University structures: the five projects

The introduction and adaptation of processes within the university requires close cooperation between the faculties/centers and the central administration so that decision-making powers are distributed equally.

Processes, procedures, and regulations should be designed to be efficient and effective from the perspective of both the faculties and the central administration. The project goal is to be achieved through low-threshold, workshop-style working groups in which specific problems and possible solutions are analyzed together.

Various individuals from all relevant target groups were invited to join the “Travel Platform Task Force”; the first two events took place in May 2025 (including the kick-off) to identify problems in the booking and billing process. Once these have been implemented and evaluated, the faculties will clarify the need for further subject-specific working groups on various topics. The working groups will then be formed on the basis of functional processes or organizational responsibilities.

Status: August 2025 

The University of Bern has continuously grown over the years, has become more complex, and is increasingly shaped by digital transformation. Therefore, a targeted further development of administrative structures is necessary. Only in this way can it be ensured that the University of Bern will continue to operate flexibly, efficiently, and effectively in the future.

The Schnittstellenprojekt is one of the projects from the action area “Rethinking University Structures” within the “Fit for Future” program. Its aim is to relieve the faculties of administrative tasks – especially in the areas of finance and HR – so that they can concentrate on their core tasks of teaching and research. Administrative processes at the University of Bern have grown considerably in complexity, among other things due to digitalization. The analysis of existing processes has shown that administration must be further developed in order to meet future requirements and the demanded efficiency.

“Project B: Schnittstellenprojekt” pursues the following four measures:

1. Faculties are divided into departments: Faculties are structured into thematically related departments, each comprising at least 10–15 professorships/lectureships.
2. Administrative tasks in HR and Finance are consolidated within the departments: Administrative tasks that are currently handled in a decentralized manner by institutes and individuals are transferred to the departments.
3. Faculties/departments are newly supported by partners for HR and Finance: These partners provide support and advice to managers and staff in particularly complex cases. They are employed within the Administrative Directorate.
4. Participatory project approach: Staff members from faculties and the Central Administration are selected together with their supervisors and contribute their knowledge of administrative tasks and processes to the working groups.

The project primarily affects staff in the secretariats of the faculties and the Central Administration who are responsible for administrative tasks in the areas of HR and Finance. However, supervisors and other employees may also be affected in the future, as contact persons, procedures, and processes will change as a result of the Schnittstellenprojekt.

The analysis and introduction of various units will be carried out across the entire university in three waves by around the end of 2027. The kick-off with the University Executive Board and the deans took place on December 3, 2024.

The project management has held numerous discussions with the faculties, in which the project, its objectives, structure, and roles were explained and open questions clarified. Initial presentations at faculty meetings have taken place, and joint planning with the first faculties has begun.

The first wave of the project started in December 2024 with the Central Administration, the Faculty of Science (start June 2025), and the Faculty of Humanities (start September 2025). The order of participation of the other faculties has not yet been finally determined. Planning is being carried out in consultation with the deans. In total, three waves are planned by the end of 2027.

In the Central Administration, the sequence of work steps has been defined, individual meetings have been held, and the as-is analysis has been completed. In summer 2025, function diagrams and organizational models for the Central Administration were developed. To refine the new structures, variants of the organizational structure, job descriptions, and the implications for the divisions in the Central Administration were elaborated. The results serve as a basis for discussion in the Administrative Directorate, the Vice-Rectorates, and the University Executive Board.
In autumn 2025, the faculties in the first wave will also begin with the analysis and various interviews, as well as other initial implementation steps.

State: August 2025

Milestone 1: Establishing a shared understanding

Milestone 2: Development of department structures (by the faculties themselves)

Milestone 3: Analysis of existing administrative procedures and processes

Milestone 4: Consolidation of results and design of the new division of labor

Milestone 5: Bringing new structures to life

The Schnittstellenprojekt is one of the projects within the action area “Rethinking University Structures” of the “Fit for Future” program. The aim is to relieve the faculties of administrative tasks – particularly in the areas of Finance and HR – so that they can focus on their core tasks of teaching and research. To achieve this relief, the Schnittstellenprojekt has defined the following four measures, for which FAQs are available.

Measure 1: Formation of departments

The faculties establish departments with at least 10–15 professorships and lectureships that are thematically coherent and related to teaching and research. In the future, the departments will serve as planning and development units for the faculties.

Measure 2: Consolidation of tasks in HR and Finance

Through targeted consolidation of tasks, the efficiency of administrative processes will be increased, and interfaces and responsibilities will be clearly defined

Measure 3: Partner Model

For the areas of HR and Finance, the introduction of a so-called “Partner Model” is planned. Partners in HR and Finance will advise and support staff and managers on site. The job profiles for these partners will be created within the framework of the Schnittstellenprojekt and tailored to the needs of the faculties and the Central Administration.

Measure 4: Participation in the project

The Schnittstellenprojekt is designed to be participatory. In the faculties and the Central Administration, participants for the working groups are selected together with supervisors from the affected organizational units. These participants, also called collaborators, contribute their knowledge of administrative processes and procedures. The project primarily affects staff in the secretariats of the faculties and the Central Administration who are responsible for administrative tasks in the areas of HR and Finance. However, supervisors and other staff may also be affected in the future, as contact persons and processes will change as a result of the Schnittstellenprojekt.

According to the University Strategy 2030, the aim is to ensure that the university retains its status as a comprehensive university while at the same time enabling further thematic development in the various departments. However, the financial situation of the University of Bern stands in the way of this. Professorships are the driving force behind income and expenditure, content and structure – in other words, academia.

In order to remain capable of acting, professorship planning should become more dynamic and replace the continuation of the current situation in the case of retirements.

The project organization has been defined and external project support has been appointed. The project members are in close contact with the project management of the interface project. A draft concept has been developed over the past few months. Initial interim results were presented at the retreat of the Board of the university and the deans in June. A consultation with the faculties is planned for November 2025; in the Faculty of Medicine, a separate approach is pursued .

Status: August 2025

In order to live up to its claim of excellence in teaching, the university needs to develop in areas such as digitalization, AI, and internationalization. The teaching support services offer assistance, but repeatedly find that information does not reach the target group seamlessly. There is also a lack of a feedback system and potential for improvement in the coordination of processes within the study programs.

The project “Strengthening Program Management” has created an initial information and contact network between the VRL and the faculties. In a next step, needs analyses will be carried out with the help of interviews. These and other measures have been integrated into the task portfolios of the support units and will no longer be continued as a project under the umbrella of Fit for Future. Information on the results of the needs analyses and the measures derived from them will be available in the project information section once the projects have been completed (e.g., EASE: Educational Academic Staff Empowerment).

The project can be considered complete within the framework of F4F (spring 2025).

The 10 strategic centers at the University of Bern are very heterogeneous, and there is potential for development in their management.

Cooperation agreements are to be drawn up between the center, the participating faculties, and the university management, which are clearly distinguishable from existing instruments such as performance mandates, framework agreements, and rules of procedure.

The conceptual basis for the contracts is created by assessing needs and experience and clarifying detailed objectives. The concept should also estimate the effectiveness of existing processes and the additional expenditure in relation to the added value of possible alternative approaches.

Following various discussions at central level, an action plan including an overview of the various project stages is now being drawn up.

Status: August 2025