The University Council issued an unsolicited recommendation to the Executive Board in response to the Opening of the Academic Year on 1 September. Apart from the protests and concerns surrounding keynote speaker Dick Schoof, the University Council wondered aloud whether the academic ceremony serves the entire community of students and staff.
More inclusive
After all, the 'OAY' has been taking place in the Wilminktheater in the city center of Enschede in recent years. Moreover, lectures are scheduled on that day, which means that many students and staff cannot attend at all.
What the University Council notes, in a nutshell: the OAY mainly focuses on external relations and guests and there is no 'complementary, UT-wide opening to strengthen external relations and celebrate the start of the new year'. Exactly that is the council's unsolicited advice: make sure there is such a UT-wide and more inclusive event.
'Tried before'
President of the Executive Board Vinod Subramaniam thought it was a positive suggestion from the council, but did not fully go along with it. 'We've tried something like this before, but it didn't really work. However, we can certainly explore how we can create a more decentral moment to start the new year, or share a video message with all students and staff. We will take your suggestions on board to make the OAY more inclusive, but I don't want to commit directly to setting up a completely new event.'
