– A work environment full of intrigues
Former employees rebuke the Department of Chemistry, which they think is influenced by a bad leadership.
– If one criticizes the management one gets opposed later. Because of this, there are many who are too afraid to say anything about the conditions around here, thinks professor emeritus Thorleif Anthonsen at the Department of Chemistry.
Anthonsen has been working at the department for many years. He says that he is one out of few that dares to speak up, and they sense opposition because of their opinions. Among other instances, this is happening in the case of the shutdown of the subjects Biocatalysis and Natural Product Chemistry.
– I feel punished for speaking up to David Nicholson, the department leader at the Department of Chemistry. When I have asked him for reasons to decisions, all I get in return is “it is what it is”. Nicholson’s priorities are wrong when it comes to what subjects to support, says Anthonsen.
– Internal intrigue at the Department is a big problem, he says.
Have contacted a lawyer
Elisabeth Jacobsen, who was fired from her position as a scientific employee at the Department last year, is also criticizing the leadership.
– It’s a bad work environment at the Department because of all the intrigue. Many employees I have talked to are dissatisfied with the situation and say they do not get heard. This is not a uniform leadership, but an autocracy, she says.
She was an employee at the Department until July of 2007, but had to go, she believes, for all the wrong reasons. Jacobsen thinks she is entitled to further employment after almost four years as a temporary employee, but was not allowed to keep the job. Now she has hired a lawyer.
I contacted Forskerforbundet (The Norwegian Association of Researchers, NAR), asking them about the rules and my rights. They confirmed that I was entitled to further employment. Nicholson did not like this contract and I did not get my profession prolonged. Instead, they shut down several subjects, resulting in that they did not need me any longer, Jacobsen tells us.
Since Jacobsen was fired the NAR has looked into the case. On September 27th of 2007 the NAR had meetings with the faculty leadership at the Faculty of Science and Technology, but they did not agree. This is mentioned in a letter dated October 4th, 2007. In another letter, dated November 23rd, 2007, the NAR writes that they feel the reasons for Jacobsen’s dismissal are lacking and biased.
Students notice the intrigues
The Department of Chemistry is one of several instantiations that has to do with chemistry. A student at the Department of Chemistry with whom Under Dusken has spoken has noticed the disagreements. The student wants to stay anonymous in fear of getting dragged into the conflict.
– The Department is small. We notice the intrigues, the student tells us.
Department leader David Nicholson does not want to comment on this.
Translated by Maria Kråkmo
