For the moment the university council (UR) will not agree to the proposals for the faculty regrouping and the reorganisation of the research institutes. In a consultation meeting last week the council told the executive board (CvB) that it first wanted to have all the faculty councils' advice.
This to the displeasure of the board. The CvB had urgently called on the council to agree to the two proposals, on which the university management team (also including deans and scientific directors) had reached agreement. The two reorganisation proposals, based on the work of two committees lead by CvB-member Joop Sistermans, form an important link in the current reorganisation process to which a start has to be made before the summer holiday.
'We are convinced that delaying the process risks the time schedule until 1 July and that we will end up in the autumn with regard to the decision-making process,' according to rector Van Vught in his call on the council, 'and the UR should also not do that to themselves'.
'We are on a critical path', Joop Sistermans adds, who is surprised about the sudden formal attitude of a number of faculties in taking a position. Even though, according to him, the 'open system' of participation during the activities of the committees had worked very well. 'An open system has turned into a formal system again. And that is not so much due to the system as to the participants.'
According to Sistermans the university council should take a position before 7 May not to endanger the time schedule of the reorganisation. The council promised to do that 'if possible before 7 May', and to 'pressure' the relevant faculty councils to submit the missing advice as soon as possible.
