Our manifesto

While The Hague hits higher education with harsh and totally irresponsible cuts and drives away our international community, our administration lacks the courage and insight to make timely and sensible decisions for our wonderful University of Groningen. Meanwhile, our research, teaching, and private lives are under pressure from high student numbers, publication pressure, grant stress, and bulging inboxes. With the following 9 points, the Science Faction fights for the interests of researchers and teachers in the coming difficult years:

1. Academic working environment: At work, academic core values are always the guiding principle. This means strong safeguards for academic freedom, both against external and internal threats: administration and management should not interfere with the content of research and teaching;

2. Less bureaucracy: Cut overheads, not researchers and teachers. If cuts have to be made, they should be made in central and support services, not in faculties;

3. Working conditions: Work pressure should go down by reducing administrative tasks and improving the student-staff ratio;

4. Responsible reorganisation: Budget cuts are forcing the University to make far-reaching decisions. Maintaining the identity of faculties is always the guiding principle;

5. Fair distribution of resources: With the allocation of funds, education and research should always have priority over operations;

6. Extension of staff participation: In order to defend the rights of employees, the right of consent and right of advice of the University Council must be aligned with the Works Councils Act (Wor). It can no longer be the case that employees have fewer rights because they work at a university;

7. Improve career prospects: All employees are treated equally when vacancies are filled and are given priority over external candidates;

8. Tackling abuse of power: A less hierarchical University, without middle management and with direct contact with University and Faculty Boards. The extension of promotion rights to a select group of experienced UDs and UHDs is a fine first step, but needs to be better embedded;

9. Protection of privacy: The use of digital means to monitor staff and students will be subject to strict conditions.