Rector Tom Veldkamp informed those involved about the decision and the next steps on Thursday afternoon. The plan is for DesignLab to focus on education and educational innovation, serving as a UT-wide hub in that role. ‘DesignLab supports UT-wide educational initiatives, brings together faculties, students, and external partners, and contributes to the development of educational innovation,’ according to a message on the employee portal.
End of research activities
This decision also means that DesignLab will permanently discontinue its research activities, effectively implementing a decision the Executive Board already took several months ago. According to the board, ‘initiatives such as citizen science and open science are firmly embedded across the faculties’. However, DesignLab will still be able to conduct research into educational innovation ‘when the initiative originates from a faculty’.
The choice of this scenario marks the next stage in the facility’s reorganisation process, which was announced last July. The changes will have staffing implications, with three positions expected to be eliminated.
Relocation
Several issues remain unclear, including where DesignLab will be positioned organisationally. At present, the Faculty of EEMCS acts as the lead faculty. Plans were being developed to embed the facility within the Faculty of ET, but these have not yet been finalised. The new location is also still uncertain. DesignLab is set to relocate by the end of 2027.
‘Inappropriate timing’
The University Council also raised concerns about the reorganisation process on Wednesday. One of those concerns was that much of the process took place in the absence of DesignLab director Sabine Wildevuur. According to the council, other points of concern included the lack of a business case and the absence of an alternative scenario should DesignLab ultimately be unable to find a place within the Faculty of ET.
The council’s main concern, however, was the timing of the reorganisation. The reorganisation plan was initially scheduled to become final on 14 December, just before the Christmas break. The council described that timing as ‘inappropriate’, particularly if redundancy discussions were to take place at that point. The Executive Board agreed with that. The final decision will therefore be taken one week earlier.
