From 2014 to 2016, I was a member of the Works Council (Ondernemingsraad) of the Vrije Universiteit. I was elected as one of the seven representatives of Pro-VU – an organization that represents the interests of PhD’s at the Vrije Universiteit.
The Council is an organ that actively participates in the decision making within the university. It approves or advices on important financial, educational, research, housing and other matters directly affecting the employees and the university as a whole.
In the Works Council, I was the chair of the Communication committee, for which she brainstormed for subjects and wrote and edited news articles for i.a. the university’s newsletter and the montly two-page space of the OR in the university’s magazine Ad Valvas. I also joined the Finance and Economy committee, for which I have been engaged in approving the university’s budget of 2016. For Pro-VU, I have actively debated the new educational requirements for PhD’s, and the abolition of the PhD dissertation compensation of 500 euros. Here you can read a news article from Ad Valvas in which I am quoted. For more information on what I has learned during the period in the Council, read my Dutch blog Works Council Wisdom.
Co-edited with K. de Jong & E. Plomp, Democratie 2.0. Jaarverslag Ondernemingsraad Vrije Universiteit 2015 (Amsterdam 2016).
‘Te veel oog voor output en te weinig voor kwaliteit bij universiteitsfinanciering’, Ad Valvas 16 (2016) 28-29.
‘Reorganisaties geëvalueerd: hoe staat het er nu voor?’ Ad Valvas 14 (2016) 28.
‘Een sterkere medezeggenschap en geen “bankdirecteur of gesjeesde politici” in het universiteitsbestuur’, Ad Valvas 10 (2016) 28.
‘CvB komt tegemoet aan breekpunten GV hoofdlijnen begroting 2016’, Ad Valvas 8 (2015) 28.
‘GV eist terugdraaien “kaasschaaf” over faculteitsbegrotingen’, Ad Valvas 4 (2015) 28.
‘Discussie invulling instemmingsrecht op universiteitsbegrotingen in volle gang’, Ad Valvas 15 (2015) 28.
‘FPP en FBW: een fusie zonder overtuiging en toekomstige koffiemomenten’, Ad Valvas 13 (2015) 28-29.
‘Geen vervanging, maar verandering van het huidige besturingsmodel’, Ad Valvas 11 (2015) 28.
‘Promotietraject Vrije Universiteit’, Ad Valvas 11 (2015) 29.
Works Council, February 2016