fresh impulses and academic relevance.
Goal 7 TKD shall make use of the opportunities for individual and social development that arise through internationalisation.
This shall be achieved by:
- establishing agreements with universities of interest that complement and strengthen our academic portfolio
- developing internationalisation at home, English-speaking courses/study programmes and international semesters.
Strategy 2024 OsloMet shall be a professional organisation with engaged students and staff, and has a well-functioning infrastructure.
Goal 8 TKD shall strengthen competent and creative knowledge communities
This shall be achieved by:
- focusing on and strengthening a forward-looking and collaborative organisational culture
- facilitating explorative academic cooperation and experimenting across knowledge communities and between staff and students
- including the students in relevant knowledge communities.
Goal 9 TKD shall employ staff who find their work meaningful and characterised by generosity and academic development
This shall be achieved by:
- involving staff in long-term planning and giving everyone the opportunity to contribute based on their strengths and interests
- striving for good, close collaboration between all members of staff
- encouraging social activities which contribute to a good and inclusive work environment.
Goal 10 TKD shall organise units and tasks in an efficient and targeted manner.
This shall be achieved by:
- actively using the quality assurance system and following up improvement opportunities
- developing and implementing management models at department and programme level that are adapted to the university’s tasks
- rationalising case processing through continuous competence development among staff
- developing and implementing good organisational structures for groups, councils and committees that address the need to raise academic quality and access to expertise in all the faculty’s formal bodies.
- facilitating better interaction between the administration and the academic staff and considering expedient organisational structures'
- demonstrating how enabling staff to take part in different academic environments and spending their working day in different places could create opportunities.
