Sibelius Academy Regulations
Regulations of the Sibelius Academy, valid from 1 January 2024.
1. General
Section 1 Position of the academy at the University of the Arts Helsinki
The Sibelius Academy is an academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki as referred to in section 11 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations.
The Sibelius Academy is responsible for arranging instruction and pursuing research and artistic activity in the field of music and in related fields, steered by the common policies of the university and the annual operational plan and budget approved by the board of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
The academy operates in close cooperation with other academies and units of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Section 2 Regulations that steer operations
In addition to the provisions laid down in the Universities Act and elsewhere in legislation, the University Regulations and other provisions, policies and guidelines of the university are applied to the academy’s operations (sections 3-5 of the University Regulations).
The academy may also issue academy-specific, more detailed regulations.
In case of a conflict between the provisions of the university and the internal provisions of an academy, the provisions of the university apply.
2. Organisation
Section 3 Faculty division
For the purposes of organising teaching, artistic activities and research, the Sibelius Academy is divided into departments:
The faculties consist of departments and separate units. The Sibelius Academy may also have independent units and joint units with other academies of the University of the Arts Helsinki. The decision on how departments and units are divided is made by the dean.
Section 4 Services
The organising of the Sibelius Academy’s services is managed by the dean of the academy in so far as no delegations of duties have been made.
3. Bodies and executive groups
Section 5 Bodies of the Sibelius Academy
In accordance with the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations, the Sibelius Academy’s bodies are the dean and the academy board.
In accordance with these Academy Regulations, the Sibelius Academy also has the following bodies:
- Division of the academy board: division of doctoral education and research
Section 6 Executive groups
The dean of the Sibelius Academy and the vice deans can call upon other executive groups or other groups, which may also have members from outside the academy, to support their management.
Executive and other groups do not make decisions, and instead, provide support for management.
4. Dean and vice deans
Section 7 Dean
The Sibelius Academy has a dean.
Provisions on the selection and term of the academy dean are laid down in section 28 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations.
The dean manages the academy within the remit provided by section 29 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations and in accordance with any delegations made by the rector.
The dean approves the admissions criteria for the academy’s students (a delegation from the academy board).
Section 8 Vice deans
The Sibelius Academy may have a vice dean or vice deans.
The academy’s vice dean is appointed and dismissed by the rector of the University of the Arts Helsinki on the proposal of the dean of the academy (paragraph 13 in subsection 3 in section 18 of the University Regulations).
The dean of the academy defines the duties and limits of authority for the role of a vice dean.
The term of a vice dean is a maximum of five (5) years.
5. Sibelius Academy board
Section 9 Academy board
The Sibelius Academy has an academy board.
The academy board has nine members, and it is chaired by the dean. Provisions on the composition, election and term of the academy board are laid down in section 30 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations. The election is also subject to the Election Regulations of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
The members of the Sibelius Academy’s executive group have the right to attend and speak at the meetings of the academy board.
Section 10 Remit of the academy board
The remit of the academy board is laid down in section 31 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations. The Sibelius Academy board is responsible for these duties in so far as they have not been delegated to the division of doctoral education and research in accordance with section 12 of these Academy Regulations.
Duties in accordance with section 31 of the University Regulations:
The remit of the academy board is to:
- develop instruction, research and artistic activity at the academy as a whole;
- approve the academy curriculum;
- approve the courses offered at the academy (the approval of courses within a specific department has been delegated to the head of the department in question);
- approve the admissions criteria for the academy’s students (this has been delegated to the dean);
- submit a proposal to the rector on arranging a conferment ceremony and decide on the awarding of honorary doctorates of the academy;
- process the operational and financial plan of the academy;
- prepare a proposal for the rector regarding group-specific deputy members of the academy board (subsection 4 in section 30 of the University Regulations);
- elect the second vice chair for the board from amongst its members;
- issue opinions to the dean on matters related to the appointment or duties of the vice dean or vice deans;
- give its consent to changing the name or division of academies when the change concerns the academy in question;
- issue opinions on possible changes to the University Regulations affecting the university’s structure, duties or distribution of power;
- decide on other academic affairs;
- deal with and solve other matters assigned to the academy board, and
- issue opinions on matters concerning the academy at the request of the rector and the dean.
Other duties assigned to the academy board in accordance with the University Regulations:
15. to issue opinions to the rector of the University of the Arts Helsinki concerning the selection of a dean (subsection 7 in section 18 of the University Regulations) and
16. to issue opinions concerning the Academy Regulations (subsection 1 in section 29 of the University Regulations).
Other duties of the academy board:
17. to approve strategic policies concerning instruction, research and artistic activity;
18. to be responsible for the quality of instruction, research and artistic activity and assess the success of these processes;
19. to decide on the general policies relating to doctoral education;
20. to decide on the specialisation options within the academy’s degree programmes;
21. to decide on the principles for the academy’s curriculum;
22. to decide on the general competence requirements for bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
Section 11 Organising of preparation work for the academy board
The academy board may rely on the support of so-called divisions, serving as expert groups within their respective fields of work. The academy board appoints the members and deputy members of these divisions and defines the preparatory tasks of the divisions in the academy board’s rules of procedure.
Section 12 Division of doctoral education and research
The academy board has a division of doctoral education and research. In accordance with section 31 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations, the following duties of the Sibelius Academy board are delegated to the division of doctoral education and research:
- to approve and assess (licentiate) and doctoral thesis projects and demonstrations of proficiency
The division of doctoral education and research is managed by the vice dean in charge of research and doctoral education. The academy board appoints the members of divisions. In addition to the chair, the division of doctoral education and research also has two (2) representatives of professor staff, two (2) representatives of other teaching and research staff and one (1) student representative, along with deputies for each. The student member is elected from amongst the doctoral students. A member of the academy board cannot be a member of the division of doctoral education and research.
The term of the division’s members is three (3) years. Members can have a maximum of two (2) consecutive terms.
When the matter under discussion concerns the assessment of a study attainment, only members or deputy members who have a study attainment of an equivalent level or who have been appointed professors may participate in the decision-making. However, the dean may make an exception to the aforementioned requirement if the academy’s body tasked with processing the assessment of a study attainment does not have enough members entitled to make a decision. (section 34 of the University Regulations).
6. Management of departments
Section 13 Heads of departments
Departments are managed by heads of departments, who have similar roles as directors of separate units. They are appointed and their duties and responsibilities are determined by the dean on the proposal of the vice deans.
Heads of departments approve the courses offered within their departments (a delegation from the academy board).
Heads of departments decide on the persons responsible for approving and assessing thesis projects and demonstrations of proficiency in bachelor’s and master’s education.
The term of heads of departments and directors of separate units is a maximum of five (5) years.
7. Procedures concerning multi-member bodies
Section 14 Convening of meetings, quorum and meeting procedure
The provisions of the University Regulations (sections 32-36) and other more detailed instructions of the university are observed in the activities of the academy’s multi-member bodies.
Section 15 Resignation and discharge of a member of a body
Resignation and discharge of a member of an academy’s multi-member body is subject to section 37 of the University of the Arts Helsinki Regulations and the provisions of the Election Regulations.
The decision to discharge a member of the division of doctoral education and research is made by the Sibelius Academy board.
Section 16 Filling of vacant positions in a body
Provisions on filling vacant positions in the academy board are laid down in the Election Regulations of the University of the Arts Helsinki.
Supplementary members to the division of doctoral education and research are appointed by the academy board.
8. Entry into force
Section 17 Entry into force of the Academy Regulations
These Academy Regulations will enter into force on 1 January 2024 and supersede the Sibelius Academy Regulations that entered into force on 1 August 2022, along with the subsequent amendments.