Set back as student council votes against relocation of information sciences to VU

Almost two weeks ago the general assembly (‘GV’ in Dutch) of the central participatory councils of the UvA voted against the twenty-million investment earmarked to relocate the UvA’s Information Sciences department from Science Park to the VU. Last Monday the board of the faculty faced yet another set back when the faculty student council voted to scrap the whole relocation plan altogether. In a letter sent by president of the faculty student council Esther de Boer to faculty dean Peter van Tienderen, De Boer stated that the council did not find a relocation necessary.

De Boer went on to say that the proposal lacked ‘educational sense and vision’ and that the interdisciplinary nature of the courses in their current state would be at stake. She also suggested that there would be a decrease in the level of educational support should the relocation go ahead. The student council has also voiced concerns over a loss of ‘UvA identity’ were UvA students to attend lectures on the VU campus.

Ailed participation

The student council has also expressed concerns over student representation. It suggested that UvA students, were they were to attend lectures in the NU building of the VU (currently under construction), would not be represented by the VU’s participation councils. De Boer writes: ‘UvA students cannot apply as candidates for the faculty or central participation councils of the VU. They will also be unable to vote for or against the council members who represent them. This is despite the fact that UvA students will be at the VU daily.’ Dean Van Tienderen has yet to answer De Boer’s letter.

Workers Council

The faculty’s Workers’ Council voted on the issue last Monday. Of a total of fifteen council members, three were absent. Of those present, the vote was split 50-50. A second vote will be held on Monday 3 April but the council will be considered to have rejected the relocation if the vote is once again equally split.