Students with functional impairment not satisfied with EUR

Erasmus University is not the greatest place for students with a functional impairment. At least, this is what students with functional impairments themselves are saying. A recent study shows that they are dissatisfied with the way in which they are guided by the university, among other things.

Students with a functional impairment such as ADHD, dyslexia or a chronic disease gave the university a meagre six out of ten, while other universities received better scores. EUR is ranked last and second to last in the two relevant rankings published on the basis of the annual student satisfaction survey. Students with a functional impairment not being happy with Erasmus University is not a new thing. Since 2013, EUR has always ranked last, second to last or third to last in the survey.

Students with a functional impairment are particularly unhappy with the guidance and information they receive from EUR. They are a little happier with their lecturers’ understanding attitude towards their impairments. The universities that received the highest average scores in the survey are Wageningen University (according to Bachelor’s students) and Eindhoven University of Technology (according to Master’s students).

At the national level there has been an increase in the number of students with functional impairments since 2014, up to 14 percent of the total number of students in 2017. It is not known how many Erasmus University students have a functional impairment. The university does keep track of the number of students who apply for special examination arrangements due to functional impairments, and this number seems to suggest there has been an increase in the number of students with impairments.

So far EUR has been unable to provide an explanation for its low scores. EUR spokesperson Sandra van Beek informed EM that the university, in association with Expertisecentrum Handicap + Studie, has embarked on a policy scan with regard to students with a functional impairment. The results of the scan will be discussed internally before being publicised. The study is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2018.

The student satisfaction survey was carried out by the Centrum Hoger Onderwijs Informatie (Centre for Information on Higher Education, a.k.a. CHOI). This organisation annually publishes a report on students with functional impairments’ experiences at Dutch universities and universities of applied sciences, based on the outcomes of the National Student Survey. A total of 123 EUR Master’s students with a functional impairment completed the survey, as well as 280 Bachelor’s students.