Language students in disbelief after closure announcement

The announcement that no new students will be accepted into the German, French, Italian, Celtic, Religious Studies and Islam & Arabic programmes will affect the current students of these programmes as well.

Unfortunately, the unpleasant news came on exam week. DUB was told that many students had difficulty concentrating on their exams as a result.

The study associations of the six programmes are suddenly in crisis. After all, their existence is threatened. It is questionable whether they will still be able to welcome first-year members in September. Emotions vary from despondency to anger. So much is still up in the air.

So many questions
“We have so many questions.” Officially, German students Sara te Dorsthorst and Laurens Niessen heard last Monday that their programme would cease to exist. However, as board members of the study association Aufschwung, they had already heard rumours the week before. 

According to NOS, about twenty students of the programme were briefed by their teachers in a room at Drift on Tuesday. However, Sara and Laurens still don't know what to make of the announcement.

Laurens: “We can simply finish our three-year Bachelor's degree and I am sure that our teachers will do everything to ensure that. But we also care about the programme and the teachers. It would be a shame if there was no next generation of students.”

“That is perhaps the worst part," adds Sara. "Our teachers are so passionate about their field and the students. The programme really should not disappear. Our teachers don't know what to expect, either.”

The association's board is going to file a protest with the faculty board and the Executive Board. In the meantime, they are trying to inform the more than thirty members as well as they can, amidst discussion of a possible programme for French and German at the national level. 

“We are definitely going to make the big demonstration on November 14 a joint activity," says Sara. "We want to make protest signs together beforehand.”

As for its own future, Aufschwung probably won’t be expecting many new members. Sara: “For now, we are just assuming we will have another introductory week next year and that we will organise the Christmas market trip together.”

The study association Aufschwung at a Christmas market. Photo: courtesy of the students

Sad
Those in the Celtic programme were equally saddened by the news, according to the board of their study association, Asterix. Teachers had already informed the association on Friday. Asterix then informed all its members on Saturday morning. They were "angry and sad", says PR commissioner Hannah Aantjes.

"The students' bond with the Celtic programme is very strong, even after graduating. We were also struck that many of our alumni indicated that they would like to commit themselves to preserving Celtic."

According to Aantjes, current students feel a great responsibility to preserve the programme. "If this field disappeared in Utrecht, there would be no Celtic programme in the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg, Ed.) region." That's why the association is keeping its spirits up. They have started a petition to defend the programme, which has already been signed by more than 1,500 people. "It is shocking, but we are not going to accept it."

Scandalous
Cercle, the study association for French, is also flabbergasted, according to secretary Davey van de Groep. "This is such a shame and a waste that so much interesting and important knowledge will be inaccessible."

It hurts them to think that the association is being threatened as well. "Perhaps this could be compared to a feeling of mourning. The memories we have made here will never be shared by younger students."

Aladdin, from Religious Studies and Islam & Arabic, states on Instagram that the association will continue to exist until the last students have left UU. The association wants to talk to the programme's coordinators to obtain clearer information. Only then, the association plans to talk to its members about the future. "Scandalous," someone said in the comments. 

Religious Studies student IJsbrandt van Liere emailed DUB in a personal capacity. He believes that the decision made by the Executive Board and the faculty board is based on non-substantive reasons. “No thought has been given to the huge wealth of knowledge that will disappear as a result. This is short-sighted. The Executive Board has failed to safeguard critical science and protect the university from political influences."

The executive board is too quiet
All affected associations say they will call on their members to demonstrate on November 14 against the government's austerity measures. According to Luuk Bruijnen, chairman of the student association Vidius, this is the best response for the time being. In his opinion, discontinuing the programmes is a direct result of government policy, which is why students and staff must take action. “It is bizarre that such good programmes with motivated students must disappear. We cannot let that happen. Celtic is a unique programme. This simply makes no sense.”

Vidius is considering sending protest letters to the faculty board and the Executive Board, describing students' concerns about the measures being taken within the Faculty of Humanities. “But we will also insist on a more active position from the Executive Board in terms of opposing the cabinet's measures. We think the board has been too quiet when it comes to supporting the protest on November 14. Why don't they just give all students the day off?”

Vidius has started a WhatsApp group for anyone interested in getting informed about the demonstration.