University council rejects Board’s cutback plan
The university council unanimously rejected the Board’s 15 million euros budget cut proposal on Friday. According to the council the plan lacks a solid basis and vision.
The Executive Board needs to come up with a better plan that has a solid basis for the 15 million euros in cutbacks. The current plan lacks vision, according to the university council. Centralized tasks are too simply moved to decentralized services.
Among other things, the University Council criticizes the fact that two things have become intertwined: first there are the cutbacks planned by the national government. When those plans were postponed with one year, the Executive Board did not (partly) withdraw the cutback proposal. Cutting back on support staff is necessary to meet Veerman’s intensifying education plans, the Board said.
On behalf of the parties SAM, Front, union AbvaKabo and Onafhankelijken (Independents), Korrie van Helvert, chairman of the university council’s Executive Board, said: “The support staff does not understand this. Most of them had never heard of the Veerman report. Many measures overlap. We have to economize, but there are also major educational plans. The Executive Board lacks vision on where it wants to go with the university.”
The cutback proposals have not only caused great turmoil among support staff, but also among students. In the past weeks, the political groups of the university council have been approached by various employees and students. According to Van Helvert, they are concerned about the way the process goes. “How do faculties deal with the transition from centralized to decentralized? Can they do the job efficiently, good and with less money? The Board’s proposal raises huge questions with the council. On the basis of the present information, we have no confidence in the future. ”
In addition the council is disturbed by the fact that several cutback measures are currently in progress. Koen de Geus, on behalf of student party Front: “The plan would be a starting point for cuts. However, we hear that some cutback plans have been implemented without our advice.”
Because the university council members are unanimous in their negative opinion, the Executive Board has to come up with a new plan.
