Unions not amused
Student assistants are grading tests at Utrecht University
Photo: 123rf
Two years ago, a DUB article caused a stir by concluding that student assistants performed tasks they were not yet ready for and were insufficiently protected against the temptation to give fellow students "a break".
In addition, our reporter discovered that many student assistants worked for their own bachelor’s or master’s programme, which was not allowed under the rules. Virtually no one seemed to be aware of this.
The article prompted the university to review its regulations for hiring student assistants, Aletta Huizenga, the Director of Human Resources, confirms. “However, there were more signals indicating that we needed to make better agreements regarding the deployment of student assistants.”
Assessments not allowed
A new text (available in Dutch only, Ed.) was drafted at the beginning of this year in agreement with the trade unions. According to an explanation accompanying the new regulation, a bachelor's student can now be deployed as a student assistant by their own degree programme, albeit only for supportive activities.
In addition, students may not be involved in assessing other students. According to spokesperson Gerwin van Schie, the trade unions strongly insisted on this provision during their consultations with the Executive Board. “We simply do not want students doing work that should be done by lecturers.”
Van Schie was therefore surprised to read that the Faculty of Science had incorporated the changes to the regulation into its new policy regarding the deployment of student assistants. It states that master's students may still grade other students' work under a lecturer's supervision. The faculty writes that master's students will “advise on grades/assessments.” The new policy has been in effect since the spring.
Safe environment
HR Director Aletta Huizenga indicates that the university has asked the Faculty of Science regarding this working method. “The university regulations are very strict in their wording. The explanation primarily aims to ensure that lecturers remain ultimately responsible for the assessment and final evaluation under all circumstances, and that no conflicts of integrity or loyalty arise. The faculty ensures both of these matters.”
Union representative Van Schie is resolute: “In my opinion, this is not what we agreed upon with the Executive Board. If the university wants it this way, we will have to discuss the regulations again.”
Bert Klein Gebbink, Dean of Education at the Faculty of Science, is surprised by the unions' criticism. He says he wasn't aware of their objections. According to him and his faculty, the working method complies with the university's regulations, as the ultimate responsibility for assessment remains with the examiner and conflicts of interest are prevented.
Grading Session
According to Bert Klein Gebbink, the Faculty of Science had already decided to review the policy for student assistants before the university regulations were changed. He says that more safeguards have been established regarding student assistants' involvement in assessments. “There weren't enough of those in some degree programmes."
According to the faculty's new rules, Bachelor's students are no longer allowed to assign grades. Student assistants may only be deployed to grade small assignments or provide feedback on presentations and the like.
Master's students, on the other hand, may grade other students. However, this must take place in a controlled environment, such as in joint grading sessions where everyone sits in the same room with the lecturer. Lecturers can then take samples and assess any borderline cases themselves.
Union representative Van Schie is not convinced, especially because the faculty policy states that grading summative assessments by Master’s students should “preferably” take place in a joint grading session. “That choice of words means that this is not really a rule and that it's impossible to enforce it."
Teaching method
The question is why student assistants at the Faculty of Science are often involved in grading. According to Klein Gebbink, there are several reasons for that. “This is a tradition at our faculty, which has existed for a long time. After all, it relieves the workload and students learn a lot from the experience."
Van Schie: “If you want students to learn something, make it a teaching method. This is about side jobs. It seems to be a way to obtain cheap labour.” The faculty denies this. According to them, the student assistant position was originally created to support involvement in teaching and research. "We have been doing this for a long time, and it is not connected with replacing teaching positions."
Ik snap niet waarom de vakbonden zo erg tegen student-assistenten zijn.
In mijn ervaring (als student en student vertegenwoordiger) zijn studenten doorgaans positief over het gebruik van student-assistenten. Zij kunnen stof vaak goed uitleggen (soms beter dan stafleden, aangezien ze dichter bij de stof staan als student) en bij beta is nakijken doorgaans redelijk recht toe recht aan.
Student-assistenten maken het intensieve onderwijs mogelijk. Ja, je kan het zien als "goedkope arbeidskrachten". Dat gebeurt echter overal. Het is echt geen toeval dat de werkgroepen bij bijvoorbeeld rechten doorgaans niet worden geveven door hoogleraren.
Ik hoop dat de vakbond zich niet teveel verder gaat bemoeien met het mooie onderwijs met student-assistenten van de beta faculteit. Het gebruik van student assistenten brengen sommige moeilijkheden met zich mee, maar de faculteit en Bert Klein Gebbink zijn uitstekend in staat om daar mee om te gaan (en zoals Bert al benoemde, was de faculteit daar al mee bezig).