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The Assessment Support Panel (ASP) is part of the Board of Examiners and responsible for the quality of assessment. 

The ASP monitors the quality of

• assessment procedures;
• written course exams, either by random sampling or upon request;
• scoring of complex tasks, including scoring of presentations of scientific data, of theses and of research projects (by random sampling).

The ASP collects and analyzes information on

• cum laude graduates of the School per programme;
• percentages of passes per course;
• grades for research projects and writing assignments.

The ASP advises on

• implementing optimal procedures to ensure valid and reliable assessment of learning outcomes;
• professional development of examiners/staff with respect to assessment, based on the survey of assessment quality within GSLS programmes.

The ASP functions as a think tank: the members of the assessment panel possess or acquire knowledge of assessment theory and of the applicability of the multiple forms of assessment for the various educational goals set by the GSLS programmes.

More information and contact

For questions or advice regarding assessment, please contact the Assessment Support Panel.

The Board of Admissions (BoA) decides on the admission of applicants to individual Master’s programmes after advices from the programme committees.

The BoA regularly meets every month and consists of the following people:

• Degree director Biomedical Sciences (chair)
• Degree director Biosciences
• Managing director of the GSLS
• Chair of the Board of Examiners / Chair Assessment Support Panel
• Chair of the Educational Committee
• Admissions officer Biomedical Sciences
• Admissions officer Biosciences 

Marit de Kort is secretary of the BoA and can be contacted for BoA-related issues.

• BoA regulations

The Board of Examiners is the body that assesses, in an objective and expert manner, whether a student satisfies the requirements set in the teaching and examinations regulations in relation to the knowledge, insight and skills necessary to obtain a degree. The Board of Examiners has the task and authority to ensure the quality of the examinations, without prejudice. The BoE handles request for exemptions of the EER and Rules and Regulations of the Board of Examiners.

Before sending a request to the BoE take into consideration the following;

• Send the request from your UU student email address
• Formulate your request as concrete and specific as possible
• Mention your student number in the request email
• If the request is related to Osiris Case mention the case number in the request email
• Check the EER and Rules and Regulations for the related rules
• Discuss your request with your programme coordinator before contacting the Board of Examiners
• Send in your request as soon as possible to provide enough time for processing
• The Board of Examiners will decide on your request within 6 weeks

Contact the Board of Examiners

Secretary for Faculty of Medicine for BMS master’s programmes:

Kirsten Boersma-van Nierop, MSc 
Email: BoardofExaminersGSLS@umcutrecht.nl
Tel: +31 (0)6 27356759 
Available on Mon, Tue, Thurs, and Fri.

Secretary for Faculty of Science for Bioscience Master’s programmes:

Nina uit het Broek, MA
Email:  BoardofExaminersGSLS@uu.nl 
Tel: +31 (0)6 42508087
Available on Mon, Tue, Wed, and Thurs.

The deans of the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Veterinary Medicine are in charge of the GSLS. They are advised by the Board of Studies (BoS) that also has the authority to decide on daily matters under the accountability of the director of the GSLS.

Co-deans

Prof. I.W.C.E. Arends, PhD; dean Faculty of Science
Prof. A.W. Hoes, PhD; dean Faculty of Medicine
Prof. D.C.A. Jaarsma, DVM PhD; dean Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Secretary: dr. E. Erdtsieck-Ernste; managing director Utrecht Life Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Board of Studies

Director GSLS and chair BoS:

Prof. H.V.M. van Rijen, PhD; Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine

Vice-chair:

Prof. dr. J.A.G. van Strijp, ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Medical Center Utrecht

Members:

S.E.L. van Grinsven, MSc; PhD candidate
E.N. Wiesner, BSc; MSc student
Prof. C.R. Berkers, PhD; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Prof. B. Snel, PhD; Faculty of Science
Prof. S.M.A. Lens, PhD; Ä¾¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Medical Center Utrecht
Prof. S. van Wees, PhD; Faculty of Science
Prof. ir. L.A. Smit, PhD; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine
Prof. ir. T. Vermonden, PhD; Faculty of Science
Prof. A.C.G. Egberts, PhD; director of doctoral education GSLS
S.B. Ebeling, PhD, managing director PhD Course Center

Secretary:

Shirrinka Goubitz, PhD; managing director GSLS

Support:

Marjan Batist-de Vos (minutes)

The Educational Committee (EC) is composed of 14 members (seven teaching staff members and seven students) who represent the Master’s programmes of the Graduate School of Life Sciences.

Tasks

The main task of the EC consists of assessing and ensuring the quality of education of the Master’s programmes within the School. This is done by evaluating Master’s courses, writing assignments, and research projects using students’ evaluations and teachers’ feedback. The main aspects that are evaluated are the scientific level of the courses, study efficiency and student satisfaction. In addition, the EC looks at the overall quality of all the master’s programs using student opinions, exit evaluations, and a yearly meeting with each master coordinator. The other tasks of the EC include yearly reviewing the Education and Examination Regulations (EER), discussing education-related developments, and making general recommendations to the Board of Studies in order to improve the teaching within the GSLS.

Contact the Educational Committee Life Sciences

If you have any questions, complaints or suggestions concerning education in the Graduate School of Life Sciences, you can contact the Educational Committee via OC-GSLS@uu.nl 

The Faculty Council is an official consultative body for the students and staff of the faculty that is authorised to consult with the dean. These consultations concern faculty-related matters and decisions. The faculty councils have the right of consent or the right of advice in a couple of the dean’s decisions.

EER

For instance, the Education and Examination Regulations (EER) are only introducible when the Faculty Council has approved it. In this way, students and staff members are able to influence regulations regarding education and research.

Three Faculties

Each Faculty Council consists of both students and staff members who are elected by all students and staff members of that particular faculty. Since the Graduate School of Life Sciences is involved in three faculties - the Faculty of Medicine, the Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine - three faculty councils are authorized to monitor the GSLS policy.

With any problems or questions you have, you can contact us:

• Faculty of Medicine / UMC Utrecht
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Veterinary Medicine

The Life Sciences Representatives (LSR) is a student initiative dedicated to advocating for the interests and rights of all master's students of the Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS) at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. We aim to contribute to creating a fair and fulfilling academic journey for us all.

Constitution
The LSR consists of at least one master's student of every GSLS programme. Additionally, all student members of the Educational Committee (EC) and Board of Studies (BoS) are part of the LSR,  along with representatives from each GSLS-associated student association.

Functions

• Advocate for student interests: represent the educational interests of all Master's students of the GSLS, while monitoring student wellbeing
•  Facilitate communication: feedback between the student members of the EC and BoS and the rest of the students;
• Address students concerns: identify problems Master students experience during their studies and help to resolve them by reporting and discussing the problems or complaints in the EC, BoS, programme coordinator meetings, or with the GSLS staff;
• Fill student positions: fill vacant student positions in the EC and BoS at the start of each academic year;
• Recruit new members: promote the LSR and its functions to the new master's students & handle the applications of putative new LSR members at the beginning of every academic year

More information on the Life Science Representatives can be found on the .

The Master Assembly Life Sciences (MALS) is an overarching body that deals with the GSLS-wide coordination of the Master's degrees and its committees. Decisions on GSLS policy, directing GSLS projects, and checking the quality control system are typical tasks of the MALS. It also advises the Board of Studies in certain cases.

The MALS regularly meets on the first Thursday of every month and consists of the following people:

• Managing director of the GSLS (chair)
• Degree director Biomedical Sciences
• Degree director Biosciences
• Chair of the Board of Examiners / Chair Assessment Support Panel
• Chair of the Board of Admissions
• Chair of the Educational Committee
• Policy representative Biomedical Sciences
• Policy representative Biosciences

Marjan Batist-de Vos is secretary of the MALS and can be contacted for MALS-related issues.