Bunch of slackers, united we stand!

Apart from TU Eindhoven (boo!), all universities will join the relay strike. TU Delft will conclude the series of strikes on 24 April and we need everyone to take action against the announced cutbacks of the Cabinet.

TU Delft people and engineers are not really known for their activism. We tend to think in terms of solutions. When people think about student protests, they usually think of Amsterdam. Are we then a bunch of slackers at TU Delft? What is the situation? On the advice of a colleague, I spoke to Abel Streefland, a university historian.

Abel told me that TU Delft did take an active part in protests in the past. There were countless student protests in the Netherlands between 1969 and 1990. The protests at the end of the ‘60s were mostly about making the education system more democratic and were inspired by the Sorbonne protests in Paris. Universities were occupied, such as the Maagdenhuis in Amsterdam, Nijmegen (in Dutch) and Tilburg (in Dutch), and the Aula was occupied at TU Delft (wow!). This wave of protests led to democratic elections in university administration (WUB), and Architecture and the Built Environment led the way at TU Delft.

It sounds good, but in practice it did not work at all. Meetings lasted ages as everyone of course had to add one’s two cents. For this reason the MUB (in Dutch) was introduced in 1997 which widened the seat of power to allowing representation rights. Not everyone was or is happy about this.

What is the situation now? Activism still exists at TU Delft, but at a smaller scale, such as the pro Palestine protests or action against partnerships with the fossil fuel industry (in Dutch). At the same time, the university itself has changed. Before it was about knowledge and critical thinking. Now it is an ‘education factory’ with overfull timetables and tight curricula. This can of course be partly put down to money flows, rising student numbers and building maintenance, but as an organisation it has led to tension between public and private interests.

Very interesting of course, but what does it mean for 24 April? Initially, strikes often affect the wrong people. Our Eppo (Eppo Bruins, the Minister of Education) may not lose sleep because of a one-day strike at TU Delft, but cancelled lectures are annoying. So why should you take part?

One day of action could be the start of a larger movement

For students: it is about your education. Even bigger lecture halls? Only lectures and nothing else? Less supervision? For teachers and other staff: I know that we really do not have the time for this – it’s the same for me – but this really is the time to say ‘no’ for once. Let your students skip a lecture, tell your supervisor that you are on strike and so will not be at the meeting. Full stop.

For internationals: please know that we value you and are pleased to welcome you to TU Delft, and that we will do everything we can to make it clear that we do not support the plans of the Dutch Government.

Today’s university culture has made us too passive – bursting agendas and an emphasis on education. But please understand that if we do nothing, education will be further dismantled. So stand up! Let them see that we do not simply agree to everything. Bring your students with you, refuse meetings, make noise. One day of action could be the start of a larger movement.

We are not a bunch of slackers. We are engineers, academics, teachers, support staff, and students. And we shall be heard!

We will make a statement on 24 April – united we stand!