By next spring, you will be reading a completely new newspaper.
This is the result of a process initiated in April, when two working groups consisting of staff, students and Pro-Rector Søren E. Frandsen set about finding the framework and content for a new AU medium.
The process was launched by the senior management team following the media debate earlier this year, when three student organisations sent an open letter to the rector and the chair of the University Board with a request to restructure the current newspaper – UNIvers.

Acknowledgement and extra resources

The recommendation of the groups has now been debated at a public hearing, and the senior management team has discussed the recommendation and the responses to the hearing. Based on this, the management has approved the recommendation with a few additions and changes. One point was to take the English-speaking staff and students into account, so the entire new newspaper will be translated into English and published online.
“The senior management team has praised the work carried out by the two working groups – both the process and the results. And as a specific token of this acknowledgement, the management has also expressed a wish to strengthen the work undertaken by the new AU medium by providing extra resources. This means appointing a permanent journalist and a full-time translator in addition to the editor-in-chief. The two new employees will work exclusively with the new medium," says Pro-Rector Søren E. Frandsen.
The editorial staff currently consists of AU Communication employees, who carry out a considerable number of communication tasks in addition to contributing to UNIvers.

Will strengthen solidarity and debate

The new newspaper will provide a medium for the entire university, and will help build up a feeling of solidarity and an identity cutting across the organisation. It will also be characterised by articles that put things into perspective and trigger debate. An editorial committee will also be appointed, and one of its tasks will be to ensure the editorial independence of the AU medium as regards organisational, political and personal interests.
“I’m eager to follow the new medium and I’m looking forward to getting my hands on the first issue. The new newspaper is a product of a good, constructive process in the working groups, with lots of interesting and important discussions,” says Søren E. Frandsen.
A process will now be initiated in which the academic councils will be asked to find members to sit on the new editorial committee, consisting of both academic staff and technical and administrative staff, as well as students and a representative from the senior management team.
“The editorial committee will have a very important job, because its members – along with the editor – will determine the overall editorial lines and framework for the new newspaper,” says Søren E. Frandsen.
The pro-rector adds that, as an indirect consequence of this process, all the internal communication at the university will be looked at, so it can better cater to the needs of both students and staff.