Utrecht School of Governance students fight to keep Bijlhouwer building

"Everyone knows everyone. Students from different years socialise with each other, and it's also easy to talk to lecturers and staff. We are a small, close-knit community," says Dennis Wijers, treasurer of the Perikles study association, which has initiated a petition to keep the building.

The initiative follows a referendum on the same subject, which the study association held among its members after Utrecht University announced it was considering selling it off. If that happens, the Utrecht School of Governance could move to the International Campus. No less than 95.3 per cent of the students who voted in the referendum were "in favour of retaining our identity," according to Wijers.

He says that the students value the building enormously, as it offers "a warm welcome to freshers". Wijers, who also studied in Nijmegen for a few years, says that the difference between the two universities is significant: “You never get to know most of the people when you share a larger building with other programmes”. In his view, the atmosphere is completely different in Utrecht, where “you already know all the faces after a couple of months”. As a result, students there don't feel like just a number. Both staff and students are concerned about the possible sale. "This community will be endangered if the Executive Board's plan goes ahead and the Bijlhouwer building is sold." 

"We are afraid that our programme will change beyond recognition if we have to move," explains Wijers. "If we had been located at the Science Park, I'm sure that our community would never have taken off so well." He believes that a different location, with more programmes in the same building, will destroy their sense of community.

Head of department Mirko Noordegraaf welcomes the students' initiative. He believes the university is primarily concerned with financial considerations. "That's understandable given the budget cuts, but the building's value is more than just financial." According to him, the building is mainly seen as an expense when it shouldn't be. "Until recently, the discussions about this building took place consulting us much, but lately we have been more involved." In his view, his colleagues' concerns are reflected in the study association's petition.

Special
With ninety freshers per year, the Utrecht School of Governance is a relatively small bachelor's programme. However, it does have the Special Characteristic for Small-scale and Intensive Education (Dutch acronym: BKKI). Programmes with this characteristic must offer intensive, high-quality education and may select students at the gate. This type of programme must have its own infrastructure to create a close-knit community. If the Bijlhouwer building is sold, the Utrecht School of Governance risks losing this designation. 

Noordegraaf emphasises the importance of “community building” for the programme and for retaining the designation. In addition, the Utrecht School of Governance has been labelled a “top programme” by Keuzegids, an annual publication that ranks bachelor's programmes based on students' evaluations. The master's programmes are also small-scale and well-regarded. The Bijlhouwer building not only houses educational activities but also several research projects with significant social impact.

Noordegraaf previously stated that he hopes the Executive Board will take the building's history into account when deciding whether or not to sell it. The building dates back to 1875, making it the oldest building specifically built for the university. It was commissioned by physicist Buys Ballot.

It had space for a large laboratory where Ballot and his assistant did their research. In the years that followed, the building was expanded both in width and height. It has also been used by various disciplines. The Department of Governance moved there exactly 25 years ago. Whether they will still be there for the next anniversary remains to be seen.

The Bijlhouwer building. Photo: UU