Voting guide for students
From 12 to 14 May, there are elections for the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Council. In this voting guide, you will find the most important positions of the five student parties.
Student Life
What do the parties support when it comes to student life?
- believes that being part of a community enriches student life and contributes to self development of students, and is proud of the many student organisations enriching Utrecht.
- believes all student organisations, such as study associations and foundations, student associations, but also sports and cultural associations, are entitled to the right supervision and support, financial or otherwise.
- believes UU should require student organisations to provide a (socially) safe environment, with space for everyone to participate and be themselves.
- has the opinion that transgressive behaviour in all forms and irresponsible use of alcohol and drugs should not be tolerated in any context.
- fights for higher governance grants; because student organisations play gigantic roles in the development of students and the current financial pressure should not be a limiting factor in this.
- stands for student sports; a big part of Utrecht student life, which currently sees too little investments.
- believes it is important that the value of a year in governance of a student organisation becomes known to employers. This is why the PvdUS lobbies for a social certificate which can show this.
- supports the ties between student organisations and the university, because these contribute to students' self-development and other developments.
- believes supermarket chains besides Spar should be able to establish themselves at Utrecht Science Park to increase freedom of choice and solve the problem-neighbourhood status of the Science Park.
- wants there to be more spaces where students can meet informally; there are sufficient study rooms, but relaxation rooms are lacking.
- believes that when it comes to building student housing, other locations than the Science Park should be looked at. Elsewhere in Utrecht too, residences should be able to be built.
- speaks out in favour of start-ups founded by WO, HBO and MBO students receiving space to settle at Utrecht Science Park. This enables us to support student initiatives. Think along the lines of a bicycle repair shop, a thrift shop or a kitchen by students for students.
- wants an expansion of sports facilities on campus and access to these facilities by partially subsidising sports memberships.
- strives for discount systems for UU students in campus restaurants.
- demands the availability of a broader menu on campus and in the (campus) restaurants with opening hours in the evenings and weekends.
- demands more BHV support for student societies in order to continue to easily organise activities for students.
- believes life as a student is a celebration of knowledge and friendship, and therefore supports the blossoming of associations as sources of inspiration and personal development.
- argues for a restrained substantial interference of the university in student associations, as their independence and creative freedom are important to their identities and their meaning within life as a student.
- strives for the improvement of personal development besides the degree programme, for instance by raising governance grants to show Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ appreciates the valuable efforts of students involved in governance.
- strives for student associations to be sanctuaries for the full spectrum of opinions within the university community, and that they carry out a facilitating role in the improvement of an inclusive dialogue in this framework.
Education
What do the parties support when it comes to education?
- believes UU should provide education which links up with current events and seeks connection with current social issues.
- has the opinion that qualitative education shows diverse perspectives and world views in order to educate students into critical world citizens.
- believes education should focus on learning instead of achieving; the 4.0 resit arrangement does not link up with this and should be abolished.
- devotes itself to anonymous examinations as the new norm at the university.
- devotes itself to the securing of the quality of education for students' benefit.
- resists the new reservation system of the ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ Library, in which each spot has to be reserved.
- will continue to devote itself to flexible studying and the flexibilisation of education, as this is in line with our vision of a university which assumes the circumstances of the students themselves.
- devotes itself to the abolition of the 4 as the minimum and wants a central arrangement for this.
- believes there should be uniform rules for students passing subjects at Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ. Compensation rules currently vary per degree programme, which results in inequality.
- believes grade compensation within the same subject should always be possible. This is not to make passing easier, but to make sure that students are assessed on a broader set of skills instead of just one grade. So three nines and a 5.4 should receive higher appreciation than four sixes.
- wants to reward students better for obtaining high grades; this is in part achieved with compensation possibilities. This motivates students to obtain higher grades than a 5.5.
- believes lecturers know what students need than the board. Give lecturers more flexibility in order to better supervise students and arrange their classes.
- strives for digitally accessible education material for students who have difficulty with physical access.
- demands the abolishment of the 4.0 resit arrangement, which bars students who score lower than a 4.0 from resitting a test.
- demands the implementation of a standard annual printing credit for UU students so they can print freely when required.
- strives for education which does not go overboard into ideologically driven agendas, in which intellectual freedom and objectivity take centre stage.
- supports an academic environment in which academic excellence, such as cum laude, is recognised, rewarded and encouraged.
- believes Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ should proactively enhance ties with Dutch society, such as by intensifying collaborations with MBO and HBO institutions.
- speaks out in favour of innovation of education and investments in the professional development of lecturers.
Diversity and Inclusion
What do the parties think about diversity and inclusion?
- believes everyone, regardless of sexuality, gender, descent, physical and mental circumstances or background, has the same right to accessible and qualitative education.
- devotes itself to provisions for students for whom participation in the university community is not to be taken for granted, such as first-generation students, students with migration backgrounds or students with disabilities.
- has provided better quiet rooms, gender-neutral toilets and free menstruation products for all students at UU.
- believes in the power of diversity within education: only by showing various perspectives, can UU provide the best education.
- PvdUS stands for a university where students feel both welcome and heard.
- believes student societies which are guilty of misconduct, such as disseminating "banga lists", should receive stricter punishments.
- believes diversity is proven to improve more effective decision making. This is a part of the reason why RUPS supports diversity initiatives.
- believes targeted attacks on marginalised groups by means of destroying pride flags or religious objects, among other things, should be opposed actively.
- believes freedom of speech and self expression are indispensable in these troublesome times.
- strives for selection procedures for numerus-fixus degree programmes which provide equal opportunities to students who do not have highly-educated parents.
- wishes to retain free menstruation products and more awareness of it on campus.
- demands the retaining of EDI (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion) as a central organ at UU in order to not fall behind institutionally in regards to a more inclusive climate at the university.
- demands a consistent further development of quiet rooms on campus in order to have spaces which link up with students' needs.
- values the improvement of diversity of thought and everyone's right to freely express his or her opinions, including divergent ones.
- resists diversity quotas, because people are to be judged on their qualities and not on background characteristics.
- believes everyone is welcome at the university, but does not believe identity politics and symbolic measures improve diversity and inclusion, and sometimes have the opposite effect.
- speaks out in favour of prayer rooms for all religions and inclusive cafeterias, with attention for a varied menu, including halal options and meat products.
Students' Well-Being
What do the parties believe is important about students' wellbeing?
- believes UU should take an active role in improving students' well-being.
- devotes itself to adequate and low-threshold supervision of students, such as tutoring, study advisors, student psychologists and well-being training programmes.
- believes in the role of community and informal healthcare in the prevention of mental problems and therefore believes UU should devote itself to community building, among other things by good and accessible support from student organisations.
- devotes itself to better facilities and quality of life at Utrecht Science Park, such as an adequate supermarket, more hospitality and sports establishments, and better healthcare facilities.
- believes in seeing your student years as a period of development which revolves around more than just studying, but that the current pressure to perform results in too much focus being put on the studying itself.
- has the opinion that how to prevent psychological problems among students instead of solving them should be looked into from the top-down and across the entire system.
- has the opinion that the well-being of students is not a sum of individual cases, but a negative development which should be viewed from the perspective of the system.
- believes that the rising costs in living expenses and the rising interest rates on study grants have resulted in too little attention from the university for self-development.
- speaks out in favour of better informing students on Confidential Advisors and available facilities for social safety and mental well-being.
- believes that social-safety initiatives, such as the ‘Safe and Sound Festival’, should not be cancelled over budget cuts.
- acknowledges that not every student feels the call to join an association. This is why there should be more low-threshold social activities which are open to everyone. This to help with the loneliness problems our generation faces.
- wishes for workshops on physical health like there are for mental health too.
- demands the development of programmes on financial education in order to teach students to deal with their finances and debts better.
- asks for sufficient Confidential Advisors and student psychologists for each faculty and the visibility required for that.
- advances personal responsibility among students, because academic growth goes hand in hand with independence and personal development, in order to prepare for the professional reality outside the university bubble.
- strives for prevention of psychological complaints by giving more attention to the development of life skills.
- wants a university which encourages altruism and stimulates students to look after each other.
- speaks out in favour of an environment in which students with deviating opinions and beliefs feel safe to express these freely.
Sustainability
What do the parties think about sustainability?
- believes UU, as one of the biggest educational institutions in the Netherlands, should take on a leading role in the counteracting of the climate crisis.
- believes UU should cut all ties with the fossil industry.
- devotes itself to a climate-neutral university by 2030; for instance, VUUR has made sure that the temperature in all UU buildings is reduced in order to save energy.
- has made sure there are coffee machines for plant-based and gluten-free coffee at the university.
- believes that aiming for sustainability should be one of the leading strategic principles of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ.
- supports the resolution of UU to be climate neutral by 2030.
- is critical of the ties of the university with non-sustainable companies.
- strongly believes that Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ as an organisation can make more use of the knowledge we have in the field of sustainability. For instance, students should be able to have an additional job to think along on the problems of the university regarding sustainability.
- speaks out in favour of more physical greening up of the university, both to improve sustainability and for a more appealing campus.
- believes Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ should retain its leading role in the field of sustainability. With this, it can continue to challenge other universities.
- strives for a climate-neutral university by 2030.
- believes austerity measures and more sustainability can coexist. For instance, setting a smarter thermostat is both cheaper and more climate friendly.
- strives for sustainability policy which considers retaining quality of life.
- wishes for more green on campus.
- strives for less waste of food in campus restaurants.
- strives for timeless sustainability by means of constructing with materials and aesthetic designs which withstand the test of time.
- wants sustainability plans which aim for realistic goals and will not result in excessive expenses for students.
- stands for a balanced approach to sustainability in which economic interests are not forgotten.
- wants an open debate on climate, in which all sustainability plans can be criticised.
Internationalisation
What do the parties think about internationalisation?
- sees that science transcends national borders and believes UU should continue to devote itself to international collaboration.
- believes combining various international perspectives, both in education and outside the classroom, is an enrichment to all students.
- believes UU should devote itself to reducing the gap between Dutch and international students by, for instance, organising a Cultural Appreciation Week.
- has the opinion UU should devote itself to supervision and language courses for international students in order to increase the chances to stay in the Netherlands for those who want to.
- believes in a high quality of education at a university where everyone feels welcome.
- supports the slowing down of an intake of international students, if this benefits the quality of education.
- devotes itself to a university with an international profile where everyone feels welcome.
- believes exchange programmes can be an important part of your time as a student and fit within the free development we all should be able to pursue in our time as students.
- believes international students should also be represented in the making of decisions relevant to the entire university.
- speaks out in favour of the university more actively involving international students in the academic community.
- believes the university should support projects such as the Buddy Programme, in which international students are introduced to the local student culture by local students.
- believes Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ should critically re-evaluate international ties with other universities.
- demands the severing of ties with Israeli universities, as long as it has not been ruled out that they directly or indirectly contribute to apartheid.
- wants a critical view to be cast on the pros and cons of Bachelor's programmes taught in English.
- strives for a guarantee of quality in education with which UU diplomas continue to be held in high regard internationally.
- strives for the retaining of the Dutch identity within our university by maintaining Dutch as the main language and the language of publications.
- supports measures to balance the intake of international students with the needs of Dutch society, considering the limited access to their degree programmes and housing of choice caused by, among other things, preferential treatment for international students.
- wants to bring the intake of international students in line with the capacity of Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ, so the quality of supervision as well as students' experiences are significantly enhanced.
- believes academics have more to gain from internationalisation than the practically educated, and therefore wants Utrecht ľ¹Ï¸£ÀûÓ°ÊÓ to focus more on local problems Dutch society is facing in order to narrow the gap.