News in brief

The university compensates students for the time they spend as members of boards and commissions, as this delays their study progression. This is good news for two Belgian students who in the coming academic year will be board members of Leonardo da Vinci, the Aerospace Engineering Faculty’s student society. However, in related news, the ‘Financial Aid Regulation for Foreign Students’, which was in place to provide financial support to foreign students who encounter personal problems during their studies, has been terminated. “In the five years the regulation has existed, it was only used twice,” said Janneke Dijkhuizen of the Oras student party. “Moreover, it’s more difficult to determine what the personal problems are for foreign students than it is for Dutch students.”
Ombudsman reports

In his 2004 Annual Report, TU Ombudsman Wil Knippenberg advised TU Delft to publish a brochure in which the regulations, prohibitions and injunctions pertaining to academic matters are clearly stated. Knippenberg concluded that teachers and students, especially foreign students, are often unaware of the regulations. Above all, students need to know what they can expect from their teachers. Moreover, the brochure should clearly outline the rules pertaining to the “manner in which students may copy academic material, for example from the Internet.”
Women

The gross salary of women with universities degrees in the Netherlands is on average lower than the salaries of men, according to research conducted by the Vsnu organization. ROA, a Maastricht-based research institute, said that the situation for female employees is improving, however. “Women graduate quicker and with higher grades than men,” a spokesman said. “Companies see this and will pay for it. In the coming years, wage differences between men and women will only get smaller.”
Part-time wages

Around 9,000 students must repay a percentage of their student financial aid because they earned too much money working part-time jobs. Never before have so many students had to repay grant money. Students can have part-time jobs, but they cannot earn more than 10,000 euro per year. The tax authorities monitor all students to ensure they stick to the rules. If a student earns too much in part-time wages, they often must repay all the money they received in student financial aid, including the OV card.
Lucky student

A 19 year-old TU Delft student survived a fall from a five-story window of a student house on the Koornmarkt. He landed in an interior courtyard, making it difficult for emergency services to reach him. Doors had to be broken down and ladders used to reach the injured student, who broke bones in his hips and shoulders. How the accident happened is still unclear. Police believe alcohol may have been a factor, as a party was being held in the student house at the time.
Foreigners multiplying

The number of foreign students from non-EU countries studying in the Netherlands has risen by nearly 20 percent. This academic year the Integration & Naturalization Department (IND) received 4,000 requests for student visas. Nuffic, the organization overseeing Dutch international education, said the rise in foreign enrollment results from years of investment. “In past years we’ve done much work in Asia. In China, Indonesia and Taiwan we set up have special higher education bureaus,” said Hanneke Teekens, director of international education. “Moreover, the Netherlands is one of the first European Union countries to implement the BaMa structure and we have many English-language Master’s degree students.” Teekens said Dutch higher education has also gotten a boost from an unexpected source: “We’ve profited a lot from Chinese alumni. In Shanghai for instance there are many Chinese alumni of Dutch universities who are happy to speak so enthusiastically about their adventures at our universities.” The IND has also streamlined the visa processing procedure, which has helped promote international education. The student visa procedure now takes no longer than two weeks.

Nearing equality

TU Delft’s foreign students must also receive financial support for the time they spend working on student society and commission boards members, just as Dutch students do, said the TU Student Council in reaction to the new ‘Regulation for Graduation Support for Students’. The university compensates students for the time they spend as members of boards and commissions, as this delays their study progression. This is good news for two Belgian students who in the coming academic year will be board members of Leonardo da Vinci, the Aerospace Engineering Faculty’s student society. However, in related news, the ‘Financial Aid Regulation for Foreign Students’, which was in place to provide financial support to foreign students who encounter personal problems during their studies, has been terminated. “In the five years the regulation has existed, it was only used twice,” said Janneke Dijkhuizen of the Oras student party. “Moreover, it’s more difficult to determine what the personal problems are for foreign students than it is for Dutch students.”
Ombudsman reports

In his 2004 Annual Report, TU Ombudsman Wil Knippenberg advised TU Delft to publish a brochure in which the regulations, prohibitions and injunctions pertaining to academic matters are clearly stated. Knippenberg concluded that teachers and students, especially foreign students, are often unaware of the regulations. Above all, students need to know what they can expect from their teachers. Moreover, the brochure should clearly outline the rules pertaining to the “manner in which students may copy academic material, for example from the Internet.”
Women

The gross salary of women with universities degrees in the Netherlands is on average lower than the salaries of men, according to research conducted by the Vsnu organization. ROA, a Maastricht-based research institute, said that the situation for female employees is improving, however. “Women graduate quicker and with higher grades than men,” a spokesman said. “Companies see this and will pay for it. In the coming years, wage differences between men and women will only get smaller.”
Part-time wages

Around 9,000 students must repay a percentage of their student financial aid because they earned too much money working part-time jobs. Never before have so many students had to repay grant money. Students can have part-time jobs, but they cannot earn more than 10,000 euro per year. The tax authorities monitor all students to ensure they stick to the rules. If a student earns too much in part-time wages, they often must repay all the money they received in student financial aid, including the OV card.
Lucky student

A 19 year-old TU Delft student survived a fall from a five-story window of a student house on the Koornmarkt. He landed in an interior courtyard, making it difficult for emergency services to reach him. Doors had to be broken down and ladders used to reach the injured student, who broke bones in his hips and shoulders. How the accident happened is still unclear. Police believe alcohol may have been a factor, as a party was being held in the student house at the time.
Foreigners multiplying

The number of foreign students from non-EU countries studying in the Netherlands has risen by nearly 20 percent. This academic year the Integration & Naturalization Department (IND) received 4,000 requests for student visas. Nuffic, the organization overseeing Dutch international education, said the rise in foreign enrollment results from years of investment. “In past years we’ve done much work in Asia. In China, Indonesia and Taiwan we set up have special higher education bureaus,” said Hanneke Teekens, director of international education. “Moreover, the Netherlands is one of the first European Union countries to implement the BaMa structure and we have many English-language Master’s degree students.” Teekens said Dutch higher education has also gotten a boost from an unexpected source: “We’ve profited a lot from Chinese alumni. In Shanghai for instance there are many Chinese alumni of Dutch universities who are happy to speak so enthusiastically about their adventures at our universities.” The IND has also streamlined the visa processing procedure, which has helped promote international education. The student visa procedure now takes no longer than two weeks.