{"id":183188,"date":"2025-10-30T11:20:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-30T10:20:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/biologi-boykotter-rektor-vi-ser-ingen-grund-til-at-han-kommer\/"},"modified":"2025-11-03T12:59:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-03T11:59:15","slug":"boycott-at-biology-no-purpose-in-meeting-the-rector","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/boycott-at-biology-no-purpose-in-meeting-the-rector\/","title":{"rendered":"Boycott at Biology: \u00bbNo purpose in meeting the rector\u00ab"},"content":{"rendered":"

A<\/span>planned town hall meeting between the rector of the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and staff at the Department of Biology has been cancelled.<\/p>\n

This is after a joint email to Rector David Dreyer Lassen from all heads of sections at the department Monday 27 October stating that they saw no point in him coming for a long-time scheduled visit the following Thursday.<\/p>\n

The meeting cancellation comes amid major cutbacks at the Faculty of Science<\/a> where departments are expected to find DKK 100 million in savings to cover a\u00a0recurring budget shortfall.<\/p>\n

According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, a professor and head of the Biomolecular Sciences section, the Department of Biology alone needs to cut between DKK 15 and 20 million, and employees are concerned about losing their jobs.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe have attempted constructive dialogue through the University Post, and through direct appeals to you. In the responses we have received from management, we have not seen any real willingness to take employees\u2019 legitimate questions and objections seriously,\u00ab the email to the rector reads. The University Post has seen a copy.<\/p>\n

\u00bbThere is therefore broad agreement among department staff \u2014 out of respect for those who, after the meeting, will be proposed dismissed \u2014 that a meeting with you serves no purpose,\u00ab the email continues. It is signed by the heads of all 11 sections at the department.<\/p>\n

No real dialogue<\/h3>\n

The rector\u2019s visit was part of a series of department visits he began after the summer break.<\/p>\n

According to a post on the UCPH intranet KUnet<\/em>, the plan is for Rector David Dreyer Lassen to visit all university departments within a year to meet staff and discuss the university\u2019s 2030 strategy ‘Creating benefit for more people’.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI\u2019m coming to meet you and hear what\u2019s on your minds,\u00ab the rector said in a KUnet news release when the initiative was launched.<\/p>\n

Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen says the decision to boycott the meeting came after a long period of dissatisfaction with how management has handled the cutbacks:<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe see no reason for him to come. If he had, it would just have caused more frustration. We have not seen any real answers from management to our questions,\u00ab he tells the University Post.
\n
\nDepartment faculty boards at the Faculty of Science (excluding these departments\u2019 managements) sent an open letter to David Dreyer Lassen published in the University Post<\/a> on 18 September outlining their frustration.<\/p>\n

According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, the rector\u2019s reply \u2014 also published in the University Post<\/a> \u2014 to the staff\u2019s open letter was an eye-opener.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe got a textbook management response, and none of the specific questions we had raised were addressed. It didn\u2019t seem like there had been any attempt to find a less destructive solution. It left us with the impression that there was no genuine dialogue,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Spare people further frustration<\/h3>\n

For Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, the boycott is also about protecting staff during a time when morale is already low.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWhen you\u2019re facing the threat of being fired \u2014 as we all are right now \u2014 from a job you really care about, it naturally creates a lot of anxiety. In the current serious situation, no one wants to take part in a meeting where the rector sidesteps questions we have already tried to get answers to,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, the decision to cancel the meeting was unanimous among the section heads, and each one had the backing of their staff.<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt\u2019s not just the section heads. We represent a majority of the staff,\u00ab he says.
\n
\nThe heads of section at the Department of Biology acted on their own in deciding to boycott the meeting.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe haven\u2019t coordinated with other departments at the Faculty of Science. How they choose to handle a potential meeting with the rector is entirely up to them. We\u2019re a large department, and this was our decision,\u00ab says Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen.<\/p>\n

Meeting cancelled \u2014 but the door remains open<\/h3>\n

Rector David Dreyer Lassen replied to the section heads\u2019 email the same day, confirming that the meeting had been cancelled \u2014 in an email which the University Post has also seen.<\/p>\n

In a written comment to the University Post, he reiterates parts of the message, and writes that he regrets the decision, but maintains that management has made efforts to engage with staff in multiple forums.<\/p>\n

\u00bbI regret that the heads of section at the Department of Biology do not wish to go ahead with the department meeting. I want to emphasise that I \u2014 and the entire University of Copenhagen management \u2014 take employees\u2019 legitimate questions and objections very seriously, and we have tried to address them wherever we have encountered them. This has included forums like the Faculty\u2019s collaboration committee<\/span>, the staff\u2013management collaboration committee (HSU), the Academic Council<\/span>, and the University Post, as well as multiple discussions at the university’s Board. I am, of course, still open to visiting the Department of Biology,\u00ab the rector writes.<\/p>\n

Crisis of trust<\/h3>\n

Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen sees the cancellation as a necessary signal. According to the section head, however, it is not about closing the door to dialogue \u2014 but about sparing staff from yet another experience of not being listened to.<\/p>\n

\u00bbWe\u2019re already so far along in the process, that it\u2019s unlikely anything will change now. But at least we\u2019ve had a chance to express our dissatisfaction,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen admits that the decision to ask the rector not to attend was not taken lightly.<\/p>\n

\u00bbYou can always ask yourself whether we should have chosen a different strategy \u2014 like showing up and engaging in dialogue. But we judged that it wouldn\u2019t lead to anything real. We were already busy enough, and it seemed unrealistic that any honest conversation would come out of it,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n

Even so, he makes it clear that the decision was carefully considered:<\/p>\n

\u00bbIt\u2019s not that we don\u2019t want dialogue. On the contrary. But dialogue requires both sides to genuinely listen to each other. And we just haven\u2019t seen any willingness for that at this time,\u00ab says Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen.<\/p>\n

Staff at the Department of Biology and the other departments at the Faculty of Science will be informed whether layoffs are necessary during November.<\/p>\n

According to the current plan, notices will be given to affected employees on 20 November.<\/p>\n

This article was first written in Danish and published on 30 October 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/em>
\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Section heads at the Department of Biology have written to Rector David Dreyer Lassen that a planned meeting with him \u00bbserves no purpose\u00ab in light of the cutbacks at the Faculty of Science. The rector has cancelled the visit but emphasises that he remains open to dialogue.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":106,"featured_media":183162,"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":[4539],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-183188","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arbejdsmiljoe-en","expression-feature_article"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"\nBoycott at Biology: \u00bbNo purpose in meeting the rector\u00ab \u2014 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\/boycott-at-biology-no-purpose-in-meeting-the-rector\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Boycott at Biology: \u00bbNo purpose in meeting the rector\u00ab \u2014 University Post\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Section heads at the Department of Biology have written to Rector David Dreyer Lassen that a planned meeting with him \u00bbserves no purpose\u00ab in light of the cutbacks at the Faculty of Science. 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David Dreyer Lassen has launched a tour to meet staff at all departments throughout the University of Copenhagen. But the visit has now been cancelled at the Department of Biology following a protest from heads of section."},{"acf_fc_layout":"Standfirst","subject":"Dispute","text":"This is a story about what will follow","use_post_excerpt":true},{"acf_fc_layout":"Byline","is_author":true,"contributors":false},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p><span class=\"dropcap\">A<\/span>planned town hall meeting between the rector of the University of Copenhagen (UCPH) and staff at the Department of Biology has been cancelled.<\/p>\n<p>This is after a joint email to Rector David Dreyer Lassen from all heads of sections at the department Monday 27 October stating that they saw no point in him coming for a long-time scheduled visit the following Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>The meeting cancellation comes amid <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/faculty-of-science-braces-for-tough-choices-as-budget-gap-widens\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">major cutbacks at the Faculty of Science<\/a> where departments are expected to find DKK 100 million in savings to cover a\u00a0recurring budget shortfall.<\/p>\n<p>According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, a professor and head of the Biomolecular Sciences section, the Department of Biology alone needs to cut between DKK 15 and 20 million, and employees are concerned about losing their jobs.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe have attempted constructive dialogue through the University Post, and through direct appeals to you. In the responses we have received from management, we have not seen any real willingness to take employees\u2019 legitimate questions and objections seriously,\u00ab the email to the rector reads. The University Post has seen a copy.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbThere is therefore broad agreement among department staff \u2014 out of respect for those who, after the meeting, will be proposed dismissed \u2014 that a meeting with you serves no purpose,\u00ab the email continues. It is signed by the heads of all 11 sections at the department.<\/p>\n<h3>No real dialogue<\/h3>\n<p>The rector\u2019s visit was part of a series of department visits he began after the summer break.<\/p>\n<p>According to a post on the UCPH intranet <em>KUnet<\/em>, the plan is for Rector David Dreyer Lassen to visit all university departments within a year to meet staff and discuss the university\u2019s 2030 strategy ‘Creating benefit for more people’.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI\u2019m coming to meet you and hear what\u2019s on your minds,\u00ab the rector said in a KUnet news release when the initiative was launched.<\/p>\n<p>Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen says the decision to boycott the meeting came after a long period of dissatisfaction with how management has handled the cutbacks:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe see no reason for him to come. If he had, it would just have caused more frustration. We have not seen any real answers from management to our questions,\u00ab he tells the University Post.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"In the current serious situation, no one wants to take part in a meeting where the rector sidesteps the questions that we have already tried to get answers to.","quotee":"Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, professor and head of the Biomolecular Sciences section at the Department of Biology","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>Department faculty boards at the Faculty of Science (excluding these departments\u2019 managements) sent <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/dreyer-should-take-responsibility-and-avert-layoffs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">an open letter to David Dreyer Lassen published in the University Post<\/a> on 18 September outlining their frustration.<\/p>\n<p>According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, <a href=\"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/rector-on-cuts-to-faculty-of-science-theres-no-way-around-it\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the rector\u2019s reply \u2014 also published in the University Post<\/a> \u2014 to the staff\u2019s open letter was an eye-opener.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe got a textbook management response, and none of the specific questions we had raised were addressed. It didn\u2019t seem like there had been any attempt to find a less destructive solution. It left us with the impression that there was no genuine dialogue,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<h3>Spare people further frustration<\/h3>\n<p>For Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, the boycott is also about protecting staff during a time when morale is already low.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWhen you\u2019re facing the threat of being fired \u2014 as we all are right now \u2014 from a job you really care about, it naturally creates a lot of anxiety. In the current serious situation, no one wants to take part in a meeting where the rector sidesteps questions we have already tried to get answers to,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>According to Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen, the decision to cancel the meeting was unanimous among the section heads, and each one had the backing of their staff.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s not just the section heads. We represent a majority of the staff,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Quote","quote":"I want to emphasise that I \u2014 along with the entire University of Copenhagen management \u2014 take employees\u2019 legitimate questions and objections very seriously, and have tried to address them wherever we have encountered them.","quotee":"David Dreyer Lassen, rector at UCPH","style":"extended"},{"acf_fc_layout":"Content","content":"<p>The heads of section at the Department of Biology acted on their own in deciding to boycott the meeting.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe haven\u2019t coordinated with other departments at the Faculty of Science. How they choose to handle a potential meeting with the rector is entirely up to them. We\u2019re a large department, and this was our decision,\u00ab says Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen.<\/p>\n<h3>Meeting cancelled \u2014 but the door remains open<\/h3>\n<p>Rector David Dreyer Lassen replied to the section heads\u2019 email the same day, confirming that the meeting had been cancelled \u2014 in an email which the University Post has also seen.<\/p>\n<p>In a written comment to the University Post, he reiterates parts of the message, and writes that he regrets the decision, but maintains that management has made efforts to engage with staff in multiple forums.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbI regret that the heads of section at the Department of Biology do not wish to go ahead with the department meeting. I want to emphasise that I \u2014 and the entire University of Copenhagen management \u2014 take employees\u2019 legitimate questions and objections very seriously, and we have tried to address them wherever we have encountered them. This has included forums like the <span title=\"Faculty Collaboration Committee\">Faculty\u2019s collaboration committee<\/span>, the staff\u2013management collaboration committee (HSU), the <span title=\"Academic Council\">Academic Council<\/span>, and the University Post, as well as multiple discussions at the university’s Board. I am, of course, still open to visiting the Department of Biology,\u00ab the rector writes.<\/p>\n<h3>Crisis of trust<\/h3>\n<p>Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen sees the cancellation as a necessary signal. According to the section head, however, it is not about closing the door to dialogue \u2014 but about sparing staff from yet another experience of not being listened to.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbWe\u2019re already so far along in the process, that it\u2019s unlikely anything will change now. But at least we\u2019ve had a chance to express our dissatisfaction,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen admits that the decision to ask the rector not to attend was not taken lightly.<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbYou can always ask yourself whether we should have chosen a different strategy \u2014 like showing up and engaging in dialogue. But we judged that it wouldn\u2019t lead to anything real. We were already busy enough, and it seemed unrealistic that any honest conversation would come out of it,\u00ab he says.<\/p>\n<p>Even so, he makes it clear that the decision was carefully considered:<\/p>\n<p>\u00bbIt\u2019s not that we don\u2019t want dialogue. On the contrary. But dialogue requires both sides to genuinely listen to each other. And we just haven\u2019t seen any willingness for that at this time,\u00ab says Rasmus Hartmann-Petersen.<\/p>\n<p>Staff at the Department of Biology and the other departments at the Faculty of Science will be informed whether layoffs are necessary during November.<\/p>\n<p>According to the current plan, notices will be given to affected employees on 20 November.<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was first written in Danish and published on 30 October 2025. It has been translated into English and post-edited by Mike Young.<\/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":4539,"name":"Working environment","slug":"arbejdsmiljoe-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":4539,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":95,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[],"post_format":[],"expression":[{"term_id":18,"name":"Feature Article","slug":"feature_article","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":18,"taxonomy":"expression","description":"","parent":0,"count":1200,"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":673,"filter":"raw"}]},"featured_media_url":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/dreyer-1280x816.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183188","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\/106"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=183188"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183188\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":183274,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/183188\/revisions\/183274"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/183162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=183188"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=183188"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uniavisen.dk\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=183188"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}