Most eagerly anticipated was the proposal to halve the number of faculties, from ten to five. The committee's advice shows that in most cases the preferences of the chair holders have been followed. Only in one case is the new division different to the preferences indicated: three Mathematical Sciences (TW) chairs chose the new faculty Technical Sciences, but the committee in its final report advises to place all TW chairs in the new ICT-faculty.
When surveying the current state of affairs serious consideration was given to the idea of establishing only four or three, instead of five, new faculties. In particular because the present faculties of Electrical Engineering (EL) and TW preferred one large technical faculty that included Chemical Technology (CT), EL, Computer Science (INF) and TW. After serious discussions in the university management team about this option it was rejected and the EL chair holders declared that they all preferred to be grouped in the new ICT-faculty.
The composition of the new faculties according to the committee's advice is as follows: 1. Business and Public Administration Studies is built up of all chairs of Public Policy and Public Administration (BSK), most of Technology and Management (T&M) and two chairs from Philosophy and Social Sciences (WMW); 2. Behavioural Sciences will consist of the present faculty of Educational Science and Technology (TO) and most WMW chairs; 3. All chairs of EL, INF and TW go to the new faculty of Information and Communication Technology; 4. Technical Sciences will consist of the chairs from Applied Physics (TN) and CT; 5. Engineering (ENG) already consists of all Mechanical Engineering (WB) chairs and two of T&M.
Because the educational programme accompanying a chair will mostly follow that chair, the committee proposes to divide the programmes as follows: the programmes CT, TN, BBT, Environmental Technology and Biomedical Technology will join Technical Sciences; TW, INF, Business Information Technology (BIT), Telematics and EL will join ICT; BSK, Civil Engineering and Management (TBK), Business Studies and Health Sciences will join Business and Public Administration Studies; TO, Communication Studies (TCW), Philosophy of Science, Technology and Society (WWTS) and Psychology will join Behavioural Sciences, and the programmes Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Industrial Design are offered to Engineering.
The committee Regrouping Faculties emphasises that the names of the new faculties are not final and will not be determined by the committee. This will be the task of the new faculty itself, which should also determine its own profile with regard to content.
In both advices, therefore also in the one on the research institutes, the committees-Sistermans pay extensive attention to the new 'symmetrical powers of dean and scientific director'. The bosses of the programmes (in the faculties) and the research (in the institutes) are officially the same hierarchically and are deemed to be acting 'in agreement with each other' by the committee. The dean will be the one responsible for personnel. In case of a conflict between director and dean the executive board decides.
The full texts (in Dutch) can be read on the intranet, including the first critical responses that the committees asked for. The remarks are taken into consideration in the decision-making process of the executive board, which will put its decision before the University Council.
