{"id":177670,"date":"2025-04-09T12:28:50","date_gmt":"2025-04-09T10:28:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=177670"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:27:45","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:27:45","slug":"council-elections-especially-now-the-faculty-council-can-have-a-serious-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2025\/04\/09\/council-elections-especially-now-the-faculty-council-can-have-a-serious-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"Council elections: ‘Especially now, the faculty council can have a serious impact’"},"content":{"rendered":"

The elections for participatory bodies commence on Wednesday, and the stakes are higher than ever. Quinten de Gruijter is a student and chair of the council of the Erasmus School of Economics, typically not the faculty council that attracts the most voters. However, the repercussions of budget cuts are massive for the ESE, prompting De Gruijter to advocate for massive turnout.<\/p>\n

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Quinten de Gruijter is the chair of the faculty council of the Erasmus School of Economics.<\/span><\/p>

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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. \u201cIf this law is implemented, it will likely mean the end of English-taught programmes such as IBEB and the English version of Econometrics\u201d, De Gruijter (not related to the author, ed.) explains.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be a huge blow for our faculty\u201d, he fears. \u201cThere 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Highest body<\/h2>

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. \u201cA 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\u201d, De Gruijter explains.<\/p>\n

Representing interests<\/h2>

As chair, De Gruijter is responsible for the effective functioning of the council, which includes both students and staff. \u201cMy 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes these differing interests have posed challenges. \u201cA 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\u201d, he explains.<\/p>\n

Visibility<\/h2>

Despite the importance of the faculty council, interest among students remains low, as evidenced by figures from recent years. \u201cThat\u2019s a shame because the council represents students, and this only works if students are engaged\u201d, argues De Gruijter. He attributes this mainly to the council\u2019s poor visibility. \u201cMany students don\u2019t 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although the faculty council has always been fully populated, the number of candidates often just slightly exceeds the seven available positions for students. \u201cAs a result, the elections are less exciting, while they actually contribute to visibility\u201d, De Gruijter states. This year there are ten applicants, which means elections will take place.<\/p>\n

More effective council<\/h2>

He has never regretted his decision to become a member. \u201cI 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his time as chair, De Gruijter believes he has accomplished a lot. \u201cI 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\u2019s effectiveness has improved and that future chairs will build on this further.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elections<\/h2>

Voting for the faculty councils, service councils, and the University Council can take place between 9 April and 16 April via verkiezingen.eur.nl<\/a>. 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\t

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