Committees

The management and leadership of NHH are assisted and advised in their work by several committees that have been established to focus on particular areas of activity within NHH. These committees have responsibility for overseeing their particular area of responsibility and reporting back issues, developments and recommendation to the board. Academic and administrative staff as well as students are involved in the running of these committees.


An outline of the purpose and functions of a selection of the main committees at NHH provide an introduction to their work.

Academic programme committees (PU – Programutvalgene)

The academic programme committees have an important role in NHH’s matrix structure. They are a means to ensure that the division of academic resources is adjusted according demand, and as such they assist in the economic management of the faculty resources. The committees effectively become the consumers and the academic departments the suppliers of academics resources. They also have an important responsibility for quality assurance and monitoring NHH’s research and study programmes.


There are four academic programme committees at NHH:

  • Programutvalget for bachelorutdanning (PBU) – responsible for the Bachelor level courses
  • Programutvalget for masterutdanning (PMU) – responsible for the Master level courses
  • Programutvalget for doktorgradsutdanning (PDU) – responsible for the PhD level courses and research
  • Programutvalget for etter- og videreutdanning på master nivå (PEU) – responsible for the Master level Executive Education courses

International committee (IU – Internasjonalt utvalg)

IU has a mandate from the board to examine international issues that affect NHH as an institution. The committee has responsibility for following up NHH’s international activities, including current education partnerships, such as the student exchange programmes CEMS and PIM, together with other international projects that NHH is committed to. IU evaluates the degree to which NHH should and can engage itself in relevant international partnerships, and in consultation with faculty takes the initiative to investigate new partnerships. The committee reports directly to the board and presents their own annual report on the status of NHH’s international activities and future opportunities. The International Office takes on the secretarial function for the committee.

Learning environment committee (LMU – Læringsmiljøutvalget)

LMU takes part in planning for the learning environment at NHH and closely follows the development of issues that concern students safety and welfare. The committee is an advisory body for the NHH board with regard to the learning environment, and student representatives can freely bring forward cases to LMU that they believe have an impact on the study situation for the students.

The committee is comprised of the same number of students as NHH employees. Every year a new leader is elected, alternating between the academic departments and students representatives. LMU’s work is regulated by §44 in the Law for universities and higher education colleges.

Library academic council (BR – Bibliotekfaglig råd)

BR functions as a consultative body for the library at NHH, actively taking part in strategic planning and working actively to improve the library’s operating conditions . The council meets at least once every six months and the secretarial function of the body is undertaken by the Head Librarian. BR comprises 7 members, who are each appointed by the board for a period of 3 years. The students representatives are selected for one year at a time.

Planning and strategy committee (PSU - Plan- og strategiutvalget)

The responsibilities of PSU are linked to the development and implementation of strategic plans for NHH. With a background in the now established strategic plan for 2004-2009, the committee’s most important function is to contribute to ensuring that NHH achieves its strategic goals. The committee monitors and reviews implementation of the strategic plan and achievement of the goals set out within it. PSU identifies relevant issues that require to be brought before the board and prepare the cases for presentation.

Academic consultative committee (KU – Konsultativt utvalg)

This committee is broad based, with membership drawn from the boards of the academic departments, the leadership of the academic programme committees and the students association (NHHS). The academic and administrative leadership take part in all the meetings. KU has an important role as consultative and advisory body in strategic and other large, complicated issues of an academic nature.

IT user forum (ITB – IT brukerforum)

ITB acts as a “board” for the IT department, working to ensure that the IT facilities at NHH for both staff and students meet the demands of users. The group promotes proposals that can increase the effectiveness of learning, teaching, research, knowledge management and administration at NHH. ITB agrees to the allocation of both investment funds and operational assets for the IT at NHH and deals with changes in the IT department’s routines, regulations and software programmes that can affect users’ work situation.

The membership of the group is comprised of representatives from the academic departments, the Office of Student and Academic Affairs, the library, the technical department, as well as the IT coordinators and two students. The group is appointed by and is directly responsible to the Managing Director, who also selects the leader of ITB. Members are selected for the same period as the NHH board members and the IT department has responsibility for the secretarial function of ITB.

Working environment committee (AMU - Arbeidsmiljøutvalget)

AMU comprises an equal number of employer and employee representatives and has responsibility for overseeing the health and safety of the working environment. The committee works towards ensuring a fully safe work environment at NHH. In accordance with the law, AMU takes part in the planning of work that effects safety and the environment in the work place, works towards a sustainable organisation of health, safety and environment work and follows the development of issues that concern the health, safety and environment of employees.

As part of its remit, the committee is allocated a budget to support social and welfare activities for staff at NHH. These activities include the sports club, the staff cabin Småbruket and various social arrangements.

The committee also has monitoring and follow-up responsibilities with regard to work-related health and safety, environmental and socio-psychological issues. It is the committee’s duty to investigate the cause of health problems or accidents and see that the employer receives measures to prevent reoccurrence. The committee also undertakes a survey of the social and psychological environment at NHH. The leader of the committee is chosen alternately from the employer and employee representatives. Representatives for health and safety personnel have a right to attend meetings, but have no voting right in the committee.

Works council (SU – Sammarbeidsutvalget)

SU comprises representatives of both the management at NHH and the trade unions. All public sector work places are required to have an SU as a result of the “Hovedavtalen i Staten” – the main agreement between the employers and the trade unions in Norway and the state. SU is a negotiation and discussion body that deals with issues covered by this agreement. These issues can be negotiated or discussed by SU, or the committee may just be informed of relevant issues, as required by the agreement.

The employer and the trade unions act as “equal partners” in negotiations, and are required to reach agreement on the issue at hand. If agreement cannot be reached, they can agree to disagree and the issue goes to arbitration. In discussions the employer has the right to manage, while the employee organisations have the right of expression. Written records are kept from each meeting, and many of the cases that come up before the board have first been dealt with by SU.

Academic appoinment committee (TU – Tilsettingsutvalget)

TU is an academic and representative committee that takes care of appointments to academic positions. The committee deals with all appointments to these positions, with the exception of those positions that the board is required to deal with by law and an appointment made after notification of permanent positions. The committee is made up of 9 members, comprising the Prorektor, the heads of the academic departments, one temporary academic employee and two students. The Prorektor acts as leader of the committee.

Administrative appointment council (TR –Tillsettingsrådet)

TR undertakes employment in administrative and technical positions at NHH, with the exception of the Managing Director and other managerial positions that are decided by the board. The council has 7 members, comprising the Managing Director (who is also the leader of the TR), three members nominated by the leader of TR, and three members nominated by the civil service organisations.