_{Are you a bachelor's, master's, or PhD student (now employee*) at Campus Fryslân? Then this blog post is for you! Efe, Charlotte, and Leo, your new student representatives on the Faculty Council, are here to introduce their priorities for the year ahead to represent your interests and improve student life. Want to know what’s on their agenda and how you can get involved? Read on to learn how they’re working to make a difference for all students!}

After our first full Faculty Council meeting of the 2024/25 academic year, we would like to take this opportunity to properly introduce ourselves and share our ideas with you! We - Efe, Charlotte, and Leo - make up the student faction of the Faculty Council for this academic year. In this blog post, we’re excited to present our initiatives as the newest members of the Council.

Charlotte and Leo are students in the Global Responsibility and Leadership (GRL) programme, while Efe is a 4th-year PhD student. Every two months, the three of us meet with the staff section of the Faculty Council (Amaranta Luna Arteaga, Maeve McKeown, and Arianna Rotulo), the Student Assessor (Teddy), the Managing Director (Piet Bouma), and our Dean, Tjalling Halbertsma.

Beyond proposing ideas for possible changes, our responsibilities include representing the student body, discussing key topics, and giving consent to important documents such as the budget and staffing decisions. We joined the Faculty Council because we are committed to actively contributing to the improvement of our Campus and enhancing the overall student experience.

The Budget Cuts

First and foremost, our main task is to keep students informed and raise their concerns in the Faculty Council. Currently, one of the most pressing issues affecting the quality of higher education in the Netherlands is the severe budget cuts proposed by the Dutch government. These cuts will put significant pressure on the quality of our research, teaching, and the accessibility of the university for students. The internationalization plans risk impoverishing education, depriving us of important scientific talent, and discouraging international staff and students, whom we urgently need in the Netherlands. Additionally, these cuts could lead to higher tuition fees. Our aim is to advocate against these budget cuts while also adapting to them to minimize their impact on students. If changes are necessary, we commit to keeping you fully informed. To make our advocacy most effective, we need your support. We encourage you to share any concerns with us so that we can forward them to the Faculty Board and push for greater clarity and stability. 

❝ First and foremost, our main task is to keep students informed and raise their concerns in the Faculty Council.❞

Political Discussion Forum 

Along with fellow students, we’re organizing a political series to help build a stronger culture of debate and mutual learning within our Faculty. This series aims to create a space for open discussions on relevant political topics, where students can engage meaningfully and learn from each other. By listening and exchanging perspectives, everyone has the opportunity to sharpen and refine their own opinions while working collaboratively toward answers or solutions. Our Faculty’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths, and using it to broaden our collective understanding will enrich us all. Initially, we plan to host smaller discussions on compelling topics, with the long-term goal of inviting experts, regional leaders, and politicians to participate. We hope this marks the beginning of an enriching journey that we can all embark on together.

Dutch Courses, Housing and Cafeteria

As part of our long-term goals, we aim to bring more free, in-person Dutch language courses to our Faculty, as this can help students integrate into Dutch society. We are currently exploring the possibility of working with NHL Stenden’s language program to make this happen. As many of us are already aware, the housing situation in the Netherlands is challenging. We aim to increase transparency in the collaboration between StudentsStay and Campus Fryslân and are exploring ways to make Kanaalstraat housing available to all students from day one. We’re also considering creating a platform for graduating students to pass on their housing to CF students seeking accommodation, and we are working with the University Council on housing-related topics. Finally, we are exploring options to provide smaller, healthier, and more affordable meal options in our cafeteria.

We are here for you

We hope our initiatives will be helpful to our fellow students. To hear more about our work and ideas, you are more than welcome to join us as a silent audience at our Faculty Council meetings via the links we’ll share in advance. We’re here to support you and always welcome your feedback, concerns, and ideas to help improve student well-being on our campus. Feel free to reach out to us in person or through Our Google Form.

Efe - e.cengiz rug.nl - +31 629403546
Charlotte - c.greve.3 student.rug.nl - +49 163 4423077
Leo - l.g.pereira student.rug.nl - +49 176 34744872

Your Dear Faculty Council,

Efe, Charlotte and Leo

^{*Beginning with the 2024/2025 academic year, PhD candidates' status has changed from students to employees. However, Efe was elected during a period when PhD candidates were still classified as students. To honour the electors' decision, Efe was permitted to remain part of the student faction for the position of year head.}