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At Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ, we strive for an engaged community of staff, students, alumni and cooperation partners, in which togetherness, equality and a common focus are central. This diverse and inclusive community welcomes staff and students from all walks of life. In a culture of academic freedom, all perspectives are heard, open and honest conversations are held, and leadership is a core competency. This is the foundation for the quality of our education and research; it promotes resilience and it increases work and study enjoyment. An engaged community is a source of strength and a prerequisite for achieving our ambitions.

Open culture

Looking at issues from multiple perspectives encourages nuanced and critical reflection. Recognising and acknowledging everyone's input and strengths promotes equality and inclusion. Yet we also sometimes face challenges in our open culture, as differences in personal, social, economic and cultural backgrounds, views and experiences make it difficult at times to 'understand' each other properly. This even leads to polarisation in some cases. Tensions can then arise around sensitive issues, leading to feelings of insecurity among students and staff.

Social safety

Social safety is an important prerequisite for an engaged community. High workloads and an informal culture combined with hierarchical dependencies make us especially vulnerable in this respect. We have developed policies and measures to enhance social safety. Much has been done to raise awareness and remove barriers to reports and requests for help. Accessible guidance and support offerings have also been implemented for students and staff. In the coming period, we will focus on more systematic monitoring of the effects of interventions through the employee satisfaction monitor and risk inventories and evaluations. Workload remains a key issue here.

Student well-being

As part of the graduate attributes, students learn to behave respectfully with an open, appreciative attitude towards others and their environment. They learn to listen attentively and carry out open conversations with fellow students, teachers and society. Teachers and tutors are supported in monitoring student well-being, guiding and coaching students and promoting their welfare, within the framework of what is possible within education and the role of a teacher.

Open conversations

In a free academic community, it is important that there is always room for nuanced, open conversations, based on mutual respect and listening to each other. We therefore encourage an open culture of conversation. Staying in conversation, even when there is friction, brings us closer together as a community. Administrators, managers, staff and students are responsible for this individually and also collectively. The desired culture includes giving and receiving feedback. Key concepts in this are speaking out, discussing, making agreements and calling to account. This is not always easy, especially when it comes to appropriate/inappropriate behaviour and good manners in the workplace. An effectively developed open conversation culture helps prevent friction, contributes to productive collaborations and increases the quality and enjoyment of our work.

Team spirit

Utrecht's TRIPLE employee development and rewards policy applies to all university staff, both at individual and team level. Team spirit and leadership are central to this. Team spirit is about connecting individual and joint goals, and fostering collegiality, cooperation, trust, exchange and mutual commitment. They are crucial elements for the open culture we strive for and for the way we work, as individuals and together.

Leadership

There are three dimensions to the Utrecht leadership profile: personal, organisational and strategic leadership. Good leadership provides direction, motivates and inspires staff and students, and creates connection. In an open culture, personal leadership is a core competency for everyone. For managers, leadership additionally includes managing a team, fostering team spirit, ensuring support and connection with surrounding people, and contributing to organisational goals. Managers pay attention to the well-being and professional and personal development of their team members, contributing to their sustained employability. We have invested heavily in leadership development and we will continue to do so.

Next chapter:

• Focus on Sustainable Transitions