The university council has approved the university budget for 2024 but is still critical of how the funds are distributed within the university.
A majority in the university council issued a positive recommendation on the budget, which includes proposed budget cuts for all faculties. But the council was critical of the way the money is distributed within the university, the so-called allocation model.
According to the council, it suffers from the ‘Matthew effect’: faculties that already have to make do with very little, will have even less after the cutbacks. ‘Medical students receive 4.5 more in financing than law students, for example’, said Guido Visman with the science faction.
Compensation
Visman expounded on his example by explaining that a deficit of 2.4 million euros means the law faculty will have to get rid of 45 FTE. ‘That means they won’t have any flexible workers left at all, they’ll potentially have to force people out, and courses will disappear. The risk we run is that excellent students will leave for different universities and don’t come back.’
According to Visman, it would be more than reasonable to compensate the faculties that have been affected the most. The allocation model has to be put on the agenda forthwith to ensure the council can have another look at it.
Cherry picking
UG board member Hans Biemans feels it’s a good idea to have another look at the distribution of funds. ‘We have to take stock of the current situation, and what it means for the future.’ But he also issued a warning: ‘We have to be careful not to do any cherry picking.’
‘We have to base our decisions on facts. And I don’t want us to, for instance, get rid of elements of a faculty’s IT package only to find out later that someone at the faculty uses it and we have to put it back again.’
Guarantee quality
After the allocation model had been criticised, some parties in the council criticised the 2024 budget as a whole. Especially Lijst Calimero spoke up, asking the board of directors if they were taking the faculty councils’ concerns seriously enough.
‘It’s clear from the faculty councils’ feelings that they’re concerned about the effect the cutbacks will have on the quality of education and research’, said Ale ten Cate with Calimero.
Small courses will cease to exist, other courses will be merged, and the student-to-staff ratio will become increasingly disproportionate. ‘What guarantees can you give that quality will be maintained?’
Togetherness
Rector Jacquelien Scherpen understands the faculty councils’ feeling and says she will do everything in her power to guarantee the quality of research and education. ‘We’re consulting with many parties to achieve this. I do get a sense of togetherness, because we’re all aware of the same problem and we all have the same desire for results’, she said.
As such, the rector has complete faith that the university will succeed in both implementing the budget cuts and guaranteeing the quality of education and research.
Necessary evil
Even though the entire Calimero faction voted against the budget, two council members voted blank, and one abstained, most of the other council members considered the budget a necessary evil.
‘With the information we currently have at our disposal, we understand the choices that have been made for the budget’, says student council member Verena Erich with student party SOG. ‘We have faith that the budget will be balanced again by 2026, after which we’ll be able to figure out how to make the university future-proof.’