Petition tries to convince university to keep the building
UCU students want to prevent Dining Hall sale
UCU's Dining Hall. Photo: Universiteit Utrecht
Several student organisations at University College Utrecht state in the accompanying text that selling the Dining Hall would jeopardise social life on campus. "The Dining Hall hosts the vast majority of UCU activities and promotes a sense of community," they say. Moreover, they argue that it is the only building on campus that can accommodate more than 200 people for lectures or other activities.
"The Dining Hall is the heart of our social life", says UCU student Leonoor Post. "It is where the student association, the student council and many student organisations have their offices." The possibility of this vital part of the campus being sold is making students very discontent, according to her.
The Dining Hall, which has been a young municipal monument since 2023, is on a list of buildings that the university is considering selling. It has study areas, a cafeteria, a bar and a community kitchen, as well as spaces for cultural and sporting activities.
According to the students, the university informed them on 2 December that the building would be sold to its neighbours, the Ministry of Defence.
However, a spokesperson for UU says that the university cannot comment on "the exact status of the possible sale of certain buildings". UU says it understands that "emotions arise when people are faced with the possibility of a building being sold". Nevertheless, declining student numbers and financial pressure are forcing UU to carefully consider how it spends its money, including long-term expenses. According to the spokesperson, UU only wants to keep the buildings "it really needs" so that its real estate portfolio remains affordable and future-proof.
When asked, UCU Dean Manon Kluijtmans says that the university is exploring several scenarios for the Dining Hall. She understands that people may be concerned about this, "as the Dining Hall means a lot to campus life". She emphasises that "UCU's starting point is that the functions that the building currently fulfils for students and staff will continue to be provided at the campus, regardless of the Dining Hall's future".
Both the Ministry of Defence and UCU's other neighbour, Kromhout Kazerne, say they are "unaware" of the Dining Hall's possible sale.
Selling the Dining Hall would mean a great loss for liveability and community of UCU students. It seems the university wants to do away with these social, coming-together spaces without realizing the immaterial cost for their students. I signed the petition! https://www.change.org/p/prevent-the-sale-of-the-ucu-dining-hall