Case Management for the University Board

A Board case typically consists of only a cover note and a case presentation. Additionally, other attachments, such as annual reports, are listed on the cover of the Board case, with links to the pages where the attachments are published.

Before You Write, Remember:

• The Board should understand from the cover note what they are to decide and why. What are they being asked to consider?
• Be clear about the target audience for the Board cases. The Board composition is diverse, with varied backgrounds and experiences. Write so that everyone understands.
• Board cases should not be detail-oriented.
• Departments must take active ownership of the content of the Board case based on academic premises and directives from the university leadership.
• Board cases should address principal and overarching themes and issues.
• Use a colleague to review the case with a critical eye.
• Templates for Board cases can be found by creating the case in Elements.

• The title of the case should indicate whether it is a "DECISION CASE," "INFORMATION CASE," or "DISCUSSION CASE."
• The cover note should not exceed one and a half pages but can be up to two pages if a detailed case presentation is not required.
• Both the case handler's name and the department director's name and title should be included on the cover notes.

Types of Board Cases

• Decision Case: The Board exercises authority, makes a decision, and adopts something that must be followed up. They approve a budget, an action plan, grant authority, approve an agreement, appoint a university director, change the organisational structure, establish or discontinue study programmes, etc.

• Information Case: The Board is informed about the status of a field or ongoing work. It may involve reporting requested by the Board.

• Discussion Case: The Board is presented with a preliminary report, draft policy, or issue. The case is more open than a decision or information case. It invites the Board to provide input to be further processed before a new or final version is presented for final decision. A typical case would be a strategy for UiB or a draft of the Board's report.

About the Section "Reference to Background Documents"

• Background documents are listed in bullet points. Critically assess the scope of background documents. Typical background documents are cases previously considered by the Board as part of an ongoing process.

• Other Board cases are referenced as follows: [Board Case No/Year], [comma], [title], e.g., Board Case 5/19, Revision of UiB's Strategy Ocean, Life, Society 2016 – 2022.

• Links to the Board case on the web should be provided. See the Board's website to find the link to the Board case.

• The hyperlink is attached to the title of the background document.

• Previous consideration in, for example, the Education Committee and the Research Committee is listed here in the same way as the bullet point above. It is not written under "the case concerns."

• Any reference to external reports on the web, e.g., a parliamentary report, is provided with the full title and a link to the website where the report is published.

About the Section "The Case Concerns"

• The Board should clearly understand from the cover note what they are being asked to consider. What is the purpose of the case?

• What are the most central issues? The question the Board is invited to consider can preferably be listed in bullet points.

• Get straight to the point.

• For cases presented for information, the cover note should include the main points of the report with a summary of the most important findings.

• Be very selective about how much of the history is reproduced and retold.

Attachments

• The cover note should include a complete list of attachments. See below for more about attachments.

About the Decision

Only a decision protocol is kept from the meeting. Therefore:

• The decision should reflect the type of Board case being considered.
• The decision should be clearly formulated and, as far as possible, stand on its own.
• It is the Board's task to discuss and consider the cases they have for consideration.
• Decisions with multiple parts should be numbered.
• If the Board is to both take something for information and provide guidelines/orders for further work, the different parts of the decision should be numbered separately.

The Board makes two types of "decisions":

1. The Board exercises authority, makes a decision, and adopts something that must be followed up. They approve a budget, an action plan, grant authority, approve an agreement, appoint a university director, change the organisational structure, establish or discontinue study programmes, etc.
2. The Board takes a case for information. This means the Board is informed about the status of work or an ongoing process. Taking for information and taking for notice means the same, but taking for information is linguistically more precise. The Board only takes for information. The term "takes for notice" should not be used.

• The Board does not "endorse"; it decides or takes for information.
• The Board can provide guidelines in any case or change decisions if it wishes. The university director will always note comments, guidelines, orders, or "remarks" in the debate. However, it is not necessary or desirable to have decision proposals of the type "with the remarks made in the meeting." This formulation may be included in the Board's final decision in a case, but then as a result of the specific debate in the Board.

• The case presentation can be up to four (4) pages long.

• It should contain the information the Board needs to consider the case at hand. Longer reports, annual reports, etc., should be published on a separate website, with links provided in the cover note's attachment overview. In such cases, the case presentation must include a summary of the most important points from the attachment.

• Write concisely and precisely.

• The case presentation should include a section on "Background" and a section on "Comments from the University Director". These two sections frame the case presentation.

• Use subheadings to make the presentation more structured and to help organise the material better.

• If there is a need to return to the Board with a follow-up case, these follow-up points should be listed under the heading "Follow-up."

• The case presentation should always be dated and "signed" by the case handler with their name and the department director's name and title.

• Do not repeat the decision. It is stated in the cover note.

• Cross-references to other Board cases in the same meeting can be made. Where this is done, the text should be highlighted in yellow so that the secretariat can easily find these and insert the correct Board case number.

• The fields board:board case:meeting date, etc., are automatically merged. Do not write in these fields.

About Attachments

• Attachments are documents that should be available to the Board if they wish to delve deeper into the details of the case.

• Attachments should normally be published on the Board's website, with links provided in the cover note.

• Exceptions to this are:

          -Cases where the Board adopts regulations. In such cases, the regulation text is attached as a file to the Board case.

          -Attachments that are exempt from public disclosure.

• The cover note should include a complete list of attachments. The case presentation is always the first attachment.

Other Information

• The Board case template can only be retrieved from Elements when you create the Board case.
• The font type is Arial 11.
• Pages should be paginated.

Technical guidance for writing Board cases has been prepared by the Documentation Centre and can be found here.

About the Process Leading Up to the Board Meeting

The dispatch to the University Board takes place on the Thursday one week before the Board meeting. When the department submits its draft, the cases should be thoroughly prepared in terms of content, form, and proofread.

The following contribute to good processes and well-prepared Board cases:

• Meeting deadlines, see below.
• Ensuring the case reflects university policy and strategic considerations.
• Following up on previous decisions and responding to the Board's expectations and "signals."
• Ensuring the case is sufficiently anchored in the organisation, such as being considered by advisory bodies in good time.
• Checking with other departments and their Board cases when relevant.
• Using the correct template. Errors often cause delays.
• Ensuring the case is clearly written and proofread.

Ensure your manager approves your Board case in Elements by the deadline on Wednesday, 15 days before the Board meeting.

• Need technical help with Elements? Ask colleagues or the Documentation Management Section (83939).
• Do you know of cases that should be considered by the Board? Submit them with a copy to the Secretariat for University Leadership.

Deadlines

Division of Tasks between Departments and the Secretariat

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Arne Ramslien.

Writing a Board Case in Elements - Creating a Case Presentation for the Board/Committee in Elements

If you need user support, call 55 58 39 39 or contact us via UiBhjelp.