The Young Academy Groningen (YAG) wants the UG working groups that are considering budget-cutting measures to be more diverse.
YAG has conveyed this to the university’s board of directors. ‘So far, these groups seem to consist mainly of senior staff members. However, the budget cuts, which will shape the university’s future, will have a significant impact on young employees’, says Lukas Linsi, YAG chair and assistant professor of international political economy.
The statement has been co-signed by the Groningen Student Union (GSb), the student party SOG in the university council, and the AOb trade union.
Composition of working groups
The composition of the eight working groups set up by the board in the fall to consider possible budget cuts has largely remained confidential. Only the names of the chairs and secretaries have been disclosed so far.
‘In that selection, we noticed a large group of Dutch men in senior positions’, says Linsi. He understands how this happened: the university had to act quickly and didn’t have time to consider diversity. ‘There are also natural tendencies at play—people usually invite those they know, and the people you know often resemble you.’
However, he emphasises that the budget cuts affect everyone: Dutch and international staff, men and women, senior and junior employees, as well as students. ‘To ensure that the plans and decisions being made are truly thought out for everyone, it is crucial to keep diversity in mind when forming these groups.’
‘Cautiously optimistic’
According to Linsi, there is no perfectly diverse group, but improvements can be made, and YAG has strongly urged the university board to take this into account. The board has since responded.
‘They said they had received similar concerns from other sources’, Linsi says, ‘and that they will take this into account when forming new working groups to further develop the budget cuts. That makes us cautiously optimistic.’