Petar Marčeta (Progressive Staff Alliance): ‘We want a university we can be proud of’
Inclusion, job security and the protection of academic freedoms. It’s just a selection of the themes that the Progressive Staff Alliance (PSA) hopes to bring to the University Council, says number two on the list Petar Marčeta. ‘We function as a democratic group.’
What needs to change at Tilburg University?
‘We believe that quite a few things can be improved. In short, we want a university that is more democratic and that better aligns its policies and actions with the values and needs of its staff and students.
‘A first concrete step is to listen to our own advisory boards regarding the collaborations the university enters into. This means that Tilburg University should cut ties with Israeli educational institutions.
‘We also want to ensure that future collaborations, such as with the military and big tech, are critically evaluated in advance so that they are fully in line with the principles of staff and students. This may mean that the university needs to do more to protect our academic freedoms.
‘In addition, PSA considers it important that more attention is paid to sustainability and the protection of biodiversity on campus. Future university projects should therefore be assessed based on their environmental impact.
‘This also applies to investments in AI. In our view, too little consideration is currently given to the environmental impact of data centres.
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?
‘Moreover, there is a need for a more inclusive infrastructure, such as improved accessibility on campus. This includes, among other things, more gender-neutral toilets and the availability of free menstrual products.
‘Finally, it is important to emphasise that the university must be a responsible employer for everyone. There is still much room for improvement, for example in ensuring that promises regarding job security are actually fulfilled.’
What is already going well?
‘We see that students and staff are already coming up with many good and innovative ideas. Take the distribution of free menstrual products, for example; in our view, this fits within the university’s values. Now it still needs to become official policy.’
Progressive Staff Alliance functions as a collective. You also have no leader. Why did you choose this setup?
‘For the elections, we have established a list and ranking of fourteen people. Depending on the number of seats, in principle our number one Antonio Pinilla, number two myself, number three Kate Huber, number four Sean Smith, and so on, will take seats on the council.
‘Furthermore, we believe that a horizontal, democratic approach works best. Everyone contributes, but within one shared vision. This works better than having individual leaders or placing too much responsibility on one person. That is why PSA operates as a group.’
Why should staff vote for you?
‘PSA has a clear vision for a better and different university. This vision is outlined in our programme. We are ready to fight for it in the University Council and to bring a much-needed critical voice. PSA wants a university we can all be proud of. That is why we truly stand for the interests of staff and students.’
How do you stay connected with staff?
‘We are present both online and offline. On our website you can find our programme. People can also email us with their ideas. PSA has representatives in five different faculties and also among support staff. In this way, we are also clearly visible and approachable offline.’
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