Professor of Mathematics Jan van Neerven is one of three TU Delft academics who have joined the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW). As he states, he teaches the only course at TU Delft whose learning objective is that students know less afterwards than they did before. What motivates Van Neerven, and how does he feel about improving social safety six weeks after his critical letter in Delta?
The Netherlands Labour Authority concludes that universities have only taken ‘minimal’ action in dealing with excessive workloads and undesirable behaviour since 2020. If they do not demonstrate improvement by 2025, the Authority will start enforcement procedures. What have the universities done and not done, and what does the Netherlands Labour Authority suggest that they do now?
The Executive Board submitted the so-called ‘Plan for change: social safety TU Delft’ to the Dutch Inspectorate of Education on 15 May. The latter will later give its first reaction. In its damning report on social safety at TU Delft, the inspectorate demanded that the Executive Board submit a plan of action by mid-May. Earlier,
A high proportion of teaching and academic personnel at universities in the Netherlands suffer from a heavy workload and undesirable behaviour. Universities have not been able to improve things over the last few years. This is the conclusion of the Netherlands Labour Authority in a damning report. Universities are given until 2025 to comply with their legal obligations for staff welfare. Should they not do so, the Labour Authority will enforce it.
The social safety plan of action that TU Delft needs to submit to the Inspectorate of Education in mid-May is almost ready. At least, the version that the Executive Board wants to submit. It concerns a ‘living document’ that has been renamed a ‘change management plan’. In the document, the Executive Board expresses repentance, recognises that looking back is needed, and names a few potential measures for the short and longer term.
Monday morning Delta published an article entitled How confidentiality led to anxiety among I&IC staff and a loss of confidence in the Rector. Under protest, we removed it the same evening.
The Executive Board has imposed a duty of confidentiality on the management team of the Innovation & Impact Centre (I&IC) regarding the performance of the Director appointed on 1 April 2023. It has brought about such a level of uncertainty and frustration among I&IC staff members that they feel hurt. Twelve staff members spoke to Delta about a loss of confidence in Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen, the Director of Human Resources, and the Ombuds functionary. How one issue illustrates the conclusions of the Inspectorate of Education: welfare of employees at TU Delft is not being mismanaged
The so-called Students and Staff for Safety - an anonymous group of people from TU Delft - have opened a poll following their petition. They are also launching a 'call for action'. In a post on Change.org, they ask people whether they think the current Executive Board is capable of bringing about the cultural change
The ‘Social safety project team’ has set four dates on which TU Delft employees, students and alumni can share ideas about ‘a safer working and studying environment’. The Supervisory Board will attend one of the sessions and the Executive Board another.
