Running for university council unpopular in other universities

Representative bodies such as faculty and university councils allow students and staff to have a say in their university's policies. They can have a say regarding the allocation of funds and the quality of education, among other issues. 

Students elected to these positions receive an allowance, which was raised two years ago at most universities in the Netherlands and three years ago at UU. However, the raise appears insufficient to boost students' interest in running for a seat. 

Almost 75 percent of students nationwide are now satisfied with the allowance, compared to barely 50 percent in 2024, but the interest in student representation remains low, leading to vacant seats. 

Over a third of representative councils are unable to fill all the student seats, according to the latest Student Representation Monitor, a survey carried out every two years by the research agency Oberon on behalf of the National Student Association (ISO). 

Having a say
Over 1,450 students and staff involved with programme committees, faculty councils and central student representative bodies completed the questionnaire.

Not everyone feels that their council or programme committee has enough influence. Two years ago, 29 per cent of student representatives in research universities were satisfied; now, only 23 per cent are. 

Elections
In addition, election turnout remains low. Over 50 percent of the programme committees do not even have elections, and when they do, the vast majority of students do not vote. On average, only 28 per cent of university students cast a vote. Among staff, the figure is around 45 per cent.

Last year, 23.6 per cent of students and 26 per cent of staff voted for the University Council. Utrecht is an exception, as interest in voting has increased slightly in our university in recent years.

Some political circles are concerned about the low turnout. For example, three years ago, the political party D66 proposed that all student representative elections be held in a single week, a sort of national election week. The then Minister of Education, Robbert Dijkgraaf, was in favour, as was the National Student Union. However, the student representatives themselves were sceptical, and the plan was not implemented in the end.

Language barriers
This year, the study also looked into language barriers in student representation. This appears to be a particular problem in higher professional education, where only 31 per cent of committees are accessible to non-Dutch-speaking members. At universities, this figure is 66 per cent. Students doing an internship find it particularly difficult to combine it with a role in student representation, especially at research universities.

To ISO, councils must be accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial means or nationality. “Student representation is a crucial body for representing student’s voice,” states ISO chair Sam de Jong. The results of the Student Representation Monitor will be presented to Education Minister Rianne Letschert today.

In Utrecht, the interpreter of the University Council is an object of discussion. The Executive Board has decided to discontinue funding for an interpreter, stating that councillors must, at the very least, possess sufficient passive Dutch language skills. Students on the council, however, would like the interpreter to be reinstated.

This year's elections 
The election figures relate to last year’s turnout, but a new election campaign has now started at several universities and universities of applied sciences. In an effort to encourage more students to vote, the University Student Council of Radboud University Nijmegen has launched a voting guide, according to reports in the university magazine Vox. Students can use a series of statements to see which party suits them best.

At the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, so few students registered for the councils this year that some candidates were automatically placed on the ballot, reports the university magazine HvanA. In the previous elections, only 2 percent of students cast a vote.

At Utrecht University, the University Council elections will take place in early June, and six parties are competing for a seat. That's one more than last year. A total of 135 candidates are on the lists. There are no staff elections this year because staff members are only elected every other year. However, three staff members left the council prematurely this year, and the only three candidates for their seats were appointed automatically.