{"id":86812,"date":"2018-04-30T15:16:14","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T13:16:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/?p=86812"},"modified":"2025-12-19T11:22:59","modified_gmt":"2025-12-19T10:22:59","slug":"nominaal-is-normaal-niet-in-strijd-met-de-wet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.erasmusmagazine.nl\/en\/2018\/04\/30\/nominaal-is-normaal-niet-in-strijd-met-de-wet\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Nominal = Normal\u2019 doesn\u2019t conflict with the law"},"content":{"rendered":"

Universities can require students to earn all the credits for their propaedeutic year within that same year. In itself this is not an unreasonable demand, according to the education judge in three rulings. In one of the recent cases, students were actually hoping for a ruling of principle against N=N.<\/p>\n

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The recent legal wrangles involved two appeals against Erasmus University and one against Hogeschool Rotterdam. The students in question were sent down in their first year with a negative \u2018binding study advice\u2019 but contested this decision. The court did not find in their favour.<\/p>\n

Not unreasonable<\/h2>

In one of the cases<\/a>, the legal support centre Landelijk Studenten Rechtsbureau (LSR) was hoping for a ruling of principle against \u2018Nominal=Normal\u2019. In January, the students announced their plan to force such a ruling<\/a> by initiating proceedings against an EUR decision.\u00a0The heart of their argument<\/a>: a binding study advice is intended to dismiss students who aren\u2019t suited for their chosen degree programme. But can you actually call someone unsuited for simply failing to earn all the requisite credits in one go?<\/p>\n

\u2018Nominal=Normal\u2019 successfully weathered this storm at the Board of Appeal for Higher Education (College van Beroep voor het Hoger Onderwijs, CBHO). While the CBHO<\/a> agrees the 60 credit norm is quite strict<\/u>, it believes it is well considered and students have sufficient opportunities to actually earn this total. The judge has called the system \u2018not manifestly unreasonable\u2019.<\/p>\n

Reunion<\/h2>

The second case against Erasmus University was complicated by personal circumstances. The student had only missed a single examination. Under the compensation scheme, her total stood at 52.5 credits. Did this really make her unsuited for her degree programme? In the old days, the minimum had been set at 42 credits.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, it was a case of force majeure according to the student. She was unable to resit the exam because she had to attend a family reunion in Cura\u00e7ao. But she didn\u2019t have to take that decision, according the university, and the judge agrees<\/a>. Leaving her with insufficient credits \u2013 with or without compensation.<\/p>\n

In the appeal against Hogeschool Rotterdam\u2019s decision, the student also referred to various personal circumstances, including a death in the family. But the university couldn\u2019t establish whether his poor academic results were actually caused by these factors.<\/p>\n\n\t

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De redactie<\/h2>\n\t\t\n\t\t
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