Guidelines for academic positions

General

The guidelines apply to the appointment, transfer, and promotion in Academic and Research positions at Nord University. The guidelines apply at an overarching level and are formulated within the framework of the Universities and University Colleges Act, the Regulations on Academic and Research Positions and Recruitment Positions and the UHR's Guide on the Assessment of Competence when Applying for Employment and Promotion to Associate Professor and Professor (veileder-forstelektor-dosent-2025.pdf) as well as Nord University's competence matrix for assessment when applying for employment, promotion, and transition to Associate Professor and Professor .
The main rule in the state is permanent employment. Employment in a temporary position requires legal grounds for temporariness

Temporary employment can be made:
- When the work is of a temporary nature, cf. the Civil Servants Act § 9 (1), letter a. This provision can be used when the nature of the work clearly differs from the regular tasks, or there is a marked difference in workload, for a limited period. This can, for example, be an externally funded project or an internal initiative (State Personnel Handbook section 2.3.1.1).
- When the employee is a substitute for another, cf. the Civil Servants Act § 9 (1), letter b.
A substitute can be employed if (State Personnel Handbook section 2.6.2.2.) an employee is absent for a limited period, or for a shorter period while a position is advertised and until an appointment is made. An employee in a limited period should perform other tasks than usual, and there is a need to take care of the employee's normal tasks.

A substitute can be employed to replace all or parts of a position, or to replace parts of several positions when an unforeseen need has arisen for up to six months, cf. the Civil Servants Act § 9 (1) letter e. According to §7 of the Civil Servants Act and Nord's personnel regulations section 2.2, the HR manager can decide on appointments for up to one year without advertisement.

• For fixed-term appointments, cf. the Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-6:

Fixed-term appointments can be used for:
a. Rector
b. Pro-rector
c. Head of department and basic unit
d. Teaching and research positions where creative or performing artistic competence is a significant element of the required competence
e. Positions with entry-level conditions
f. Postdoctoral fellows
g. PhD candidates
h. Specialist candidates
i. Research assistants
j. Student ombudsman

For a, b, and c, the fixed-term period shall be 4 years.
For e, the fixed-term period can be 6-7 years.
For f and g, the fixed-term period shall be 3-4 years.
For d and j, the fixed-term period shall be 4-6 years.

• For fixed-term appointments in secondary employment, cf. the Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-7:

The fixed-term period shall be from two to six years. Secondary employment involves up to 20% of a position. Temporary employment in secondary employment requires a need for specialized competence and/or a need to offer students practice-oriented competence that the permanent staff at the institution do not possess. If the need is not temporary, the appointment shall be made permanent.

Temporary secondary employment requires that the candidate has a regular main position with another employer.
Secondary employment shall, as a general rule, be publicly advertised, unless there is a specific provision to exempt the position from public advertisement (cf. §4 Exemption from the requirement for public advertisement).

The Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-3 also provides an exemption for temporary employment in a lower position code for up to one year in cases where a position has been advertised, but no candidates fully meet the qualification requirements, and it is necessary to make an appointment to handle teaching tasks.
The main rule in the state is that vacant positions must be publicly advertised. NORD ensures this by advertising through NAV and on NORD's website with an overview of vacant positions. This can be supplemented with other publication channels.

NORD has templates for advertisement texts that include the required standard formulations. The templates are available in NORD's IT-system for recruitment.
4.1 General

When appointing without advertisement, the same requirements for the employer's case processing and the candidate's competence apply as for other appointments, cf. Part 2-7.

Public advertisement can be omitted:

• For appointments up to six months, cf. NORD's personnel regulations section 2.1. The HR manager has the authority to hire.

• For appointments up to one year, provided the matter is presented to the Appointment, cf. NORD's personnel regulations section 2.2. The HR manager has the authority to hire.

• For externally funded positions, cf. the regulations to the Civil Servants Act § 3 (3). See section 4.2 below.

• By invitation, cf. the Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-8. See section 4.3 below.

• Employment relationships with working hours less than 15 hours per week. Civil Servants Act § 7, no. 3, letter b, and NORD's personnel regulations section 2.5.

4.2 Externally Funded Positions

Appointments in externally funded positions without advertisement can be decided if:

• It is required in the allocation of funds that the project be carried out by a specific person.
• In very special cases, it is desirable and necessary to engage a specific person, and it can be demonstrated that no others with equally good or better professional qualifications in the relevant field would be likely to apply if the position were advertised.
• There is a requirement for a quick start, and ordinary appointment procedures cannot be implemented.

The Board of Appointments for Academic and Research Positions has the authority to hire.

4.3 Appointment by invitation
If special reasons justify it, the board itself can appoint persons to teaching and research positions without the positions being advertised first. This does not apply if more than one member of the board opposes it (Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-8). If special reasons justify it, the Appointment Board for scientific positions can appoint persons to secondary employment without the position being advertised first (Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-7).[1].

Special reasons for appointing without advertisement include:
1. There are particularly strong reasons to fill the position as quickly as possible to achieve strategic goals.
2. In very special cases, it is desirable to engage a specific person with specialized competence from another university, research institution, or partner in society, culture, or business, or for the appointment of an academic leader (professor) of allocated externally funded centers (e.g., SFF, SFI, SFU).
3. The position has been advertised several times without attracting applicants who meet the qualification requirements.
4. It is necessary to improve the gender balance in top scientific positions, and one of the other criteria in letters a, b, or c is also met.
A job specification must be prepared, cf. § 7.1, with a description of the position's tasks, responsibilities, and necessary qualifications, also by invitation.

It must be documented that the person appointed meets the qualification requirements of the position and it must be demonstrated that better-qualified applicants would not be likely to apply if the position were advertised.

[1] In Legislative Decision 90 of June 3, 2025, a new third paragraph was added to § 7-7 in the University and College Act: If special reasons justify it, institutions may emply persons in adjunct positions without the position being advertised first.
Provisions on Impartiality in the Public Administration Act § 6 apply to all stages of the appointment process. All involved in the appointment process must assess whether they have close ties to any of the applicants or have a particular advantage or disadvantage in evaluating any of them, cf. the Public Administration Act § 6. However, any acquaintance with an applicant does not automatically lead to disqualification. If a manager is disqualified, a decision in the case cannot be made by a direct subordinate. A direct subordinate can prepare the case, but the decision must be elevated to a higher level.

The following circumstances normally lead to disqualification:
• Ongoing close collaboration leads to disqualification.

• Co-authorship is generally considered the same as other close professional collaboration. A large number of contributors to the publication and the role the person has played can change this and must be assessed in each case. Generally, the fewer co-authors there are, the greater the possibility of disqualification.

• Co-authorship or collaboration within the last 3 years leads to disqualification, with the reservation mentioned in the previous point. Publishing various contributions within the same publication or collaboration more than 3 years ago does not normally lead to disqualification unless there is a general perception that the previous collaboration has created a lasting, close relationship (professional and/or personal).

• Supervisory relationships less than 3 years ago lead to disqualification. The same applies to co-supervisors.

• Responsibility as a subject group leader less than 2 years ago leads to disqualification. In small academic environments, a special assessment of impartiality must still be made even if the responsibility as a subject group leader was more than 2 years ago.

The list is not exhaustive.
Editorial responsibility will not normally lead to disqualification.

Experts

When appointing expert committees, attention should be paid to supervisory relationships, close professional collaboration, and co-authorship. The extent of collaboration and its proximity in time are relevant factors in the assessment of impartiality.

Committee members must disclose such relationships upon appointment, and in case of doubt, the assessments are decided in dialogue with the appointing authority. A brief account of any impartiality assessments and their conclusions should be included in the experts' report.

Appointment Authority

The appointment body is a collegial body and does not become disqualified from handling the case even if one or more of its members are disqualified and must withdraw from the case. In collegial bodies, the decision on a member's impartiality is made by the body itself, without the participation of the member in question. A deputy should be called in if disqualification is known in advance.
Applicants are considered parties to the case and have the right to access information according to the Public Administration Regulations, Chapter 5. Public access is regulated by the Freedom of Information Act.

The following documents are public:

• The advertisement
• The public list of applicants

Applicants have party access to the following documents:

• The extended list of applicants
• Expert assessment
• Notes/minutes from interviews and testing of practical-pedagogical skills*
• CV and application of the nominated candidates
• The recommendation*

*Access applies where notes/minutes exist. In notes/minutes and the recommendation, access is only given to factual information. Assessments made by the recommending authority are exempt from party access.

NORD practices general increased transparency in requests for access to expert assessments. Otherwise, increased transparency must be assessed in each individual case.

7.1 General

The advertisement of positions is prepared at the faculty level through a job analysis and job specification.
This includes descriptions of:
• The academic strategic and budgetary priorities that have been made
• The position's academic field/discipline and area of responsibility, duties, qualification requirements, and other factors essential for the appointment
• NORD's career assessment matrix should be used in the formulation of the job specification
• Based on the job specification, the Appointment Board decides whether the position should be advertised
• NORD's template for job analysis and job specification
• Link to the competence matrix for Associate Professor and Professor
• Link to the competence matrix for Assistant Professor and Docent

The advertisement text is then prepared based on the job specification. Positions should be advertised internationally, at a minimum in Scandinavia.

7.2 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

NORD aims for a broad and diverse pool of applicants for advertised positions, and job advertisements and qualification requirements should be designed in a way that supports this, ensuring that no specific groups are excluded from applying. The advertisement should include a diversity statement in line with NORD's action plan for equality, diversity, and inclusion. The diversity statement is included as standard text in NORD's advertisement templates.

If one gender is clearly underrepresented within a category of teaching and research positions, those of that gender should be specifically encouraged to apply, cf. the Universities and University Colleges Act § 7-1, second paragraph. If one gender constitutes less than 40% of the employees in a job category, it is generally considered clear underrepresentation. The assessment should determine whether the underrepresentation is systematic or incidental. Applicants from the underrepresented gender can be hired if they are nearly as well qualified as the best-qualified applicant.

If there are qualified candidates with disabilities, immigrant backgrounds, or extended absences from work and education, at least one from each category should be invited to an interview, cf. the regulations to the Civil Servants Act § 4-4b. Applicants with disabilities or extended absences from work and education can be hired if they are nearly as well qualified as the best-qualified applicant.

7.3 On renewed or withdrawn advertisement

The position must be re-advertised or withdrawn if the recommending authority wishes to deviate significantly from the qualification requirements in the advertisement, or if there are errors that may be assumed to affect the applicant pool.

The position can be re-advertised or withdrawn if an unreasonable amount of time has passed since the advertisement was made, if the circumstances have changed significantly, or if there have not been enough qualified applicants and it is expected that a new advertisement could change this situation.

Applicants must be informed of the decision to withdraw or re-advertise a position.
Advertisement texts are created based on the job specification and according to templates for advertisement texts in NORD's IT-system for recruitment.

The advertisements should include information about:
• The position's academic field and duties
• The qualifications that are necessary or desirable, including requirements for educational competence and language. The possibility of postponing the requirements for educational competence and language should be mentioned at the same time
• The unit at NORD to which the position is affiliated
• Geographical workplace
• Use of interviews and testing of pedagogical competence (trial lecture)
• That NORD wants more women in permanent scientific positions and encourages women to apply (if women are underrepresented, cf. § 7 section 2)
• NORD's diversity statement, cf. § 7 section 2
• Rules, guidelines for the appointment process, and contact information
• Application deadline, minimum 2 weeks
• What the application should contain

Qualification requirements

Permanent positions should generally be advertised as combined positions, with both teaching and research/artistic development work/pedagogical development work, at a minimum of associate professor level.

Exceptionally, they can also be advertised as university lecturer or university teacher, either for temporary positions or in academic fields where it is particularly difficult to recruit candidates. For permanent appointments in university lecturer positions, a plan for further qualification to associate professor level should be made.
The qualification requirements for teaching and research positions are outlined in the Regulations to the Universities and University Colleges Act (2024) with the associated NORD guidelines. The qualification requirements in the Regulations on Employment and Promotion in Teaching and Research Positions (2006) can, during a transitional period (cf. university regulations § 5-2), be used as a basis for applications for promotion from university lecturer to associate professor until December 31, 2027.

The same qualification requirements apply for employment, transfer, and promotion. For employment, any additional desired competencies and requirements for personal qualities must be stated in the job advertisement.

Employees can apply for promotion from entry-level positions through intermediate positions to top positions within the professor, docent, and researcher career paths. At NORD, university lecturers who have obtained a doctoral degree can apply for promotion to associate professor. NORD also allows employees to apply for transfer between the docent and professor career paths
To meet the qualification requirements for «universitetslærer” (uh. regulations § 3-2) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a first degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. relevant professional or teaching experience
NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.
To meet the qualification requirements for “universitetslektor” (uh. regulations § 3-3) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a second degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. relevant professional or teaching experience
NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.
To meet the qualification requirements for “førstelektor” (uh. regulations § 3-4) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a second degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. relevant professional or teaching experience
5. contribution to high-level academic development work, in accordance with international or national standards in the discipline/professional field
NORD uses the definition of experimental work in the Frascati manual as a basis for academic development work.

NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.
To meet the qualification requirements for “dosent” (uh. regulations § 3-5) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a second degree or equivalent in a relevant subject area
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. extensive relevant professional or teaching experience and
5. significant contributions to academic development work at the highest level, in accordance with international or national standards in the discipline/professional field
NORD uses the definition of experimental work in the Frascati manual as a basis for academic development work.

NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.

Additional requirements for docent:

• Quality development in own teaching and supervision over time and a high degree of reflection on own practice

• Broad experience with teaching and supervision at different levels

• Extensive experience in educational leadership and participation in the academic communities in higher education
To meet the qualification requirements for “førsteamanuensis” (uh. regulations § 3-6) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a doctoral degree in a relevant subject area, or competence at an equivalent level documented either by scientific work or artistic work of the same scope and quality
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.
To meet the qualification requirements for professor (uh. regulations § 3-7) a minimum of the following is required:
1. a doctoral degree in a relevant subject area, or competence at an equivalent level documented either by scientific work or artistic work of the same scope and quality
2. educational competence
3. Norwegian language skills at level B2
4. significant contributions to research or artistic development work at the highest level, in accordance with international or national standards in the field
NORDs requirements for educational competence are set in chapter 10.8.

Additional requirements for professor:

• quality development in own teaching and supervision over time and a high degree of reflection on own practice

• broad experience with supervision, preferably at PhD level

• initiate, lead and/or participate in the development of educational quality in the academic communities
There are general requirements for Norwegian competence at B2 level for all employees in teaching and research positions.

Candidates who have completed Norwegian upper secondary education, have been admitted to Norwegian higher education, or have passed tests that qualify for admission meet the requirement. Competence in Swedish or Danish is equivalent to Norwegian (uh. regulations § 3-9) For positions in Norwegian in teacher education, proficiency in both Norwegian written languages (Bokmål and Nynorsk) is a language requirement. Achieved language proficiency can also be documented with a passed Norwegian Test Level 2 from HK-dir. See HK-dir's guide to the regulations (in Norwegian only)

Exceptions to the language requirement can be made upon employment if the employer ensures that the competence is achieved within three years from the date of employment.

Exceptions to the language requirement can also be made for employment in an adjunct position and a corresponding part-time position. No exceptions can be made for the language requirement for promotion and transfer.
Educational competence is a requirement for all academic and research positions.

Educational competence means pedagogical or didactic competence to promote learning, including knowledge and skills in the development and implementation of teaching and supervision at university and university college level.

Academic positions
For the positions of assistant professor, docent, associate professor, and professor, formal training, quality development in one's own teaching, supervision, and significant contributions to the development of educational quality are required, cf. the Universities and University Colleges Regulations § 3-8. For university teacher and assistant professor positions, formal training in educational competence is required.

Such competence can be documented based on:
• Completion of a university pedagogy course of at least 200 hours, or
• Completion of relevant courses totalling at least 40 hours, in combination with at least one year's worth of teaching and supervision work in higher education

Applicants should be assessed, but not ranked, on whether they meet the requirements. The assessment committee must make an independent evaluation of whether the applicant has acquired the pedagogical or didactic competence to promote learning, including knowledge and skills in the development and implementation of teaching and supervision at the university and college level.

Additional requirements for professor
In addition to the requirements for scientific and pedagogical competence as specified in §§ 10 and 11, the following additional requirements apply for employment, promotion, and transfer to professor.

These additional requirements must be documented at the time of employment, and they must be met when applying for promotion or transfer:

• Quality development in one's own teaching and supervision over time and a high degree of reflection on one's own practice
• Broad experience with supervision, preferably at the PhD level
• Initiate, lead, and/or participate in the development of educational quality within the academic community

Part-time and adjunct positions
There is no requirement for educational competence for guest lecturers or others who make minor contributions to teaching. For temporary positions, it is possible to require the completion of smaller educational courses.

The following minimum requirements apply to temporary positions:

Everyone who is to teach and/or supervise must at least complete a one-day course in educational competence before they can teach and supervise students at Nord University.

Further training in educational competence must be facilitated when the duration of the position exceeds one year. In the event of a transition to a permanent position, the requirements for a permanent position in the relevant job category apply. Employees in additional positions, who do not have previous teaching experience in higher education, must at least complete a one-day course in educational competence before they can teach and supervise students at Nord University.

Exemptions from the requirement for educational competence
Exceptions to the requirement for educational competence can be made upon employment if arrangements are made for the competence to be achieved within two years from the date of employment.

No exceptions can be made for the competence requirement for promotion and transfer.

Documentation of educational competence
The applicant must document that they meet the requirements for educational competence applicable to the job category they are applying for employment or promotion to.

See the Guide for Documentation of Educational Competence at Nord University. The guide includes a template for a reflection note and a template for an educational CV.
Employment is based on an overall assessment of all the qualification requirements for the position, including personal qualifications. Scientific/artistic qualifications are weighted more heavily than other qualifications for professor/associate professor positions, and contributions to academic development work are weighted most heavily for senior lecturer/docent positions, unless otherwise specified in the advertisement text or the position's qualification requirements.

Educational qualifications will be given more weight than qualifications in the areas of dissemination, application of knowledge, and academic leadership and administration. A final assessment of the overall qualifications will be made. Personal qualifications will be emphasized in an overall assessment, based on documented information obtained during the recruitment process, evaluated against the requirements for personal qualities in the job announcement.

Emphasis is placed on qualifications that are closely related to the position's subject area and tasks.

Expert assessment

Employment, promotion, and transfer in or to an academic and research position require an expert assessment. The exception is for positions as “universitetslektor” (assistant professor) and “universitetslærer” (university teacher) where the applicant meets the criteria for employment. Exceptions can also be made for employment in adjunct positions in cases where the applicant holds a corresponding main position or has been assessed for the competence level within the last five years.

The experts shall provide a guiding assessment of the applicants as a basis for the further recommendation process. According to § 10, the experts conduct a complete assessment of the scientific/artistic/development qualifications and an initial assessment of educational qualifications, qualifications in the areas of dissemination and applied knowledge, and academic leadership and administration.

Educational qualifications, qualifications in the areas of applied knowledge, academic leadership, and administration shall be assessed and elaborated through the evaluation of practical-pedagogical skills, interviews, and reference interviews. Personal suitability is only assessed by the recommending authority later in the process.

The committee's assessment is part of the overall assessment basis that the recommending authority uses for its recommendation to the appointment body.

Appointment
The recommending authority appoints the experts based on proposals from the immediate supervisor for the position.

Requirements for appointment:
- At least three experts, with at least equivalent competence to what is being assessed
- At least two of the members must have competence in the same subject area as the applicant
- Both genders must be represented among the experts
- The committee chair must be external
Applicants shall be informed of the composition of the committee as soon as the committee is appointed. All involved in the appointment process must assess their own impartiality according to § 5.

Basis for assessment
The expert committee's task is to assess all candidates. After an initial review of the applicants' qualifications, the committee shall identify a limited number of applicants whom the committee finds more qualified than the others. The selected applicants are given a more detailed assessment, and the committee shall describe what distinguishes the selected applicants from the others. Other qualified applicants may be given a summary description, while for unqualified applicants, it must only be described why they are not qualified.

An applicant who withdraws their application before the expert assessment is available will normally not be mentioned.

The experts shall normally work as a group and write a joint assessment based on a uniform template for NORD. The assessment shall state on what basis and in which subject area the applicant is declared competent, and whether the assessment is unanimous or divided. If there is dissent in the committee, the reasons for the different positions shall be stated in the statement. If the committee does not agree on awarding a competence level, competence cannot be awarded by the appointment authority.

When announcing positions in different academic categories or if there are no qualified applicants at the announced level, it shall be specified at which level the applicants are found qualified.

Special experts
In addition to the regular experts and possibly on their proposal, one or more special experts may be appointed in special cases to assess parts of the material submitted by the applicant. Special experts make individual assessments that are forwarded to the expert committee for guidance.

Deadline for the experts
The expert assessment shall be prepared within a reasonable time, and no later than three months after appointment. A shorter deadline should be agreed upon, for example, with few candidates. If the assessment cannot be delivered within the deadline, this must be justified to NORD.

Recommending authority's assessment
If the recommending authority finds that the assessment from the expert committee does not provide a sufficient basis for evaluating the applicants, the case can be sent back to the experts for additional information. The case shall be sent back to the experts when essential information is missing or if there are procedural errors that may affect the appointment decision.

Remarks from applicants
The entire expert assessment, as well as any assessments from special experts, is usually sent to all assessed applicants. Applicants have the opportunity to submit written objections to the procedure and remarks on the assessment within a specified deadline of at least two weeks. Remarks shall always be forwarded to the expert committee, which shall provide an additional statement based on the remarks. Any remarks and the committee's additional statement will accompany the case further to the Expert Committee.

The opportunity to submit remarks does not extend the right to appeal, as appointment cases are exempt from the general provisions on the right to appeal (cf. the Public Administration Act § 3 second paragraph). The purpose of the arrangement is to give applicants the opportunity to correct any misunderstandings.

Recommendation

The recommending authority conducts an overall assessment of the applicants based on the requirements in the job announcement and ranks the best-qualified applicants in a recommendation. The ranking is based on the entire assessment basis, including the CV and application, expert assessment, practical-pedagogical skills, interview, and reference interview. The recommendation serves as the basis for the appointment body's decision.

Recommending Authority
The dean is the recommending authority for teaching and research positions at the faculty level, while the pro-rector/director is the recommending authority for positions in the university's administrative departments. For positions where the University Board makes the appointment, a recommendation committee is established with the rector as the chair. The exception is appointments according to § 4.2, where the rector is the recommending authority.

Procedure
The recommending authority shall identify the applicant who, based on an overall assessment, is best qualified for the position and make a proposal to the appointment. The recommending authority is responsible for ensuring that interviews, practical-pedagogical skills assessments, and reference interviews are conducted, in addition to any other assessment forms. If there are several qualified candidates, at least three applicants should normally be recommended in prioritized order. For more detailed information, see the personnel regulations (Norwegian only)
The recommendation from the recommending authority must be justified based on an overall assessment of the competence profile, cf. § 10, where the expert assessment is given weight, and the criteria specified in the job announcement. This assessment must be based on the actual information and evaluations that have been obtained and documented through the assessment process. The recommending authority cannot rely on undocumented information that has not been examined through the assessment process.

The recommending authority must ensure that the case processing is carried out in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, including compliance with NORD's action plan for equality, diversity, and inclusion.

Assessment of Personal Qualities
Applicants who are considered by the recommending authority to be the most suitable for the position are invited to an interview and assessment of practical-pedagogical skills (trial lecture) and are evaluated for personal suitability. Additionally, qualified applicants from underrepresented groups are invited according to section 7.2.

The purpose of the interview is to obtain additional information about the applicant's qualifications as a professional, educator, colleague, and community builder, to make a documented assessment of this.

Personal qualifications can, after an overall assessment, have a decisive impact on the appointment decision, based on a factual justification related to the specified personal qualities in the advertisement text. Therefore, the personal qualities of each applicant must be assessed and described based on the requirements in the advertisement text.

There are two important principles to consider when assessing personal qualities for a position:
• Qualities that are emphasized must be defined in the job announcement and be relevant to the work to be performed.
• If a quality is emphasized for one of the candidates, it must also be assessed for the other candidates.
An interview is a key tool for assessing the candidate's personal suitability. The interview is also used to further clarify the applicant's educational competence and future research plans.

During the interview, the employer should clarify any special conditions and other matters related to the position to the applicants. The interview is usually conducted by the immediate supervisor for the position, who also appoints one or two other academic staff members from the academic community. Employee representatives should also be invited to participate. The interview group can be supplemented.

The interview group conducts one or more conversations with applicants, and references are obtained in accordance with § 16. Notes should be taken on the topics discussed, the information provided by the candidate, and any preliminary assessments made by the interview group.
References are obtained from the candidate during or in connection with the interview. It is usually relevant to contact previous and current employers, such as the immediate supervisor and mentor. Candidates who are reluctant to provide their current supervisor as a reference should be challenged on this. Only individuals whom the applicant specifies as references can be contacted.

Reference interviews are used to verify the information the applicant has provided about previous employment and the impressions formed of the applicant. As a rule, reference interviews should also be conducted for internal applicants.
Hensikten med prøving av praktisk-pedagoThe purpose of assessing practical-pedagogical skills (trial lecture) is to document the ability to convey research-based knowledge adapted to the relevant target group. The assessment of practical-pedagogical skills can also contribute to the evaluation of personal suitability, for example, by observing the interaction between the applicant and students, or by assessing the applicant's digital competence through the use of various digital learning methods and learning technologies.
Normally, at least three applicants should be recommended in order, provided there are that many qualified applicants for the position. The assessment should be based on the principle of qualifications, which means that the best-qualified applicant based on education, experience, and personal suitability should be hired for the position. The assessment should be derived from:
- The advertisement text and job description
- The expert assessments
- The evaluation of practical-pedagogical skills
- Interviews and obtained references regarding personal suitability for the position
The recommending authority must therefore weigh the various qualifications against each other in the final ranking. A justification must be provided for the order in which the recommended applicants are listed.

Appointment

The appointment is made based on the recommendation. The Board of Appointment for Academic and Research Positions ultimately decides which of the recommended applicants is the best qualified and should be offered the position. The Appointment Board is responsible for ensuring that the case processing has been proper and in accordance with applicable regulations, that equality considerations have been taken into account, and that the principle of qualifications has been followed.
The Appointment Board has the authority to make appointments to teaching and research positions. The exceptions are positions such as rector, pro-rector, and dean, as well as appointments, which are made by the University Board.

NORD's personnel regulations section 2.2 allow for the delegation of appointment authority to the HR manager in certain cases.

Promotion and transfer

Employees in Academic and Research Positions can be granted promotion to a higher position within the same career path cf. The regulations § 3-13.

Assistant professor can be granted promotion in both career paths.

Transfer between position codes at the same level according to Regulation § 3-15
Promotion and transfer can only be granted within the field in which one is employed. Promotion and transfer entitle one to a changed title, but not to changed work tasks.
The employer may decide to initiate a competence assessment after dialogue and agreement with the employee. This usually occurs after the completion of a competence-enhancing task.

In addition, employees who have not been assessed for competence at NORD in the past two years have the right to have their competence assessed. This right expires if a position within the same field at a higher level in the career path has previously been advertised, and it arises first two years after the application deadline for the position.

Employees in the following categories do not have the right to be assessed for competence:
- Employees who will leave the organization within a year
- Employees in entry-level positions
- Employees in adjunct positions
- Employees in educational positions
The competence requirements for promotion and transfer follow the competence requirements for employment, cf. § 9-14. For promotion and transfer, no exceptions can be made for the language and educational competence requirements.
The assessment of competence for promotion and transition shall be carried out by an expert committee, cf. § 12.

The granting of competence for promotion and transition is done by the Appointment Board, cf. §§ 19-20. The Appointment Board may, after assessing quality and relevance, accept expert assessments made by other institutions, provided that the assessment is made in accordance with the regulatory requirements and is less than five years old at the time of application. For applicants who meet the criteria for promotion from university teacher to university lecturer based on a master's degree, the Appointment Board may grant administrative promotion without expert assessment (University and University Colleges Regulations § 3-11). The same applies to applicants who meet the criteria for promotion from university lecturer to associate professor based on a doctoral degree and basic educational competence, and for applicants for promotion from researcher 1108 to senior researcher 1109 based on a doctoral degree. The effective date for promotion and transition shall be from the date of the submitted application.

Otherwise, the requirements for case processing in employment also apply to promotion and transfer.

Appeal and reversal

Decisions on employment and promotion cannot be appealed and are exempt from the rules on justification and reversal, cf. the Public Administration Act § 3, second paragraph.

A decision in an employment case can still be reversed if the appointment authority assesses that the conditions in the Public Administration Act § 35 are met. Reversal can, for example, occur if the person has not been informed of the decision or if the decision suffers from such errors that it must be considered invalid. Reversal before the applicant is informed may be appropriate, for example, in cases where decisive new information emerges shortly after the decision is made. A decision can, for example, be invalid if procedural errors have been made that give reason to believe that the decision would have been different if the errors had not been made

Guidelines for academic positions

General

4.1 General

4.2 Externally Funded Positions

Advertisement

7.1 General

7.2 Diversity, Equality and Inclusion

7.3 On renewed or withdrawn advertisement

Qualification requirements

Expert assessment

Recommendation

Appointment

Promotion and transfer

Appeal and reversal