Compensation for student members of the University Council increased significantly

Students in the University Council are expected to spend approximately 28 hours per week (74 percent of a 38-hour working week) on their council work. The university also encourages them to continue studying. “We understand that it will be difficult for these students to have a part-time job,” said UU president Anton Pijpers during the university council meeting on Monday. “So, we took another look at the compensation.”

The result is a significant increase in the compensation for council members. In addition to a fixed compensation of 709 euros per month, students in the University Council will also receive 74 percent compensation for tuition fees and possibly the basic grant and the supplementary grant. The percentage is based on the fact that 28 hours represents a 74 percent working week. They receive the compensation because they incur study delays due to the council work. Compensation for tuition fees may differ per person. For example, institutional tuition fees are high and students who study flexibly will not receive a tuition fee allowance because they only pay for the subjects they take. Only students who are entitled to a basic grant or supplementary grant will be compensated for this.

No employment contract
The students had previously indicated that support must be improved to find enough new council members. For example, the students would have liked to see the council members receive an employment contract, such as a student assessor or a student assistant. Moreover, the students considered a fixed compensation in proportion to the number of hours spent on council work. The Executive Board did not want to go along with that. “An employment contract does not fit with the role of a student member in participation. Unlike an assessor who is an advisor to the college or faculty board. An employment contract fits in with that.”

The board also does not think a fixed fee is a good idea. “We want everyone to have the opportunity to participate in participation. So it is good to include the amount of the tuition fees and whether or not you have a supplementary grant in the calculation.”

Faculty Council
The increase only applies to students in the University Council. Student members of the faculty council also receive the grant for students who participate in boards, but it is lower. They spend less time on their council work. Not much changes for them. It has been agreed that they will be compensated for a minimum of 6 hours a week, which is a small increase. The amount of their board grant depends on the number of hours that a council agrees they can spend on participation. They also receive 50 percent compensation for tuition fees.

The compensation plans are part of a memorandum on strengthening participation. It also states that there will be more space and support to communicate about the council's work with its supporters. The chairman of the staff section will also be given more time. In addition, the training program for council members will be expanded. This applies to both the University Council and the faculty councils. On an annual basis, the costs for strengthening participation for 2024 are estimated at 273,000 euros. The increase in compensation for University Council students alone amounts to 60,000 euros. This can be largely financed by a subsidy from the Ministry of Education. The UU has allocated a total of 5.500,000 euros for the strengthening of participation (programme committees, faculty councils and university council) for the years 2022 to 2025.