‘An open university with great enthusiasm for education’

"An excited, committed and open university with an enthusiasm for education". That's how the chair of the review panel, Professor Ramses Wessel from Groningen University, described UU at the presentation of the preliminary assessment. Over the next two months, NVAO will prepare a report with all its findings, which will be submitted to the Dutch-Flemish Accreditation Organisation (NVAO) for final approval. Once the NVAO agrees, the assessment will be final.

The Institutional Quality Assurance (ITK) presented the preliminary assessment (document accessible only to those with a Solis ID, Ed.) last Wednesday afternoon at the Utrecht University Hall. Around 50 staff members were present, including the new UU President, Hans Brug, the UU Rector, Wilco Hazeleger, the deans of all faculties, and representatives of the four programmes visited by the review panel: Sociology, Social Geography & Planning, Biomedical Sciences, and Biosciences. Councillors and students who spoke with the committee were also there. 

Educational vision praised
"UU can be truly proud of the community it has built,” said Wessel, who also praised the university's new educational vision, which sets out strategic goals. “It is widely supported and relatable, although some faculties are further along than others.” The assessment committee endorses the main principles of that vision, namely “openness” and “expanding relationships with the outside world."

The main question the assessment aimed to answer was: Does the UU guarantee that its educational vision comes to fruition, and, if so, does it continuously work to develop and improve it? This core question was assessed at all levels, though the university was allowed to select which programmes to assess.

The review panel evaluated the university according to four interrelated quality standards from the NVAO's assessment framework. The first was Vision & Policy, meaning how the latter supports the former. The second one was Implementation, namely, how the institution realises this vision. The third was Evaluation & Monitoring, or how the institution monitors the realisation of its vision. Last but not least, Development: how the institution works to improve its education.

UU received a satisfactory grade on all these standards. "That may sound a bit stingy," said the panel chair, "but we never give more than a satisfactory grade. It is the highest rating you can achieve in institutional assessments."

The doors are open to everyone
The committee expressed its appreciation for the informal contacts within the university, which happen beyond formal consultations, enabling people to find each other at crucial moments. Regarding the implementation of the educational model, the committee was unsure when the university would be satisfied. They suggested UU reflects on monitoring. 

Regarding the implementation of the educational vision, the committee observed significant cooperation. The chair considers that UU pays “a great deal of attention to students”, noting that the tutors from the programmes visited were easy to find. “The doors are open to everyone,” Wessel said.

The examination board and the representative bodies from the programmes visited were also in good order, according to the panel chair. He stressed the importance of supporting the representative bodies, as it is not always easy to understand complex policy documents and financial figures.

Campus could be livelier
UU could improve in two areas that were explicitly addressed in the presentation: the new assessment system for academics, Recognition & Rewards, and the liveability of Utrecht Science Park.

The committee supports assessing academic staff on both research and teaching. However, the assessment method falls short for lecturers who do not conduct research. “There is work to be done there,” Rector Hazeleger acknowledged afterwards.

In addition, the panel criticised Utrecht Science Park, as staff and students told it that they do not always feel safe there. Students called it “boring”, saying that “there's nothing to do” there. "UU could get more out of its campus,” said the panel chair. However, he also showed understanding of the situation, given that the municipality also has a responsibility in this regard. Wessel has heard that the university has been discussing improvements with the municipality. 

Finally, the panel chair encouraged UU to pay closer attention to the knowledge and skills graduates must have to successfully enter the labour market. “The university should stay in touch with alumni on this point,” was his advice. At the same time, the panel chair also showed understanding. “In a rapidly changing world, educational institutions are always lagging behind.”

Super proud
The words of praise were followed by loud and relieved applause. Many congratulations went to Aishlinn Schippers, policy advisor to the Student, Education & Research department, and to Kim Zunderdorp, team leader for Education Policy, who spent two years supervising and preparing this review process alongside the programmes. Thanks to these preparations, the review panel had access to a self-evaluation report drawn up by Utrecht University, as well as a comprehensive information dossier.

"We were confident, but I would be lying if I said we weren't nervous at all," Rector Wilco Hazeleger told DUB afterwards. He said he was "super proud". According to him, the committee recognised and acknowledged what the university has been trying to do. "Openness, interdisciplinarity, teacher professionalisation, and care for education, students and each other."

The panel visited the university five times in January and February. Every six years, the NVAO assesses the quality assurance system in education. This was the third time that Utrecht University had participated in this institutional assessment.

UU passed the assessment in 2012, when it was introduced, and in 2018. A definitive positive assessment means that programmes undergo a more limited assessment during their accreditations.