Bob van den Brand (Independents): ‘In times of budget cuts, staff need to know where they stand’
A realistic workload, faster decision-making and more certainty for staff: these are the key points advocated by list leader Bob van den Brand of the Independents in the run-up to the participation elections. His faction wants to keep the Executive Board on track during times of budget cuts.
What needs to change at Tilburg University?
‘We are a good university, let me start with that. But right now, staff need clear, transparent and preferably faster decisions. Decisions in which the vision of Tilburg University is recognisable.
‘To give a simple example: a restructuring is coming, but where will staff from departments and directorates end up? For those people, it is really important to know. Another example is the language requirements. What will be expected of you as an international? What are the plans?
‘So Board, come up with a comprehensive plan for the budget, and don’t just present what seem like easy cost-cutting measures at first glance, such as those at the Language Center. Of course, we understand that creating such an overarching plan takes time, but with such a plan you can move forward and staff will better know where they stand.’
What is going well?
‘I think we have fantastic staff who deliver high-quality work. That applies to education, to excellent research, and to all the support staff at the university.’
What have you achieved so far?
‘We have long advocated for a smarter and shorter academic calendar. And the Executive Board has listened to us, because a project group has now been set up to seriously work on this.
‘In addition, during the budget cuts to higher education by the previous cabinet, we helped prevent unnecessary layoffs.
Elections on campus
Tilburg University is governed in consultation with students and staff. Who should represent your interests in the divisional committees, faculty councils, and the University Council? From Monday, April 20 to Wednesday, April 22, you can cast your vote during the participation elections.
Univers speaks with candidates for the University Council. What needs to change at Tilburg University, what is already going well, and what have the participation parties actually achieved so far?
‘We also organised the relay strike in Tilburg together with the unions against cuts to higher education. Our colleague Marinus Verhagen stood on the main stage at Willemsplein, while Huub den Ouden handled the technical support and organisation, and I myself gave teach-outs in the city.’
Why should staff vote for you?
‘We want to invest in people. That is especially important in times of change. Because due to budget cuts and restructurings, staff may end up in different positions, but until then many do not know where they stand. We want to provide certainty.
‘We question the Executive Board about the consequences of their decisions on the work floor, and we ask them to provide proper justification for their decisions; why do we do things the way we do?
‘And we want to strive for a realistic workload in education and research: the work must be manageable. For example, you should not ask more of junior lecturers than is realistic simply because they have temporary contracts.’
How do you stay connected with staff?
‘Do you have a problem or run into something? Then come to us. We have people throughout the organisation. In secretariats, at Education Support, audiovisual services, the Sports Center and of course the faculties. It doesn’t matter which part of the organisation you work in, we are here for everyone.
‘We pick up signals quickly and people can easily find us. We cannot solve everything, but we do our best. At the very least, we can put issues on the agenda of the various councils.
‘We also aim for a strong connection between academics and support staff. By working together and bringing out the best in each other, we try to set a good example.’
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