Judith Wiskie, tutor coordinator DPAS (Public Administation and Sociology)
Why are you a candidate?
“I find it fascinating that as an employee, you are actually only a small cog in a huge organisation. That’s why I have a great desire to understand more about what is going on at central level. How are the relationships between faculties and the university board? What role can I play in this myself? And how can I translate that back to the work floor within the faculty?
“In addition, there are so many different people working in a faculty. As a tutor coordinator, I have contact with everyone, from tutors to professors to support staff. So I know what is going on in the workplace. I think it’s important to include them all in decision-making. ”
How do you campaign?
“I don’t campaign very explicitly, at least not by hanging posters. However, I have encouraged all my colleagues to vote. It’s difficult to assess my chances, but I’ve heard hear from many colleagues that they will be voting for me. ”
What would you like to tackle in the University Council?
“Inclusiveness. Whether you work as a professor or as a member of the support staff, everyone should be involved as far as I am concerned. I would also like to dedicate myself to staff who provide very good education. The emphasis in valuation is often still in science. I see that things are shifting within my faculty, but as far as I am concerned, it can be done faster. I think that a stronger external incentive can be given to people with a passion for education. “
Marjan Gorgievski, assistant professor Psychology
Why are you a candidate?
“It’s important for staff to make their voice heard, especially after the reorganisation that we have just completed at ESSB. There’s a bit of an us vs. them atmosphere between staff and management, so I think it’s important to reinforce the contacts. And the University Council is even further away from us as ESSB staff, so I’d like to gain insight into what’s going on there and give my opinion on the issues at stake here at ESSB. ”
How do you campaign?
“I made flyers and hung them in the departments. I did that for three reasons. First of all, because I thought it was a nice idea and it would obviously be nice if my colleagues voted for me. But it was also a good way to think about what I actually stand for. And with the flyers, I hope to encourage people to vote anyway, whether it’s for me or for one of the other candidates. ”
What would you like to tackle in the University Council?
“For me, diversity is one of the most important points, but in a variety of areas. First of all within science. In my research, I find that the focus is too often on WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialised, Rich and Democratic) and certain groups are not sufficiently represented. Diversity among students and staff could also be better.
“In addition, I want better cross-fertilisation between the commercial and academic parts of the university. They still tend to work alongside each other, but I think they could learn a lot from each other. ”
Robin van den Akker, docent Continental Philosophy and Cultural Studies (EUC)
Why are you a candidate?
“Because there are two major structural problems at the university: work pressure, or work-life balance to use HR terms, and diversity. I’m already trying to do something about both issues, for example by organising debates. But I think I can do more by also putting effort in a representative body. ”
How do you campaign?
“I’m not really a poster boy. So I mainly campaign by addressing people. It’s a bit of an uphill battle, because University College is obviously only a small organisation and other candidates have more colleagues. Voter turnout averages 11 percent and the EUC is such a close-knit club that I expect the turnout to be higher here. In addition, I think that the subjects I stand for are important enough to appeal to the rest of the faculty. ”
What would you like to tackle in the University Council?
“At the end of last year, the Labour Inspectorate paid a visit to Erasmus University. The inspectorate noted that there is too little policy targeting work-life balance. The first thing I would like to do is to find out what measures are taken at central level with regard to work pressure. ”
