Newly elected council members in favour of better support for students, against rising tuition fees and Planetary Health Diet

Longer opening hours, more study spaces, and better support for students. Despite being from very different parties, the twelve elected University Council members in last week’s elections mostly agree on how to improve the lives of students on campus. But the council also faces bigger challenges.

In the student elections, twelve new candidates were chosen who will enter the new council after the summer. EM spoke with the leaders of the four parties about their priorities: Tom Valkenburg from Liberi Erasmi, Floris Murk from OUR Erasmus, Safae Ahrouch from Erasmus Student Coalition and Borja Ranzinger from Erasmus International.

Affordable campus food

Tom Valkenburg’s party Liberi Erasmi (four seats) is against the university’s plan to implement the Planetary Health Diet, which aims for 80 per cent plant-based food on campus. It is not the first time the party has opposed such a proposal. A few years ago, Liberi Erasmi successfully campaigned against a fully ‘vegan campus’. But their concerns did not stop there. The party argues that the Planetary Health Diet would have a negative impact on campus food prices. “People should be able to eat whatever they want to eat”, Tom said.

‘Library is packed’

For many students, finding a place to study is a daily struggle. Floris Murk, a lead candidate from OUR Erasmus (also four seats) heard this frustration from students across faculties during his campaign on campus. Many buildings close in the evenings and on weekends, making it difficult for students to study on campus. Beyond longer opening hours, Floris’s party is also proposing to create more study spaces and clear career support for students.

Tom agrees on this matter as well. “There are students who live in a very busy student house and come here to study, but the library is always packed”, he said.

Students under pressure

For Safae Ahrouch from Erasmus Student Coalition (three seats), student well-being is high on the agenda. Speaking directly to students and listening to their experiences on campus, she managed to secure the highest number of votes of any individual candidate. “I think it shows that students really value being heard and represented in a genuine way”, she says.

Safae noticed that many students experience a lot of stress and pressure. “The university should take that more seriously”, she added. She also believes education needs to be developed further. “It should not only be theoretical but also prepare students for real-world developments, like changes in the technology and the job market”, Safae said.

Floris points to a similar gap in student career support. The university currently offers CV workshops and company meetups, but he argues this is not enough for students to build their careers. “Students should be able to have open conversations about what career path truly fits them based on their personality, values and ambitions”, he mentioned.

Tuition fee debate

Borja Ranzinger from Erasmus International (one seat) is the only one of the four with prior council experience. He is fighting against rising tuition fees for non-European students, which have more than doubled in the last five years. “A lot of people see international students as a financing vehicle for the university”, he said. He has spent months as the lead negotiator in discussions on this issue and is building a majority within the council to push back. His party is ready to organise a protest if the university proceeds with tuition increases regardless, he says.