General information about the Learning Environment Committee
According to Section 4-3 of the Act relating to Universities and University Colleges, all institutions must have a Learning Environment Committee. The learning environment committee’s statutory duties are set out in Section 4-3, third subsection of the Act:
- The Learning Environment Committee must take part in the planning of measures relating to the learning environment and closely follow developments in matters concerning the safety and welfare of the students
- The Learning Environment Committee reports directly to the University Board and must submit a report each year concerning the institution’s work on the learning environment
- The Learning Environment Committee must be kept informed of complaints concerning the learning environment that the institution receives from students. The Learning Environment Committee may make statements concerning such matters.
- The Learning Environment Committee must be informed of instructions and other individual decisions issued by the Norwegian Labour Inspection Authority.
Duties and responsibilities
The committee’s primary task is to be an advisory and coordinating body facilitating and ensuring that students at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences receive a fully satisfactory and inspiring learning environment through good educational quality, a good study environment and student welfare. The term learning environment is understood as all campus-related conditions that affect students’ study situation.
It is the committee’s task to address issues related to students’ general learning environment. The individual parts of the organisation, individual students and employees may request that such issues be raised in the committee.
The Learning Environment Committee must take the initiative regarding measures that can generally promote educational quality work at the university. The Learning Environment Committee addresses learning environment issues at general and principle levels.
The Learning Environment Committee has a special responsibility to contribute to the work of safeguarding the students’ learning environment in the following areas:
- Teaching conditions
- Psychosocial conditions relevant to the learning environment
- Physical conditions
- Welfare and social conditions for students
Member of the Learning Environment Committee
The students and the institution must each have the same number of representatives on the committee. Each year, the committee elects a chairperson from among the representatives of the institution and the students.
In 2021, the Learning Environment Committee will be chaired by student representative Eloisa Fernandes Andrade Michaelsen, who is the Welfare and Learning Environment Policy Coordinator at the Students’ Union.
Student representatives on the Learning Environment Committee at INN University
- Inga Marie Lachmann Wold, chairperson of student council Blæstad
- Personal deputy: Ada Kaarbø, deputy chairperson of student council Blæstad
- Aksel Andreas Larsen, chairperson of student council Elverum
- Personal deputy: Justin Kopperud, deputy chairperson of student council Elverum
- Bendik Olai Nordstrand, chairperson of student council Evenstad
- Personal deputy: Gabriel Zuzanna Warecka, deputy chairperson of student council Evenstad
- Ingrid Nerseth Jostad, chairperson of student council Hamar
- Personal deputy: Jørn Luvåsen, deputy chairperson of student council Hamar
- Thea Sofie Thode, chairperson of student council Lillehammer
- Personal deputy: Sara Jonsdatter Almaas, deputy chairperson of student council Lillehammer
- William Alexander Westre, chairperson of student council Rena. Personal deputy: TBD
- Eloisa Fernandes Andrade Michaelsen (Welfare and Learning Environment Policy Coordinator at the Students’ Union (StInn) . Personal deputy:
Employee representatives on the Learning Environment Committee
- Ragnhild Østerhagen, Blæstad/Evenstad, Head of Administration, Faculty of
- Applied Ecology, Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology. Personal deputy: Morten Tofastrud, Blæstad, Head of Department at the Department of Agricultural Sciences
- Anette Gjerskaug, Lillehammer, Head of Administration, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences. Personal deputy: Trine Bjerva, Vice-Dean for Education at the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences
- Turid Kårhus, Hamar, Head of Administration, Faculty of Education. Personal deputy: Hilde Hildonen Brustad, Hamar, Head of Office at the Faculty of Education
- Inge Brechan, Lillehammer, Head of Department at the Department of Psychology. Personal deputy: Astrid Halsa, Lillehammer, Programme of Study Coordinator, Master in Mental Health Care for Children and Adolescents, Faculty of Social and Health Sciences
- Anne Christel Johnsgaard, Faculty Director, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences. Personal deputy: Astri Botillen, Rena, Head of Administration, Inland School of Business and Social Sciences
- Marit Torgersen, Director of Digitalisation and Infrastructure. Personal deputy: Jan Aasen, Property Director
- Stine Grønvold, Pro-Rector for Education. Personal deputy: Halvor Gillund Knudsen, Programme Director