Other EUR students share this concern. Timo Zandvliet, a university council member of OUR Erasmus, fears that the cuts could lead to a reduction in the number of lecturers and staff, which would affect the quality of education. Programs may be discontinued, as has already been announced at some universities.
Associations affected
In addition, Zandvliet believes the long-term tuition penalty will have consequences for associations. He fears that students, facing the threat of this penalty, will be less inclined to take a board year at an association. This will make it much harder for associations to form a well-functioning board. “This threatens the survival of study associations”, says Zandvliet. He already noticed during his board year at the study association STAR last year that students were less willing to pause their studies for a board year. He thinks this will only get worse.
Olivier Roos shares his concerns. As chairman of the career committee of the Legal Faculty Association Rotterdam (JFR), he has seen in practice how difficult it is to run an association with fewer people. “The long-term tuition penalty could be the tipping point for students to decide not to do a full-time board year.” About three years ago, JFR had no secretary, forcing the other six board members to take on the board tasks. “If you lose even more board members, the board will have less contact with members, the faculty, and sponsors.” Ultimately, says Roos, board members will have less time to organise activities, leading to a less active student life.
Personal development
If associations face difficulties, this will come at the expense of students’ personal development. “Study associations provide career opportunities and social connections, and this is an important aspect of student life”, says Zandvliet. The drinks and trips organised by study associations are essential for the social network that students build over the years.
According to Roos, it is very important to expand this social network by trying new things. By starting an extra degree, doing an internship, traveling for a year, or participating in other extracurricular activities, students discover what they like and dislike. “And the long-term tuition penalty discourages this”, says Roos. “That’s a real shame. I’m also considering doing a board year myself; you can learn a lot from it. You develop organizational skills, interact with formal parties, build social networks, and take on responsibilities.”
Protesting
Jasper Schut, chairman of the student union STUUR, sees protesting as the only way to combat the budget cuts. That is why STUUR was one of the organizers of the protest in Utrecht on November 14 and will also participate in the new protest in The Hague on November 25. “Students must take action themselves and say: ‘We won’t accept this anymore.’”
He emphasises that students and staff at a university have more power than they think. “Professors, tutors, cleaners, and students can bring a university to a standstill. Only if we unite can we do something about the budget cuts.”
Roos believes the ultimate solution lies in politics. “This cabinet needs to focus more on education again.”
In his view, not only the survival of study associations and students’ personal development is at stake, but also the future of Dutch education. “If the cabinet sees how many students and educational institutions oppose the measures, something can change.”
