Is the UvA Board of Directors frustrating the referendum?
According to student activist groups, the UvA Board of Directors, by neglecting the referendum, is actually frustrating the process of democratisation. President of the Board of Directors Geert ten Dam says she doesn’t recognise herself in this criticism.
In another chapter in the story unfolding around the referendum controversies, activist groups have been criticising the University of Amsterdam’s Board of Directors for the past week. ‘It is frustrating democratisation,’ according to student activist groups Humanities Rally, De Nieuwe Universiteit and students union ASVA.
In a referendum that started this week, students and employees will be able to choose between four different models of governance. The so called blue model represents the least amount of reform, calling for ‘quick fixes’ such as giving more administrative assistance to student councils in order to help improve democratic legitimisation of the university’s governance structure.
The green model is the most drastic proposal, and is the preferred choice of the activist groups that were involved in the occupation of the Maagdenhuis last year. According to the green model, students and employees will decide on all rules and policy via elected managers and directors.
Campaigns
The outcome of the referendum could thus have major consequences for the way the university is organised. A lot is at stake and, according to activist groups, the Board of Directors should do more to facilitate students and employees campaigning for their model of preference.
Worries first arose when Karen Maex and Geert ten Dam said that the Board members did not want to comment on whether or not they would implement the referendum outcome in an interview with Folia. ‘Democracy is not a goal in itself,’ president of the Board of Directors Geert ten Dam said. ‘It is a means to improve education, research and innovation’.
Letter
The activist groups published an open letter in which they suggested the Board of Directors wanted to suppress turnout so that it could go on to neglect the referendum outcome. The activists expect the Board to further frustrate democratisation at the UvA.
In an open letter published on Sunday, ASVA, De Nieuwe Universiteit and Humanities Rally suggested the Board should do more to facilitate the referendum and the campaign.
At least everyone entitled to vote should be informed how to cast their vote, the activists wrote. The Board should do more to promote the referendum by pasting posters on the walls of UvA buildings and by providing tables in UvA buildings where groups that want to campaign for one of the models can do so.
Turnout
The Board of Directors responded with a brief statement. ‘The Board of Directors doesn’t recognise the criticism expressed by the activist groups,’ Geert ten Dam told Folia. She directly addressed the student activists: ‘We cannot do everything but we believe, just like you, that a high voter turnout is important and we will contribute our part to realise this [high turnout].’
Ten Dam refers to a UvA webpage with a list of things the university is doing to promote and facilitate the referendum and the campaign. She says the Board of Directors spreads ‘neutral voter turnout increasing messages’ on multiple websites of the university and on Facebook.
The Maagdenhuis, the seat of the university board, is available for organising debates. And the Board of Directors supports the Students Council organising activities that should stimulate students and employees to get to the ballot box.
