ISO: Student participation leaves much to be desired
Colleges and universities do not listen carefully to their students when they spend the extra millions they receive. The collaboration with the participation councils is difficult, concludes the ISO after an inventory.
Image: Pixabay
The Intercity Student Consultation (ISO) is going with a straight leg: students are not given enough say in improving their education, despite the agreements made in April. The student organization came to this conclusion after a tour of all participation councils of colleges and universities. “The practice is more unruly than hoped,” says ISO chairman Tom van den Brink.
Now that the basic grant has been abolished, millions are released with which colleges and universities can improve their education. In 2019, EUR 184 million will become available and that amount will increase to EUR 550 million in 2024.
No consent
The ISO states that a number of colleges and universities do not involve their central and faculty participation councils in the plans in time, do not provide them with full information and do not allocate sufficient task hours.
The report mentions few institutions by name. Earlier it was announced that the University Council of Leiden University did not agree with the quality plans because members of the faculty councils felt 'put out of play' by 'incorrect and incomplete information'. Things did not go smoothly at the University of Amsterdam either: the student council drew the short straw there.
Moreover, says the report, board members often put pressure on the participation councils to approve before 1 January 'because the NVAO education inspector would otherwise not approve the plans' and 'the institution will not receive the money'. Incorrectly, according to the ISO, because the plans do not have to be final until six weeks before NVAO assesses them.
Growing pains
The VSNU university association regrets that the ISO has opted for the attack. VSNU spokesperson Bart Pierik: "It is worthwhile to us that the participation councils are well informed." If this is not done sufficiently, NVAO can reject the plans and the institutions will lose money. The VSNU understands that there are growing pains in the first year of this process. "But then we have to work together to see what the problem is and how we can do it better."
The Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (VH) also regrets that the student organization did not first discuss the findings of the study with her.
