Roskilde University
Encyclopedia
Roskilde University is a Danish
public university
founded in 1972 and located in Trekroner in the Eastern part of Roskilde
. The university awards bachelor
and master's degrees as well as Ph.D.
degrees.
The university offers four basic studies programmes:
The university was founded in 1972 and was initially intended as an alternative to the traditional Danish universities which had been the scene of several student uprisings in the late 1960s. The students considered the traditional universities undemocratic and controlled by the professors and wanted more influence as well as more flexible teaching methods.
In the 1970s the university was known for its very liberal education as opposed to the usual lectures provided by the more traditional universities of Copenhagen
and Århus. The focus was shifted from traditional lectures to group orientated methods and projects rather than traditional exams.
In 2003, the revised Danish university law removed faculty, staff and students from the university decision process, creating a top-down control structure that has been described as absolute monarchy, since leaders are granted extensive powers while being appointed exclusively by higher levels in the organization.
Some notable alumni and professors from RUC include:
About Roskilde University: http://www.ruc.dk/en/about-the-university/
About the history of Roskilde University: http://www.ruc.dk/en/about-the-university/ru-history/
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
public university
Public university
A public university is a university that is predominantly funded by public means through a national or subnational government, as opposed to private universities. A national university may or may not be considered a public university, depending on regions...
founded in 1972 and located in Trekroner in the Eastern part of Roskilde
Roskilde
Roskilde is the main city in Roskilde Municipality, Denmark on the island of Zealand. It is an ancient city, dating from the Viking Age and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network....
. The university awards bachelor
Bachelor
A bachelor is a man above the age of majority who has never been married . Unlike his female counterpart, the spinster, a bachelor may have had children...
and master's degrees as well as Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy
Doctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
degrees.
Organization and Administration
The university is governed by a board consisting of 9 members: 5 members recruited outside the university form the majority of the board, 1 member is appointed by the scientific staff, 1 member is appointed by the administrative staff, and 2 members are appointed by the university students. The Rector is appointed by the university board. The rector in turn appoints deans and deans appoint heads of departments. There is no faculty senate and faculty is not involved in the appointment of rector, deans, or department heads. Hence the university has no faculty governance.Departments
Roskilde University has 6 departments (institutes) specializing in very different areas from Mathematics to International Development:- Communication, Business and Information Technologies (CBIT)
- Culture and Identity (CUID)
- Environmental, Social and Spatial Change (ENSPAC)
- Psychology and Educational Studies (PAES)
- Science, Systems and Models (NSM)
- Society and Globalisation (ISG)
The university offers four basic studies programmes:
- Basic Studies in the Humanities
- Basic Studies in the Social Sciences
- Basic Studies in the Natural Sciences
- Basic Studies in Humanistically applied Natural Sciences
History
In the 1970s the university was known for its very liberal education as opposed to the usual lectures provided by the more traditional universities of Copenhagen
University of Copenhagen
The University of Copenhagen is the oldest and largest university and research institution in Denmark. Founded in 1479, it has more than 37,000 students, the majority of whom are female , and more than 7,000 employees. The university has several campuses located in and around Copenhagen, with the...
and Århus. The focus was shifted from traditional lectures to group orientated methods and projects rather than traditional exams.
In 2003, the revised Danish university law removed faculty, staff and students from the university decision process, creating a top-down control structure that has been described as absolute monarchy, since leaders are granted extensive powers while being appointed exclusively by higher levels in the organization.
Some notable alumni and professors from RUC include:
- Vincent F. HendricksVincent F. HendricksVincent Fella Hendricks , is a Danish philosopher and logician. He holds two doctoral degrees in philosophy and is Professor of Formal Philosophy at University of Copenhagen, Denmark. He was previously Professor of Formal Philosophy at Roskilde University, Denmark. He is member of IIP, the...
Working conditions at Roskilde University
In November 2009, the national Danish Working Environment Authority published a report about the working environments at the Institute for Communication stating that "the university's combination of large work responsibilities and time pressure risks influencing the physical and psychological health of the employees in the short and long term". The Working Environment Authority has ordered Roskilde University to develop a plan for solving these problems.External links
The website of Roskilde University: http://www.ruc.dk/en/About Roskilde University: http://www.ruc.dk/en/about-the-university/
About the history of Roskilde University: http://www.ruc.dk/en/about-the-university/ru-history/