Human Rights Frameworks, Budget Updates, and Some Exciting Plans for Next Year
Dear members of the UM Community,
The end of the academic year is always a busy period; on the one hand, projects that have been in the works for a long time must be completed, while, on the other hand, preparations for future years need to be made. And all of this is happening in a volatile political time. The University Council has been working hard to play its role in all these developments.
This spring, our university was rocked by protests calling for the severing of ties with institutions in the Middle East. In this context, the Executive Board fast-tracked the development of a Human Rights Due Diligence framework, setting out a process for evaluating partnerships in conflict areas. However, such a policy cannot be developed without input from the University Council, and that is why the Council had extra meetings. As this policy is developed further, we will continue to be involved.
During the last committee meetings, in which the Council discusses policies in detail before the formal plenary, the Council received an update on how the execution of the strategic program is going. The Council also discussed several documents, including the new student charter, which has been made a lot more user-friendly, and next year’s admissions policy for undergraduate programs with a numerus fixus. Furthermore, the council considered the Executive Board’s proposal for the allocation of Board moths, which offer financial support to students who take leading roles in student organizations and representative councils.
The Council received an update on the university’s finances in the annual report 2023 and the financial report on the first four months of the year. The university is in good financial health, with income and expenditure in balance. This is a beneficial position for dealing with the incoming government’s higher education policies. The Council will monitor the national developments and their impact on Maastricht University.
Next year will once again be a busy year. The Council will be closely involved in considering the proposed intensified cooperation with the academic hospital and begin a collaboration with the Maastricht University city council. We will also begin the search for a new member of the Supervisory Board, as one of the five members is nominated by the University Council and this position will become vacant. Moreover, we will and discuss how the university will continue its efforts to reduce work pressure.
Lastly, the Council has been busy ensuring newly elected members are ready to take up their duties in September. This also means that we will soon be saying goodbye to the outgoing members. On behalf of the entire university community, I would like to thank them for their time and effort to represent the interests of staff and students. It’s not always an easy job, and rarely what you expect, but it’s always informative and engaging.
Teun Dekker
Chair University Council
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T.J. DekkerMore articles from T.J. DekkerTeun J Dekker (1980) is Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences Education at University College Maastricht, where he teaches courses on the intersection of the Social Sciences and the Humanities, including History of Political Thought and Distributive Justice in Contemporary Political Philosophy.
As Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences Education, his main duties are:
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