Everything you need to know about the university elections

It won’t be long before election fever will break out at Tilburg University. In a few weeks, the campus will turn into a fierce battleground for votes as student parties SAM and Front compete for a majority in the University Council. Not sure what the elections are all about or how to use your voting power wisely? Here’s everything you need to know.

Who can vote in the 2018 university elections?

All students and employees of Tilburg University who were registered as a student or staff member on 2 February 2018 are entitled to vote.

When can I vote?

The elections are held from April 17th until April 19th. Employees get a head start and can start voting one day earlier, on the 16th, while students have to wait until the 17th before they can cast their votes. Voting ends for everyone on April 19th at 4pm.

Where can I vote?

Voting is done electronically, so you can vote from your computer or from any other device that is connected to the internet. When the elections start, a link to the voting application will be sent to your Tilburg University email address. To cast your vote, you need to click the link and log in with your TiU username and password. It’s also possible to vote at one of the booths that student parties SAM and Front will set up on campus during the election days.

Is there a dresscode?

No, although it may seem like there is. Don’t worry if you’re the only one who didn’t show up on campus wearing an all-blue or all-green outfit during election days. The campus will be swarming with 180 campaigners for student parties SAM and Front during the election days, who are dressed in blue or green depending on the party they represent. These blue-or-green campaigners are notorious for being pushy. Armed with iPads, they will try to convince you to vote for their party on the spot. Because many students feel bothered or even intimidated by the campaigners, the maximum number of campaigners for each student party has been reduced to 90 this year.

What are the elections about?

The elections are about student and employee participation in Tilburg University’s decision-making processes. Students and employees are represented in the University Council and in the various Faculty Councils. They are elected by the students and staff of Tilburg University. During the annual elections, you can cast your vote for the central University Council and for the decentral Faculty Councils. In the University Council election, you can vote for one of two student parties: SAM or Front. In addition, you can vote for a representative in your Faculty Council.

What are the differences between SAM and Front?

Although their programs and standpoints show many similarities, SAM and Front have different priorities and party pillars. SAM aims to represent the ambitious student, primarily focusing on quality of education, student facilities and extracurricular development. SAM strives for more video lectures and flexible education. Other important themes are creating sufficient study places on campus and increasing the university’s investment in teachers. Front appeals to the active student, primarily focusing on facilitating extracurricular activities, internationalization and improving communication. Front strives for tuition fee exemption for students who are doing a board year, and the abolishment of evening lectures. In addition, the party wants to develop an online appointment system for the student desk and a chatting app that allows students to communicate more easily with deans, teachers and other staff members. 

_Advertentie.