Most faculties are an organisational unit at a university that encompasses several smaller units – departments – within a certain disciplinary domain. On the other hand, for faculties of law – both in Sweden and in other countries – it is common for the faculty to have only one department, i.e., a department of law. This is probably partly due to historical reasons. Along with faculties of medicine and theology, faculties of law were among the first faculties at the universities that emerged in the Middle Ages. Although faculties of medicine in particular have expanded and today include many departments, faculties of law have mostly continued to exist as a single unit. A further explanation may be the view that the legal system, on which jurisprudential teaching and research are usually based, has a coherent order.
However, how faculties choose to organise themselves (into one or more departments) does not answer the question of what a faculty is or what functions it should fulfil. What do we want to achieve when we reorganise? We want an organisation that helps us to “think big” about our own research and education. What constitutes high quality? How should academic merits be assessed as scientific traditions develop? We also want an organisation that supports us in making confident decisions, in harmony with society and the labour market (and within the framework of the appendices to the Higher Education Ordinance), about what our courses should contain and the kinds of law graduates we want to produce. This is best done in independent collegial bodies, which are also able to prioritise between various interests within given financial frameworks. The day-to-day operations of a faculty must also function efficiently and with legal certainty. This demands thoughtful forms of delegation.
The expression “building a faculty” can also focus on the academic activities of the organisation, rather than how it is structured. The cornerstone of this form of faculty-building is an open seminar culture that promotes an ongoing scientific conversation in which minds meet, ideas transform, and the search for knowledge blazes new trails. Organisational plans and the delegation of authority are not enough to create such a culture. The passionate commitment and persistent work of teachers and researchers are the true key to success. In that regard, we all have an academic responsibility to do our part.
This text is written by Jane Reichel, Dean of the Faculty of Law. It appears in the section ”Words from the University’s senior management team”, where the management take turns to write about topical issues. The section appears in News for staff.