Utrecht professor removed over complaints

Utrecht professor removed over complaints

Utrecht University wants to sack a professor over transgressive behaviour. At the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, a director stepped down after investigations into social safety.

A Utrecht professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences has been suspended after 17 reports of transgressive behaviour. Because of the ‘seriousness, nature and extent’ of the signals, the board wants to dismiss the professor, reports university magazine DUB. The name of the professor is not mentioned. Confidential advisers passed on reports about the professor to the board last year. An independent committee then investigated. It has not disclosed what exactly happened.

At the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, a critical investigation into social insecurity at the Willem de Kooning Academy has proved fatal to director Jeroen Chabot. He left last week after a critical report into social safety at the art academy. That report (in Dutch) painted a picture of a hierarchical organisation in which management and the director shifted all kinds of issues onto staff under the pretext of ‘steering for autonomy’. Employees felt disrespected, unappreciated, not seen and not heard, the researchers note. (HOP/BB, PvT)