The fact that active student life at UT is under pressure is no secret. Create Tomorrow, for example, has been cancelled several times because there were not enough students willing to organise the student think tank. Last year, the organisation of the Batavierenrace and the Kick-In was also at risk for the same reason.
‘The system risks collapsing’
The Student Union’s annual report prompted the University Council to discuss the developments. ‘Board positions, both part-time and full-time, are becoming increasingly less popular, even though these roles form the foundation of the entire system’, the council wrote in a letter.
A particularly worrying sign was that the Student Union itself, the driving force behind active student life, had great difficulty recruiting new board members. ‘If student initiatives such as the Student Union are unable to find enough students, the entire system of active student participation at UT risks collapsing.’
No monitor
How persistent the problem is, and whether there is a downward trend, cannot currently be determined. According to the Student Union’s annual report, no Active Student Monitor was conducted last year because of unforeseen workload pressures caused by the transition from the FOBOS scheme to the new StOF system. The University Council did acknowledge the efforts of both the Student Union and the Executive Board to improve the situation.
‘A major problem, with no simple solution’
Rector Tom Veldkamp said he recognised the picture being outlined. ‘It is on our radar, and encouraging active student life is part of our institutional plan. We are still working on concrete measures and initiatives to make this happen,’ said the rector.
Veldkamp also pointed to another issue. ‘We are seeing it within our programmes as well, with students not showing up at lectures. That does not align with our educational model, which is based on collaboration and interaction. It is a major problem, but there is no simple solution.’
The rector hopes to work together with the University Council and other stakeholders to strengthen active student life. What concrete measures may emerge from those discussions remains to be seen.
