Dear employee at the Department at Biomedicine

As you probably know Aarhus University must find savings for the AU's budget to come back into balance and to create possibilities for future investments.

The final budget for the Department of Biomedicine came on Friday, and has been discussed in the liaison committee at the Department (LSU)

For 2014 the Department should have a surplus of 2.9 million. In order to achieve this result, the Department must save approx. 14 million DKK.

The reasons why we at the Department should save more than the performance requirement is:

• The current deficit
• Increased contributions to front office, back office and the university's strategic resources (due to the growth in external funding at the Department)
• Declining revenues from the State / faculty
• Increased rent expenses

The size of the savings should be compared to the overall budget of approx. 209 million DKK, the expenses to salaries (about 108 million DKK), and other running costs amounting to approx. 16 million DKK. All three items are so called DR1 (department funds).

The process is now the one that I along with the management team in the coming weeks will review all the revenue and expenditures in the budget and make a concrete plan for how to achieve these savings. The plan will be presented and commented on the Department's next meeting in the liaison committee at the Department (LSU), scheduled for 5 February.

The savings unfortunately means that the department probably will have to lay off employees. However, it is currently not possible to say anything more specific about to what extent. The criteria for these lay offs are currently being discussed in the liaison committees.

For the whole university it has been decided that the intent to dismiss will be notified on the 24 - 26th February. Everyone is welcome to contact me or the other members of the management team with any issues of concerns.

The university management has adopted the following three measures to minimize the number of layoffs in connection with budget cuts:

First, impose a modified hiring freeze will be in force. There is established a qualified hiring freeze in effect until 30 June 2014. A number of special positions are exempt from the qualified hiring freeze, including position funded externally. The hiring freeze means that positions are generally not advertised externally in the period, but any vacant positions should be advertised internally at AU. The hiring freeze may be extended, either locally or at the whole university.

Second, a a special effort will be made to ensure that managers and staff members are aware of the possibilities offered by existing senior schemes, including the possibility of a reduction in working hours.

And finally, voluntary redundancy packages will be included in deliberations on budget reductions at AU. For more information see http://medarbejdere.au.dk/strategi/oekonomiproces-2014/fakta-og-dokumentation/frivillige-fratraedelsesordninger/

The wish for a voluntary agreement must be made to me or one of the leaders in the management team before 4/2. If group leaders and others become aware of requests, they should communicate to us. I will then assess whether it is in the interest to initiate negotiations on an arrangement with each applicant and will then invite for negotiations on the specific terms. More information on these agreements will be given at a meeting held the of 21. of January. You can read more here: http://medarbejdere.au.dk/kalender/arrangement/artikel/informationsmoede-vedr-frivillig-fratraedelse-og-seniorordninger/

As announced previously an extraordinary department meeting on the savings will be held tomorrow at 9.15 to 11 in the Bartholin Auditorium 1. The meeting will be in Danish.

I will like to thank for the cost-cutting proposals, which I have already received. Please do not hesitate to contact me or the other members of the management team with additional suggestions and ideas.

The Dean's information about the savings can be found on Health's internal page

At the website medarbejdere.au.dk/2014 the most important information and messages about the economy process can be found.

Yours sincerely

Thomas G. Jensen