{"id":173648,"date":"2024-11-21T12:56:50","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T11:56:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=173648"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:36","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:36","slug":"anger-and-disappointment-over-delay-and-abandonment-of-sustainability-projects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2024\/11\/21\/anger-and-disappointment-over-delay-and-abandonment-of-sustainability-projects\/","title":{"rendered":"Anger and disappointment over delay and abandonment of sustainability projects"},"content":{"rendered":"

Anger, disappointment and confusion among students and staff at the non-renewal of the sustainability programme and the contracts of the two staff members. As a result, knowledge and experience have been lost and ongoing projects are stalled or delayed until the new strategy is launched in September 2025.<\/p>\n

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For Mariecke van der Glas, who worked as programme manager for sustainability for four years, the decision not to renew her contract came as an \u2018unpleasant surprise\u2019. Earlier this year, she had been given the green light to recruit an additional team member, and she had \u2013 partly during her holiday \u2013 finalised an analysis of the outcomes from last year\u2019s sustainability dialogues. These were intended as input for the new strategy. Van der Glas and her colleague left their positions on 1 October. The new employee will take over part of the duties as interim coordinator.<\/p>\n

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Also affected by the budget cuts?<\/strong>
\nShare your story, concern or solution with the editors of EM<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t<\/div>\n

Struck off<\/h2>\n\t
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\n\t\t\u2018Just like that, and we were barely thanked\u2019\n\t<\/blockquote>\n\n\t<\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n

Van der Glas was aware that the university faced financial challenges and that her temporary contract was due to expire after the summer. However, after EUR declared a climate emergency in 2023 and achieved third place in the ranking of the most sustainable higher education institutions, she had not expected EUR would not extend the sustainability programme.<\/p>\n

The sustainability programme was struck off \u2018with a single stroke of the pen\u2019, alongside all other temporary programmes under the strategy office, during a June meeting, says Van der Glas. \u201cJust like that, and we were barely thanked\u201d, she says. \u201cThere was no substantive discussion. Since sustainability is to be a core theme in the new strategy, I hadn\u2019t seen this coming. But the message was: no exceptions will be made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unacceptable<\/h2>

The decision also surprised members of the Sustainability Liaison Network, which includes representatives from each faculty and service department. Sven Hogervorst, strategic HR adviser and acting chair of the network, wrote a letter on their behalf to the Executive Board: \u201cFurthermore, it is disheartening to see accolades given to the executive board for the Sustainability Award, with photos prominently displayed, while the individuals who have done the actual work with heart and soul for the past year(s) receive no recognition and just received the message that their contracts are not ensured. This lack of appreciation and neglect for the real contributors to our university\u2019s success is unacceptable\u201d, the letter stated. It was co-signed by professor Derk Loorbach (director of DRIFT) and two students from the Sustainability Hub.<\/p>\n\n\t

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Lees meer<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t