Dark prospects for SFB-students

The debated fate of the SFB-students is to be decided this week. Following an extensive review by all eight faculties at the University of Oslo (UiO), University Director Hanne Harlem sustains the proposal requiring that applicants have a general certificate of education as well as documented knowledge of the Norwegian language in order to study at UiO. This subsequently means that self-financed Bachelor students are left out. They do not speak Norwegian but have until recently received a Norwegian course free of charge from UiO. It is this course that UiO is set to eliminate to save money.

This February, Deputy Rector Inga Bostad postponed the decision in the academic committee because she wanted more information on the matter before making a final decision.

– It has been a particularly difficult matter. However, following conversations with deans and department executives, I have ultimately decided to support the proposal from the committee regarding the elimination of SFB, Bostad says.

– The University spends a lot of resources on processing these applications and would rather spend more time and resources on Norwegian courses for Master’s students, she says.

Maria Veie Sandvik, leader of the Student Parliament, is gutted by this.

– This demonstrates that the University is in fact not bothered with internationalisation, but rather with attracting Master’s students who are feathers in the University’s cap and add to the status, Veie Sandvik says.

She is frustrated that the Central Administration is not listening to the students on this matter.

– This group of international students is a major resource for the University. They really wish they were an integrated part of the UiO community. That the University still won’t listen to students, who know their situation better than employees, is very disappointing.

In 2005, there were 61 SFB-students doing Bachelor’s degrees at UiO. The academic committee decides on its report by the end of this week. The matter is thereby transferred to the Senate for final decision based on the report from the academic committee.