Staff Meeting Maagdenhuis
29 February 2015
“We need to recognize the unique momentum for
collaboration”
Discussion points at the meeting
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
General Concerns and Statements
Decentralization & Democracy
Financing issues
Local/National/Global Cooperation
Action/Leverage
Demands
Follow-up
1. Relation to the New University
Students and teachers are part of the same academic community and they should work
together. The New University is a good platform to start collaborative action and address
common concerns.1
2. Decentralization and Democracy
Discussion:
We want decentralization, but are wary of new restructurings yet again. Decentralization
should also mean simplification; returning power to teachers and departments. Democracy
also entails recallability and answerability. We need increased participation of students and
staff in strategic thinking. There is general discontent with the top-down management, which
damages the quality of research and education.
The rector is leaving this summer, there is discussion about elections for a new rector or
board.2
Proposals:
The basic unit of governance is the department, capaciteitsgroepen, institutes etc. This should
be the basic building block of the university. New policies should be decided on at the level
of the faculty department rather than at the managerial level or the CvB.
The most important part of a democracy is recallability an answeareability; this should be an
essential part of the plan to democratize the university.
We need to hold a referendum on the governing structure we want following on the
propositions formulated by the working group.
1
2
Website New uni link; short description of New Uni
As it is in Leuven, article link:
To do:
- Analysis of the structure of the university (Celikates) r.celikates@uva.nl
-
Research into the possibility of an elected board
Investigate in what way we want democracy, on what level
3. Financing Issues
Proposals:
- We should have complete transparent financial management.
- There should be a stop on the financial policy of the UvA and there should be a
control organ to keep a check on this, perhaps at the parliamentary level in The
Hague.
To Do:
-
-
-
Create a committee to keep a check on the budget (the Humanities Faculty now has a
deficit of 7 million euros, how did this happen?), this needs to have one student and
one staff member and perhaps an outside expert.
Agenda point for the following meeting: As long as you manage output financing you
get structural problems, whether you do it democratically or not. This means that we
need to have a fundamental discussion on which departmens and institutes we as a
society consider important. Once you do this, you will have a good structure and
stress will no longer be on production.
Investigate the role of UvA Holding and the rehousing process. None of us have been
consulted on it, this is fact and it is hugely detrimental in our culture and finance
structure.
4. Local, national and global cooperation
Discussion
It has been established that the problems the UvA is facing are both local, national and
global. The CvB could change things, but we should also consider pressing Bussemaker to
revise the MUB.3 We should get support from other countries as well and consider the lack of
democracy and ‘yield thinking’ as a global problem.
To do’s:
3The
law 'Modernisering Universitair Bestuur" or 'Modernisation University Policy', implemented in 1997,
effectively obliterated the possibility for students and staff to influence or change university policy. Their
influence was limited to exclusively advisory positions. To increase efficiency all power was shifted to deans
and board of directors. At the Universities of Twente and Eindhoven this has led to dramatic budget
deficits.Short articlehttp://www.nrc.nl/handelsblad/van/2001/november/23/wantrouwen-op-universiteiten7566448.Full rapport: http://www.rijksoverheid.nl/documenten-en-publicaties/rapporten/2005/10/19/debezinning-op-de-mub-een-tussenstand.html
-
Find out how to solidify working action relationships between both local, national and
international action groups
Use our international networks and contacts to spread these concerns and issues. This
is a global problem. Disseminate the petition at change.org:
https://www.change.org/p/university-of-amsterdam-executive-board-support-the-newuniversity.
-
Draw up a distinction between which issues need to be addressed at what levels.
(Managerialism plagues the local and national level. Some issues need to be
addressed at the national level, some at the local level).
5. Actions and Leverage
Discussion:
Civil disobedience has proved to be necessary. We are organized in so many groups with an
advisory function, but none of this advice is taken into account .4
Proposal:
Revise the New Governance structure
Use the already existing documents
Organize referenda
5.2 Actions, Ideas and Plans
Discussion:
We need to show our support, at least endorse the call for democratization. It is illogical that
the humanities end up high in international rankings and have proven their worth, but that this
is not reflected in policy. The new governance structure must be revised, this is a crucial
point! Let's use the analyses and already existing work and documents on this issue so that
we do not start from scratch.
The benefits and costs of a strike are considered. How does a wildcard or planned strike
impact teachers on temporary contracts or those from outside the EU? All the details
concerning a strike will be discussed at the meeting at the Doelenzaal this Thursday from 12
to 15.
Proposals:
Form workgroups
Strike
Occupy more buildings
Protest against the festivities at the reopening of the Bungehuis
Use and check twitter hashtag #rethinkUvA for online discussion
To do’s:
-
We need to get a statement about “Profiel 2016” out today, an open letter to the Dean.
Students can advise in the FSR and CSR. Staff in the OR, COR, MR. Students and staff advise in the OC’s.
find out their rights.
4
-
Show teacher support for the occupying students
Email your chairs and former chairs to increase the pressure.
Visibility: Teachers need to make themselves heard and become more visible in the
media.
Compile a letter that the advanced grant winners of the UvA need to sign,
Issue a manifesto, a short document on how we envisage the new university
concretely (Fuchtl)
Be at the opening of the Bungehuis, and friendly disrupt it
Sign the petition at change.org and encourage others to sign as well
Make an email list. To joint this list contact Claire Weede: c.v.weeda@uva.nl
6.Demands
1.
2.
3.
4.
Democratic election of university board
Change allocation model.
Cancellation of current Profiel 2016
Referendum per institute and programme about the UvA and VU collaboration at the
FNWI
5. Right balance between permanent contracts and flexible staff appointments
6. Open debate about housing costs in relation to budget cuts in research and education5
Discussion:
1: We have 3 people to address: Frank van Vree, The CVB, The Hague.
2. Change of allocation model: finance based on input, not on efficiency is too general. We
need a balance between input and output.
3. Have staff input, need concrete suggestions.
To do’s:
-
Have meetings with staff and students about Profiel 2016, talk to FSR, CSR and
OC’s, formulate ideaS about how to continue
Further investigate what the effects of UvA holding are.
Organize discussion about UvA holding, and about housing costs
7. Follow-up
Monday:
Stop Profile 2016;
opening of the Bungehuis at 10:30, action/ protest at this festivity
Tuesday:
PHD council of the Faculty of Humanities has discussion
Wednesday: Next meeting, see “datumprikker”, else at 16:00.
Thursday :
Meeting 12-15 at de Doelenzaal about possibilities to strike and other ways to
enforce our demands and increase democratization. There will be unions with
the knowledge about the legal details concerning a strike
Article about Binnenstadcampus, REC, etc. law of 1995? About giving universities responsibilities ove
rbuildings
5
Time next meeting at 16:00, unless everyone prefers another time:
http://datumprikker.nl/pgxuzievcekagexx/
1. Opening
2. Check minutes – 10 minute
a. Right representation of discussion? What can be added?
b. To do’s: who does what?
3. Set agenda – 5 minutes
4. Discuss results Research group – 20 minutes
5. Discuss results taskforce Stop Profiel 2016 – 20 minutes
6. Discuss & formulate long term goals – 15 minutes
7. Any Other Bussiness
8. Formulate to do’s, assign tasks – 15 minutes
9. Recap
a. What decisions have been made?
b. Who does what?
10. close