
{"id":181348,"date":"2025-09-18T11:00:43","date_gmt":"2025-09-18T09:00:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/rektor-maa-tage-ansvar-og-afvaerge-fyringer\/"},"modified":"2025-09-19T08:20:19","modified_gmt":"2025-09-19T06:20:19","slug":"dreyer-should-take-responsibility-and-avert-layoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dreyer-should-take-responsibility-and-avert-layoffs\/","title":{"rendered":"Dreyer should take responsibility and avert layoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><em>See the list of all signing departments at the bottom of the post.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">OPINION on The University Post<\/p>\n<p>This is a featured comment\/opinion piece. It expresses the author\u2019s own opinion.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage everyone to read the whole piece before commenting on social media, so that we only get constructive contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Disagreement is good, but remember to uphold a civil and respectful tone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dear Rector,<\/p>\n<p>We write to you as members of the departmental faculty boards at SCIENCE, with responsibility for advising management on academic matters, as well as on the leadership and financial decisions tied to them. We see ourselves as guardians of the quality of the faculty\u2019s core mission.<\/p>\n<p>As researchers, we are trained to understand the world. And we are good at it: there is nothing but success in research, teaching, and public engagement. Our contributions are recognized internationally, and we bring in external funding at unprecedented levels.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Everyone knows the destructive impact of mass redundancies at a university<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is therefore deeply frustrating when we cannot make sense of our own institution. Why are these achievements met with surprises such as <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-braces-for-tough-choices-as-budget-gap-widens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deficits<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-freezes-all-hiring-to-stem-financial-shortfall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hiring freezes<\/a>, and now the prospect of <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/faculty-and-department\/science\/topic-economy\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mass layoffs<\/a> at our faculty? No one understands what has happened, and still less why management\u2019s current plan should be the answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-freezes-all-hiring-to-stem-financial-shortfall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science freezes all hiring to stem financial shortfall<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>The questions are piling up<\/h3>\n<p>This was why our colleagues, the staff representatives, with support from the Academic Council, published an <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/forskerfyringer-gaar-stik-imod-loeftet-i-reformen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">open letter to the Board<\/a> in <em>The University Post<\/em> on 23 June (in Danish). They described the situation clearly and insightfully. To date, no reply has been given.<\/p>\n<p>The questions only grow more urgent. For this reason, we feel obliged to write to you directly as rector of the University of Copenhagen. As the new rector, you face the major challenge of securing the university\u2019s finances for the future, including those of SCIENCE. A good first step was the <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/fakultet-og-institut\/science\/tema-oekonomi\/Documents\/Transparensanalyse-SCIENCE-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KPMG report from February<\/a> (in Danish), which identified <secret text=\"see sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2, Appendix C\">two principal causes<\/secret> of the current deficit at our faculty:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>UCPH has reduced SCIENCE\u2019s funding by DKK 89 million annually, arguing that the operating costs of the new Niels Bohr Building and the new Natural History Museum will increase UCPH\u2019s central budget for buildings. When fully in use, these two facilities will cover 82,000 square meters, which KU Buildings estimates will cost DKK 1,080 per square meter to operate. These costs are charged directly to the faculty.<\/li>\n<li>After the administrative reform, SCIENCE faces an annual shortfall of DKK 44 million between the mandated cuts to our financial framework and the faculty\u2019s actual cost reductions. The reform was supposed to be cost-neutral for faculties. Instead, UCPH has removed more salary funds than SCIENCE actually spent on its administrative staff before they were transferred to central units.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Together, these two factors create an annual loss of DKK 133 million from 2026 onwards, reducing the budget for all activities at SCIENCE to DKK 646 million. By comparison, UCPH spends DKK four billion each year on buildings and central administration.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The consequences will be nothing short of disastrous by international standards<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>A solution that benefits more<\/h3>\n<p>Instead of tackling these structural costs, the management of UCPH now proposes cuts that strike directly at the university\u2019s core functions. This undermines our ability to conduct world-class research, teaching, and public engagement.<\/p>\n<p>It also threatens UCPH\u2019s international reputation and its capacity to attract talented colleagues. If tenured faculty \u2013 associate professors and professors \u2013 are dismissed, the consequences will be nothing short of disastrous by international standards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-braces-for-tough-choices-as-budget-gap-widens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science braces for tough choices as budget gap widens<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now we have a new rector and a new dean, while no one holds the existing staff responsible for what has happened. This is a strong basis for finding a better solution \u2013 not only for SCIENCE but for the whole of UCPH \u2013 so that we can continue to be the best place for the best ideas, and a source of benefit to Danish society.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, we urge you to prioritize three crucial issues:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Don\u2019t make SCIENCE pay for building-related inaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The rising costs of UCPH\u2019s buildings have long been known. In October 2020, the university launched a <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/about-ucph\/topics\/campus-plans\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major campus plan<\/a> with the goal of reducing building expenses to below 20 percent of the revenue.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The N\u00f8rre Campus plan should have been completed by mid-2023. What has happened to it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>UCPH\u2019s <a href=\"unsafe:chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/bestyrelse.ku.dk\/moeder\/moeder-2021\/bestyrelsesmoede-nr.-108\/8.1_-__rlig_redeg_relse__ret_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 campus report<\/a> (in Danish) described how cost reductions would be achieved through optimization, consolidation, and vacating of space, offsetting the extra costs of the Niels Bohr Building and the Natural History Museum. At that time, the extra costs were estimated at DKK 93 million annually. According to UCPH\u2019s website, the N\u00f8rre Campus plan should have been <a href=\"https:\/\/groups.ku.dk\/grupperum\/d-6718\/sitepages\/forside.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">completed by mid-2023<\/a>. What has happened to it?<\/p>\n<p>Since 2020, UCPH Buildings has had full responsibility for this area, and the responsibility therefore lies centrally, not with the faculties. We urge you as rector to ensure that SCIENCE\u2019s financial framework for its core activities is not reduced by building costs that should be handled centrally. Instead, the N\u00f8rre Campus planning process should resume urgently, with a realistic vision of the space SCIENCE should occupy in the future. We are ready to contribute to that process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Use the correct figures to calculate cost reductions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The administrative reform was intended to generate <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dkk-300-million-expensive-consultants-upset-guests-here-is-the-full-university-of-copenhagen-administration-reform-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DKK 300 million annually<\/a> for the university\u2019s core activities. That promise has yet to materialize. Worse still, SCIENCE\u2019s budget is reduced by DKK 44 million more each year than the actual administrative cost reduction. This forces cuts to our research, teaching, and public engagement.<\/p>\n<p>We therefore urge you to ensure that the reduction to SCIENCE\u2019s financial framework does not exceed the real cost reduction from the administrative reform. We call for full transparency and for cuts to reflect the faculty\u2019s actual cost reduction, not inflated figures.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Avoid layoffs at all costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even with new calculations, SCIENCE may still face a deficit. The amount may be large or small. But above all, time must be taken to restore financial balance without resorting to layoffs.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Good leadership must address these underlying causes, not shift the burden onto those who deliver<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Everyone knows the destructive impact of mass redundancies at a university \u2013 on academic and administrative staff alike, and on those who leave as well as those who remain. Not only will there be fewer of us sharing the workload, but morale and performance will inevitably suffer. Neither UCPH, nor the Danish society can afford that.<\/p>\n<p>We therefore urge you to weigh carefully what is best for the entire university: the current plan to balance SCIENCE\u2019s budget by 2027, or an alternative that allows more time, ensuring that layoffs can be avoided.<\/p>\n<h3>We trust you to lead wisely<\/h3>\n<p>Like you, we value prudence, responsibility, and balanced budgets. These are sound goals and hallmarks of good leadership in any organization.<\/p>\n<p>But the present crisis at SCIENCE stems from central issues in UCPH\u2019s management of buildings and administration. Good leadership must address these underlying causes, not shift the burden onto those who deliver on the university\u2019s core mission.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-layoffs-absurd-says-award-winning-staff-rep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science layoffs \u00bbabsurd\u00ab, says award-winning staff rep<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Research, education, and public engagement have been and still are, the lifeblood of UCPH since 1479. And with wise leadership they can remain so for generations to come.<\/p>\n<p>With respect, and in the hope of open dialogue,<\/p>\n<p>The Departmental Faculty Boards at the following institutes (excluding members of the department leaderships):<\/p>\n<p><em>Department of Biology <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Chemistry<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Computer Science <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Food and Resource Economics<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Food Science<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Mathematical Sciences <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Science Education<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Natural History Museum of Denmark <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Niels Bohr Institute<\/em><br \/>\n<!-- end of module 1 --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are two reasons why the Faculty of Science face cutbacks. Neither of them are the Faculty of Science&#8217;s fault. Yet right now, the plan is to let us pay for other people&#8217;s mistakes. That is not good management, say departmental faculty boards in this opinion piece. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":100,"featured_media":177447,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[47],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-181348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","expression-opinion"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Dreyer should take responsibility and avert layoffs - University Post<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dreyer-should-take-responsibility-and-avert-layoffs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dreyer should take responsibility and avert layoffs - University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"There are two reasons why the Faculty of Science face cutbacks. 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And neither of those is the Faculty of Science's fault. Yet right now, the plan is to let us pay for other people's mistakes. That is not good management, say departmental faculty boards in this opinion piece. ","use_post_excerpt":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Image","image":{"ID":177446,"id":177446,"title":"kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_Y9A6233","filename":"kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-scaled.jpg","filesize":906867,"url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-scaled.jpg","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/kus-rektor-er-rystet-over-trumps-angreb-paa-harvard\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233\/","alt":"","author":"106","description":"","caption":"David Dreyer Lassen er ny rektor p\u00e5 K\u00f8benhavns Universitet.\n\nPhoto by: Jonas Pryner Andersen","name":"kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":177443,"date":"2025-05-27 09:11:28","modified":"2025-09-18 08:11:28","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/jpeg","type":"image","subtype":"jpeg","icon":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":2560,"height":1829,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-150x150.jpg","thumbnail-width":150,"thumbnail-height":150,"medium":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-480x343.jpg","medium-width":480,"medium-height":343,"medium_large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-768x549.jpg","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":549,"large":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-1280x914.jpg","large-width":1280,"large-height":914,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-1536x1097.jpg","1536x1536-width":1536,"1536x1536-height":1097,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-2048x1463.jpg","2048x2048-width":2048,"2048x2048-height":1463,"featured-soft":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-290x207.jpg","featured-soft-width":290,"featured-soft-height":207,"featured-hard":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-290x180.jpg","featured-hard-width":290,"featured-hard-height":180,"narrow":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-700x500.jpg","narrow-width":700,"narrow-height":500,"extended":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-990x707.jpg","extended-width":990,"extended-height":707}},"style":"extended","text_placement":"metadata-below","image_link_url":"","image_link_title":"","caption_prefix":"","enable_alternative_caption":true,"alternative_caption":"Rector David Dreyer Lassen in the university library."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":false,"contributors":[{"use_registered_user":false,"user":false,"contributor_name":"The departmental faculty boards at the Faculty of Science","contributor_title":"Excluding members of the departments\u2019 managements","contributor_image":false}]},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><em>See the list of all signing departments at the bottom of the post.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"factbox\">\n<p class=\"factbox-header feature-color\">OPINION on The University Post<\/p>\n<p>This is a featured comment\/opinion piece. It expresses the author\u2019s own opinion.<\/p>\n<p>We encourage everyone to read the whole piece before commenting on social media, so that we only get constructive contributions.<\/p>\n<p>Disagreement is good, but remember to uphold a civil and respectful tone.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Dear Rector,<\/p>\n<p>We write to you as members of the departmental faculty boards at SCIENCE, with responsibility for advising management on academic matters, as well as on the leadership and financial decisions tied to them. We see ourselves as guardians of the quality of the faculty\u2019s core mission.<\/p>\n<p>As researchers, we are trained to understand the world. And we are good at it: there is nothing but success in research, teaching, and public engagement. Our contributions are recognized internationally, and we bring in external funding at unprecedented levels.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Everyone knows the destructive impact of mass redundancies at a university<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>It is therefore deeply frustrating when we cannot make sense of our own institution. Why are these achievements met with surprises such as <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-braces-for-tough-choices-as-budget-gap-widens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">deficits<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-freezes-all-hiring-to-stem-financial-shortfall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hiring freezes<\/a>, and now the prospect of <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/faculty-and-department\/science\/topic-economy\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">mass layoffs<\/a> at our faculty? No one understands what has happened, and still less why management\u2019s current plan should be the answer.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-freezes-all-hiring-to-stem-financial-shortfall\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science freezes all hiring to stem financial shortfall<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h3>The questions are piling up<\/h3>\n<p>This was why our colleagues, the staff representatives, with support from the Academic Council, published an <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/forskerfyringer-gaar-stik-imod-loeftet-i-reformen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">open letter to the Board<\/a> in <em>The University Post<\/em> on 23 June (in Danish). They described the situation clearly and insightfully. To date, no reply has been given.<\/p>\n<p>The questions only grow more urgent. For this reason, we feel obliged to write to you directly as rector of the University of Copenhagen. As the new rector, you face the major challenge of securing the university\u2019s finances for the future, including those of SCIENCE. A good first step was the <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/fakultet-og-institut\/science\/tema-oekonomi\/Documents\/Transparensanalyse-SCIENCE-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">KPMG report from February<\/a> (in Danish), which identified <secret text=\"see sections 4.2.1 and 4.2.2, Appendix C\">two principal causes<\/secret> of the current deficit at our faculty:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>UCPH has reduced SCIENCE\u2019s funding by DKK 89 million annually, arguing that the operating costs of the new Niels Bohr Building and the new Natural History Museum will increase UCPH\u2019s central budget for buildings. When fully in use, these two facilities will cover 82,000 square meters, which KU Buildings estimates will cost DKK 1,080 per square meter to operate. These costs are charged directly to the faculty.<\/li>\n<li>After the administrative reform, SCIENCE faces an annual shortfall of DKK 44 million between the mandated cuts to our financial framework and the faculty\u2019s actual cost reductions. The reform was supposed to be cost-neutral for faculties. Instead, UCPH has removed more salary funds than SCIENCE actually spent on its administrative staff before they were transferred to central units.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Together, these two factors create an annual loss of DKK 133 million from 2026 onwards, reducing the budget for all activities at SCIENCE to DKK 646 million. By comparison, UCPH spends DKK four billion each year on buildings and central administration.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The consequences will be nothing short of disastrous by international standards<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<h3>A solution that benefits more<\/h3>\n<p>Instead of tackling these structural costs, the management of UCPH now proposes cuts that strike directly at the university\u2019s core functions. This undermines our ability to conduct world-class research, teaching, and public engagement.<\/p>\n<p>It also threatens UCPH\u2019s international reputation and its capacity to attract talented colleagues. If tenured faculty \u2013 associate professors and professors \u2013 are dismissed, the consequences will be nothing short of disastrous by international standards.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-braces-for-tough-choices-as-budget-gap-widens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science braces for tough choices as budget gap widens<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Now we have a new rector and a new dean, while no one holds the existing staff responsible for what has happened. This is a strong basis for finding a better solution \u2013 not only for SCIENCE but for the whole of UCPH \u2013 so that we can continue to be the best place for the best ideas, and a source of benefit to Danish society.<\/p>\n<p>To that end, we urge you to prioritize three crucial issues:<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Don\u2019t make SCIENCE pay for building-related inaction<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The rising costs of UCPH\u2019s buildings have long been known. In October 2020, the university launched a <a href=\"https:\/\/kunet.ku.dk\/about-ucph\/topics\/campus-plans\/Pages\/default.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major campus plan<\/a> with the goal of reducing building expenses to below 20 percent of the revenue.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>The N\u00f8rre Campus plan should have been completed by mid-2023. What has happened to it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>UCPH\u2019s <a href=\"unsafe:chrome-extension:\/\/efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj\/https:\/\/bestyrelse.ku.dk\/moeder\/moeder-2021\/bestyrelsesmoede-nr.-108\/8.1_-__rlig_redeg_relse__ret_2020.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">2021 campus report<\/a> (in Danish) described how cost reductions would be achieved through optimization, consolidation, and vacating of space, offsetting the extra costs of the Niels Bohr Building and the Natural History Museum. At that time, the extra costs were estimated at DKK 93 million annually. According to UCPH\u2019s website, the N\u00f8rre Campus plan should have been <a href=\"https:\/\/groups.ku.dk\/grupperum\/d-6718\/sitepages\/forside.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">completed by mid-2023<\/a>. What has happened to it?<\/p>\n<p>Since 2020, UCPH Buildings has had full responsibility for this area, and the responsibility therefore lies centrally, not with the faculties. We urge you as rector to ensure that SCIENCE\u2019s financial framework for its core activities is not reduced by building costs that should be handled centrally. Instead, the N\u00f8rre Campus planning process should resume urgently, with a realistic vision of the space SCIENCE should occupy in the future. We are ready to contribute to that process.<\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Use the correct figures to calculate cost reductions<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>The administrative reform was intended to generate <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dkk-300-million-expensive-consultants-upset-guests-here-is-the-full-university-of-copenhagen-administration-reform-story\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">DKK 300 million annually<\/a> for the university\u2019s core activities. That promise has yet to materialize. Worse still, SCIENCE\u2019s budget is reduced by DKK 44 million more each year than the actual administrative cost reduction. This forces cuts to our research, teaching, and public engagement.<\/p>\n<p>We therefore urge you to ensure that the reduction to SCIENCE\u2019s financial framework does not exceed the real cost reduction from the administrative reform. We call for full transparency and for cuts to reflect the faculty\u2019s actual cost reduction, not inflated figures.<\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Avoid layoffs at all costs<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Even with new calculations, SCIENCE may still face a deficit. The amount may be large or small. But above all, time must be taken to restore financial balance without resorting to layoffs.<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Good leadership must address these underlying causes, not shift the burden onto those who deliver<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Everyone knows the destructive impact of mass redundancies at a university \u2013 on academic and administrative staff alike, and on those who leave as well as those who remain. Not only will there be fewer of us sharing the workload, but morale and performance will inevitably suffer. Neither UCPH, nor the Danish society can afford that.<\/p>\n<p>We therefore urge you to weigh carefully what is best for the entire university: the current plan to balance SCIENCE\u2019s budget by 2027, or an alternative that allows more time, ensuring that layoffs can be avoided.<\/p>\n<h3>We trust you to lead wisely<\/h3>\n<p>Like you, we value prudence, responsibility, and balanced budgets. These are sound goals and hallmarks of good leadership in any organization.<\/p>\n<p>But the present crisis at SCIENCE stems from central issues in UCPH\u2019s management of buildings and administration. Good leadership must address these underlying causes, not shift the burden onto those who deliver on the university\u2019s core mission.<\/p>\n<p><strong>READ ALSO:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-layoffs-absurd-says-award-winning-staff-rep\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Faculty of Science layoffs \u00bbabsurd\u00ab, says award-winning staff rep<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Research, education, and public engagement have been and still are, the lifeblood of UCPH since 1479. And with wise leadership they can remain so for generations to come.<\/p>\n<p>With respect, and in the hope of open dialogue,<\/p>\n<p>The Departmental Faculty Boards at the following institutes (excluding members of the department leaderships):<\/p>\n<p><em>Department of Biology <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Chemistry<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Computer Science <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Food and Resource Economics<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Food Science<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Mathematical Sciences <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Department of Science Education<\/em><br \/>\n<em>Natural History Museum of Denmark <\/em><br \/>\n<em>Niels Bohr Institute<\/em><\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"ArticleEnd"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Newsletter","lang_select":"en","identifier":"Newsletter","headline":"Get an email with upcoming events and top University of Copenhagen stories","button_text":"Sign up here","class":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"OtherStories","headline":"","hand_picked_posts":false,"references":false,"category":false,"theme":false,"number_of_posts":"4","style":"default"}]},"taxonomyData":{"category":[{"term_id":47,"name":"Opinion","slug":"opinion","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":47,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":333,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":16,"name":"Opinion","slug":"opinion","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":16,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":2042,"filter":"raw"}],"translation_priority":[{"term_id":5468,"name":"Optional","slug":"optional-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5468,"taxonomy":"translation_priority","description":"","parent":0,"count":672,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/kopidavid_dreyer_lassen_y9a6233-1280x914.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/100"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=181348"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":181433,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/181348\/revisions\/181433"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/177447"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=181348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=181348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=181348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}