The University Council referred to two Code Red warnings earlier this year, during extreme heat in the summer and a storm in the winter. The summer warning coincided with an exam period, causing uncertainty for both students and lecturers. The exam timetable had to be rearranged, alternative locations had to be found, and it was unclear whether classes would go ahead. Many decisions were made on an ad hoc basis, and there was no central message.
The University Council said on Wednesday that the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute (KNMI) expects more extreme weather in the coming years due to climate change, meaning that situations like these will occur more often. ‘It is high time we had protocols for exceptional circumstances.’
Rector Tom Veldkamp responded that the heat earlier this year caught everyone by surprise. He also believes that a set procedure should be put in place. ‘The only question is how far we should go.’ He believes weather warnings provide a useful guideline. ‘With a protocol, everyone knows what to expect and implementing it will go more smoothly.’
Vice-president Machteld Roos sees developing such procedures as a task for the crisis team, which she chairs. She proposed holding an annual university-wide exercise similar to the OZON exercise, SURF’s biennial sector-wide cyber crisis exercise, to see what lessons can be learned and how these can be used to develop a standard procedure.
University Council member Tjerk Zweers asked whether students would have a say in this. Roos confirmed that they would. Asked by the University Council how public transport strikes should be dealt with, the Executive Board member said: ‘The principle is the same: it needs to be clear who makes the final decisions.’
