3 questions for... staff and students at the Faculty of Humanities

Margit Jandrisits

Department Management, Department of Translation Studies (ITAT)

What are the challenges faced by a Department Manager at the Department of Translation Studies (ITAT)?

The word ‘challenge’ often carries negative connotations, so I would like to emphasise right at the outset that I view the word in a very positive light when it comes to my work at the ITAT.

The ITAT is a well-staffed and diverse institute; including lecturers, there are currently 119 people from different linguistic and cultural backgrounds employed here. I deal with most of them on a regular basis, as my remit covers all budget management (including third-party funded projects) and all HR matters, from the job advertisement right through to the actual appointment. I work extensively with SAP, a system that was actually a challenge at the outset in the conventional – that is, rather negative – sense, but which I have since come to appreciate. I see the different perspectives – both positive and negative – of the people I meet in the course of my work as the most positive challenge of all, and they are the ones I would least like to do without.

©Opernfoto

You studied archaeology yourself and have also published work in that field – has your love for your own field of study remained?

For practical reasons, that love has turned into an interest. I still enjoy reading articles and reports about excavations in Austria and Styria. Some of my former fellow students have made a name for themselves as independent archaeologists, and I’m always particularly pleased when I get the chance to study their published findings.

Are there any current projects or initiatives at the institute of which you are particularly proud?

We have recently completed a restructuring of the institute’s staffing and hierarchy, a process that has taken us around two years to finalise. Numerous discussions were held with the Rector’s Office, the Human Resources Department, the Dean’s Office and the Human Resources and Organisational Development team, and of course the LQM also had a contribution to make. The process was complex and time-consuming, but also instructive. The work, which was at times very intensive, was well worth the effort, however; all the relevant bodies have given the green light, and the actual implementation will begin in October – something of which the Institute, and therefore I too, can be proud.