Budget cuts require greater perseverance from Humanities lecturers

The Faculty Council's agenda included the agreement that Humanities concluded with the Executive Board last April. This agreement sets out the measures the faculty must take over the next three years to restore its financial health and become eligible for up to 9 million euros in financial support.

The text, which was only made public this month, contains no major surprises. The main points had already been shared with the council. The plans also build on the transition plan the faculty board drew up shortly after last summer at the request of the Executive Board. That plan already announced drastic cost-cutting measures that were to lead to substantial savings within three years. It also stated that a thorough overhaul of the faculty's bachelor's programmes would be required to achieve cost reductions.

Additional measures
Nevertheless, several passages in the covenant may come as a shock to lecturers, as various council members pointed out during the meeting. According to Napolitano, the document states more clearly that lecturers must continue to expect substantial workloads and limited financial leeway even after the covenant period ends in 2028.

For example, the document now states that the faculty must fill the gaps itself if new financial setbacks arise due to declining student numbers or other factors. This may require additional austerity measures.

After 2028, the faculty will have to build up a mandatory reserve of 2.5 per cent, in line with university policy. However, Napolitano considers the covenant's stipulation that any financial windfalls may only be used for this purpose to be a very strict stance.

‘The faculty is very much focusing on the next three years, but it is clear that this will be a long-term endeavour,’ said the council member when DUB asked him for an explanation this week.

Not rosy
At the faculty council meeting, Dean Thomas Vaessens said he shared the council members' concerns about how long the process will last and how lecturers may lose enthusiasm as a result.

‘Even in 2028, the situation will not be rosy,’ he acknowledged. ‘But we hope that the measures we are taking now will allow us to reduce the workload in the long term and also achieve a surplus in the budget. We will really have to use that to build up a reserve as quickly as possible and emerge from the problems.’

During the meeting, Vaessens endorsed the council members' advice to prevent additional work from building up and spread it out over time as much as possible.

Only publicised now
The Executive Board only made the covenant public this month. It refused to do it for a long time, on the grounds that the document contained information that could be traced back to individuals.

The text was made public thanks to the persistence of a student member of the University Council, Boris Wesseldijk, who was also a member of the Humanities Council last year. The faculty board shared the document – minus the personal information – with all staff earlier this week.

Napolitano said in the council meeting that he was pleased with the publication of the covenant, but he was also surprised that it took so long for the demands to become known. The covenant stresses the importance of councils and transparent communication.

Dean Vaessens attributed the delay to the Executive Board's reluctance, but he also said he didn't mind that the information was released only now. According to the latest figures, the faculty is well on track financially, and the measures that have already been taken seem to be bearing fruit. The doom scenario of forced redundancies seems to have been averted for the time being.

‘We are now on the right track,’ said Vaessens. ‘Last year, people would probably have said that this will never work. "What have we gotten ourselves into?" ’