Carol Ou (TiU International): ‘The university must base decisions on data’

In the run-up to the participation council elections, TiU International lead candidate Carol Ou advocates for a lower workload and data-driven policy: ‘In an uncertain time, Tilburg University must make targeted choices in order to remain strong and future-proof.’

What needs to change at Tilburg University?

‘We live in an uncertain time. War, artificial intelligence, geopolitical tensions, budget cuts, and discussions about internationalisation make it difficult to plan far ahead. Precisely for that reason, this is the moment for Tilburg University to make targeted choices and to further strengthen its key strengths.

‘In addition, it is essential to involve staff, students, the University Council, and faculty councils more closely in important decisions, such as the upcoming university strategy for 2027. This is the new five-year plan in which themes such as future resilience, societal impact, interdisciplinarity, and the well-being of staff and students are central.

‘Recent surveys also show that staff structurally experience too high a workload. It is up to the university to create more balance in this.’

What is going well?

‘In recent years, the Executive Board has actively involved all faculties in the development of policy. This results in policy that is better thought-out and more feasible to implement.

‘In addition, Tilburg University has a strong international reputation and ranks highly in international rankings across various disciplines. Finally, the university can rely on excellent staff and delivers high-quality education and research.’

What have you achieved so far for staff?

‘At the initiative of our party, the university’s language policy has been adjusted. Lecturers are not required to teach in Dutch. Programmes are also allowed to choose whether they offer their curriculum in Dutch or English. It remains important, however, to continue monitoring the language policy, as there is still much uncertainty at the national level.

‘Our party has also advocated for greater transparency of information and benchmarking: the systematic comparison of one’s own processes, performance, and education and research activities with those of leading universities in order to identify areas for improvement.

‘The university’s Institutional Research and Analytics Portal (IRAP) now provides staff with access to key figures and reports on enrolments, study progress, student–staff ratios, alumni information, research projects, PhD trajectories, human resources, and finances. We argue that this aggregated information should be used as the basis for data-driven decision-making.’

Why should staff vote for you?

‘Tilburg University must remain internationally and academically strong, support its community, and be innovative and socially relevant. That is why we want to make the university more supportive, more inclusive, and more future-oriented. We aim to achieve this by investing in people, making data-driven decisions, reducing workload, and strengthening collaboration within and outside the university.’

How do you stay connected with staff?

‘For us, staying connected means that the party is accessible, visible, and engaged. That is why TiU International regularly maintains contact with staff and students across all faculties. We share updates and gather information through party meetings and faculty councils. This ensures that we know what is going on, and we take this input into the Council’s discussions.

‘Our goal is to form a bridge between staff, students, and the Executive Board, so that everyone’s voice is heard and represented. People can reach us via our website and mailing list. In addition, you can approach one of our members during faculty activities or events.’

_Advertentie.