In the coming years, the council will face significant challenges due to budget cuts and the introduction of the Internationalisation Balance Act, which aims to reduce the number of international students in the Netherlands. “If this law is implemented, it will likely mean the end of English-taught programmes such as IBEB and the English version of Econometrics”, De Gruijter (not related to the author, ed.) explains.
“That would be a huge blow for our faculty”, he fears. “There is still a possibility that universities could retain control, which might prevent these programmes from disappearing. That is precisely why the faculty council can have a considerable impact now, for example by thinking about the budget and how we can financially absorb these impending measures.”
Highest body
The faculty council plays an essential role within the faculty. It is the highest participation body, De Gruijter states. This means that the management team requires advice or approval from the council for many decisions. Furthermore, the council can also take initiatives itself. “A recent example of this was the discussion regarding the duration of exams. Currently, the standard time is two hours, but many lecturers wanted to revert to three hours. The council proposed a compromise: the standard remains two hours, but lecturers can request an extension of one hour”, De Gruijter explains.
Representing interests
As chair, De Gruijter is responsible for the effective functioning of the council, which includes both students and staff. “My task is to ensure that the council can optimally advocate for the interests of students and staff. This involves, among other things, leading meetings and seeking solutions when the interests of students and staff diverge.”
Sometimes these differing interests have posed challenges. “A good example is the discussion regarding the maximum time for exams. At first glance, students and staff had opposing views, but it turned out there was a lot of overlap. Everyone wants the best for the faculty, and as chair, I try to find a balance”, he explains.
Visibility
Despite the importance of the faculty council, interest among students remains low, as evidenced by figures from recent years. “That’s a shame because the council represents students, and this only works if students are engaged”, argues De Gruijter. He attributes this mainly to the council’s poor visibility. “Many students don’t know who we are or what we do. We have worked hard on this over the past years, for example through the website and social media, but there is still room for improvement.”
Although the faculty council has always been fully populated, the number of candidates often just slightly exceeds the seven available positions for students. “As a result, the elections are less exciting, while they actually contribute to visibility”, De Gruijter states. This year there are ten applicants, which means elections will take place.
More effective council
He has never regretted his decision to become a member. “I wanted to contribute to student wellbeing and the high workload among students and staff. As chair, I also saw the opportunity to bring students and staff closer together.”
During his time as chair, De Gruijter believes he has accomplished a lot. “I have introduced a new approach, where we organise meetings differently and work more with committees and preliminary discussions. This is starting to work well now. I hope that the council’s effectiveness has improved and that future chairs will build on this further.”
Elections
Voting for the faculty councils, service councils, and the University Council can take place between 9 April and 16 April via verkiezingen.eur.nl. Staff and students will receive a call in their email explaining how and for whom they can vote. More information about the elections can be found on MyEUR.
