Central Student Council buries the hatchet with UvA administration
The Central Student Council has decided, after an internal vote, to lift its motion of no confidence in UvA’s Executive Board. However, the council says that this vote “does not mean the end of a struggle for structural change within the co-determination council of the UvA.”
The Central Student Council (CSR) decided to restore formal communication with the Boardafter several internal meetings. Communication was severed by the CSR last spring after the council passed a vote of no confidence in the UvA board, which allegedly charged students far too high institutional tuition fees. An issue, incidentally, that was disputed by the UvA.
A mediation process was initiated to restore trust. “The issue of institutional tuition fees was raised and dealt with in that process,” says CSR chair Stefana Feciuc. “Yet the underlying concern of the CSR remained: we noticed that issues were not treated with due seriousness and that meaningful action was taken only after the situation had escalated into a vote of no confidence.” The CSR’s distrust of the CvB was reaffirmed shortly afterwards, Feciuc said, following “the violent eviction” of the (tent) camps on campuses REC and University Quarter (BG4). The CSR was ultimately concerned not only with the institutional tuition fee issue, but also with the UvA’s cooperation with Israeli universities, the right to demonstrate and the safety of students in doing so.
De-escalation mechanism
Agreements have now been reached between the CSR and the Board around various issues. Among other things, the SRC will have the right of consent on the new house rules and the right of advice on the ethical framework for partnerships with third parties and a say in crisis policy processes.
Moreover, to avoid problems in the future, the CSR and CvB have agreed to work together on a de-escalation mechanism. That is, they want to set up a system whereby the CSR does not have to resort to a vote of no confidence when problems arise.
Quality Assurance Review
The fact that a line has now been drawn under mistrust means that the CSR and the Board can move forward together again. This is also necessary, because in the short term, the joint council of employees and students must advise on and approve the UvA Budget 2025. At the beginning of next year, the UvA will also face the periodic Institutional Quality Assurance Review. This external and independent assessment of internal quality assurance would be seriously delayed in the event of a non-functioning or half-functioning council.
Board president Edith Hooge is pleased with the happy outcome. “I am pleased with the CSR’s decision to resume formal consultations. This provides a good basis for professional employee participation. The UvA needs a well-functioning council; input and advice from students are part of good governance of the university, especially in the coming period: the UvA is facing possible major cutbacks, the draft budget has just been made and the institutional quality assurance test is coming up. These are topics where we also need the voice of students.”
