Before to the summer vacation, it was already known that FBSS would not be moving to the Healthy Ageing Campus but would instead stay in the Hortus neighbourhood. Further research is needed to determine whether or not renovation of the existing facilities can provide enough space for all students and staff. But the University Council is holding off on that step.
According to student faction Lijst Calimero’s newsletter, ‘This was necessary because the new plans have not been well received in the faculty.’ The facilities plans are confidential, but multiple sources – who wish to remain anonymous – say that the student and staff in the faculty council at FBSS voted against them.
Against
The employees are reportedly unhappy with the plans because the amount of available office space will be dramatically reduced. Staff members are concerned that they will be crammed into what little space is available at the current location.
The facilities plans at FBSS were drafted under the assumption that student numbers would be decreasing, but due to a recent increase in the number of foreign students, there is no decline in sight in the near future. Furthermore, staff members worry that the historic buildings cannot be sufficiently renovated to provide the necessary space.
Now that the students and staff have voted against the plans, the University Council is demanding that they must be included in the future of the planning.
‘Not definitive’
FBSS dean Kees Aarts says that the plans have not been definitively confirmed. As such, he declines to comment on this specific topic. ‘Comments about numbers can quickly take on a life of their own, and that is not what we want’, says Aarts. ‘We are recalibrating based on the amount of space needed to accommodate the most recent student numbers and formation.’
According to Aarts, there are various plans for the renovations. ‘We are working on plans which are supported within the faculty. As such, the students and staff will be involved in the planning’, he says.