Headlines

The whole university has four years to adopt a system of fourten-week terms, with students taking two five-point courses in eachterm. The committee charged with preparing and implementing theBachelor's/Master's system (for which the term Bama has been coinedin Dutch) in Utrecht has proposed this in a policy document. Thecommittee wants to give students wide course options in thethree-year undergraduate degree, spending at least a quarter oftheir whole degree on 'broadening their horizons.' A propedeusedegree will no longer be awarded at the end of the first year. Thecommittee's plans include intensified supervision of students andevery course will entail a minimum of eight contact hours.Enrolling for a course will commit students to following it. EveryUtrecht student will be assured of a postgraduate place on aMaster's program, but not necessarily that of their first choice.The committee's plans still require approval from the deans of thefaculties and the university board.

Disabled

"The disabled must encounter minimal obstacles in their degreesor work = such obstacles can be overcome", is the premise on whichUtrecht University's disability policy is based. A document to thiseffect was presented last Thursday, entitled 'Twice the work'.About five percent of disabled people within the ages prescribedfor students by government regulations are currently taking adegree, as opposed to 16 percent of the remainder of thepopulation. The number of disabled people at the UU is not knownbut estimates range between 600 and 1,650 among a total populationof 28,000. Understandably, it was the city center accommodation ofthe Arts and Law faculties which the presentation chiefly lambastedas being inaccessible to the disabled. Nevertheless, the recentlycompleted hyper-modern Educatorium in the Uithof also appears topresent difficulties to the disabled.

Art-house films

A cinema operator is negotiating with Utrecht City Council toopen an art-house cinema complex in the city showing 'qualityartistic films'. The art-house is intended to integrate the mostobscure and esoteric films with better quality big box officefilms. The new cinema would house four or five screens and openwithin three years.