Last fall, the senior management team adopted a strategy to put more operational tasks out to competitive tender at Aarhus University. And in the wake of that decision, since December University Director Arnold Boon and his deputy directors in the administration have been working on plans to invite bids from private cleaning companies to take over cleaning in 51 buildings at AU in Aarhus. 

The buildings are primarily located in the northeast corner of the University Park, where the law, political science and psychology programmes are.

Currently, 30 cleaning assistants at Aarhus BSS, four at Arts and about three at ST are responsible for these buildings, and they were informed about the management’s plans at a meeting on Thursday 17 January.

READ MORE: Report from a mop bucket: We don't buy your arguments, management!

The senior management teams’ new strategy for ‘the competitive tendering of operational tasks’ is based on the assumption that if private companies take over more of the university’s operations, give the management will have more time to focus on those aspects of operations that most directly support teaching and research. 

In addition, the management has explained that the university is required by law to assess its operations periodically in order to determine whether it would be beneficial to outsource some tasks.

The senior management team will make the final decision about whether to put cleaning in the 51 buildings out to tender some time in March.

READ MORE: Strategy for competitive tendering of operational tasks (in Danish)