UvA Kieswijzer

The University must prioritise active diversity policies, including decolonization

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

For the Activist Party, decolonization is one of the priorities. As a society we need to reckon with our colonial past, and the university is one of the most important places to do so. Especially so in the UvA, where at least one of our buildings (Bushuis) has been massively involved in colonialism.

The Founding Students

Neutral

We believe that all study materials should align with the course content and priority should be given to materials relevant to the law curriculum. Diversity and decolonization are important, but they shouldn't come at the expense of the most relevant study material for the program, as that is not in the best interest of the students.

Party 020

Fully agree

020 strives towards more inclusion. Decolonising the course content is an important part of improving education at the University, as it will help remove some of the long-standing biases that exist in many courses. Furthermore, it will encourage students to question their own views, and consider those that they perhaps have not yet been exposed to.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

UvAsociaal believes it to be very important that every student feels at home at the University of Amsterdam, irrespective of race, sexual orientation, gender, culture or disabilities. We are satisfied with the report of the Diversity commission because of the emphasis they put on intersectionality. Intersectionality in policy forming at the UvA implies that in thinking about diversity at the university we need to consider intersecting social identities that relate to their own system of oppression, domination or discriminations. We believe that focusing on only one marginalised group is not enough, we have to consider all students and their place at the university. We stand for an inclusive and diverse university, not only in people but also in knowledge.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

HUMANS

Agree

INTER

Fully agree

INTER considers that it is one of the main responsibilities of the UvA to acknowledge their colonial history and make an active effort to do better. Given our existing focus on international students, we highly support the initiatives for a more diverse student and staff composition.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS advocates for a diverse university with equal opportunities for everyone. There are various ways to pursue diversity. Part of active diversity policies includes diversity quotas, where a certain percentage of employees are targeted. This results in individuals being selected not based on merit, but on gender or ethnicity. Instead of quotas, universities should strive for equal opportunities for all, regardless of background, by offering outreach programs, mentoring, and education. This can help improve access to education for underrepresented groups without the need for rigid quotas. Ultimately, this will lead to a truly diverse and inclusive university community where all students can thrive based on their merits and talents.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

The UvA should offer free menstrual products at each campus

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

It is important that students, regardless of gender, have their basic needs met in college. Although strides have been made in the provision of menstrual products over the past year by placing dispensers on several campuses, the Activist Party believes it is important that menstrual products be easily accessible: that is, in the restrooms themselves, not just at one point per campus.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

INTER

Fully agree

Menstruation products are a biological necessity, and should be widely accessible to all those who menstruate. INTER fully supports this initiative, and believes it helps greatly to support students on campus.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS believes that everyone should have access to menstrual products. People do not choose to menstruate, and when someone is financially disadvantaged, they should not be without the necessary menstrual products. Providing menstrual products should be primarily a government responsibility, according to DVS. However, this is not the reality, and therefore the UvA should facilitate this. Additionally, the costs for the UvA to facilitate this are relatively low.

The Founding Students

Agree

We certainly agree that a campus is a good place to address period poverty.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

UvASociaal believes offering free menstrual products on campus is important for student well-being and removing barriers to education. Students should not have to worry about having access to necessary menstrual products while on campus.

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

At 020, we believe that period poverty can largely affect the student body by having a negative impact on their mental and physical wellbeing. In order to prevent that, menstrual products should become more accessible, especially in emergency situations or during financial difficulty. 020 has shown a strong commitment to addressing menstrual poverty, starting the initiative to provide access to free menstrual products at the UvA in 2021, with our CSR representatives playing an integral role in establishing the pilot project.

The UvA should invest in more accessibility for students with functional limitations as well as sensitivity towards these students

The Founding Students

Fully agree

Yes, the university should be accessible to everyone, and the UvA should do more for students with disabilities.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

020 believes that all students should have the same level of access to education resulting in equality in quality of education for all of our students, both on- and off-campus.

INTER

Fully agree

There is an urgent need to improve the accessibility of this university, and the way it treats students with special needs. One of the main goals of INTER is to help make this a reality through our own advocacy and our council member initiatives.

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

For students with physical disabilities, more investment should certainly be made to ensure they have equal access to the UvA as other students. For students with mental disabilities, the UvA provides many resources (such as courses, extra time, and accommodations during exams, etc.). DVS is pleased to note that the UvA is already working to improve the opportunities for this group of students. Furthermore, DVS prefers to focus on the potential of students with disabilities. We find the term "sensitive" inappropriate here, as we do not want to give this group of students the impression that they are disadvantaged.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

It is important that there is room for every student at the UvA, including students with functional limitations. This can be done both by easing processes in education and by investing in the accessibility of buildings.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

UvAsociaal places a high value on accessibility, encompassing various aspects such as physical accommodations to facilitate mobility, providing assistive technologies for academic support, and offering personalized support. Additionally, promoting understanding and empathy among faculty, staff, and students is essential to create an inclusive environment where all individuals feel respected and supported in their academic journey.

HUMANS

Fully agree

All board members of study associations should receive equal financial support from the University

INTER

Disagree

INTER believes that all study associations deserve compensation for their efforts. However, equal funding would disregard differences in reach, scale of initiatives and size of varying study associations. If some study associations have a larger following and organise events on a larger scale than others, it makes more sense to suggest that they receive more funding in order to make these efforts a reality.

The Founding Students

Agree

Party 020

Agree

Whilst there is a notable difference in size of membership between the various associations at the UvA, we think that equal encouragement and financial support are great incentives to start new study associations. This, evidently, will increase campus life that UvA is lacking, as well as inclusivity.

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

The financial support board members receive should depend on their contribution and impact of their actions to the university.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Activist Party UvA

Disagree

The Activist Party believes that governing a study association should be accessible to everyone, including students with less income. At the same time, we see that different study associations have different demands in time commitment, so it does not make sense for all directors to receive the same scholarship. However, we do think that there should be invested more in the financial support for these boards.

UvASociaal

Disagree

UvASociaal believes providing all board members of study associations with equal financial support may not always be fair due to various factors such as roles within the association and differing levels of time commitment.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS believes that the grants for board members of study associations should correspond to the amount of time each individual board member puts into their work. If the workload of each board member is equal, then the grant for it can also be equal. When there is a concrete difference in workload/pressure between different board positions, the grants do not have to be equal.

HUMANS

Agree

All lectures should be available online for everyone

HUMANS

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

020 believes that COVID-19 should not be the only reason to study from home or online. Lectures should be made available online or as recordings to allow for more flexibility for students with disabilities, chronic illnesses, jobs, or care duties.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Unfortunately, in today's capitalist system, it is not possible for all students to study without a job, so lecture attendance is not always possible. In addition, there is also a large group of students for whom it is not always possible to attend lectures due to physical limitations, mental health or other issues. In order to make lectures and education more accessible, lectures should be recorded and available to all students without questions.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Accessibility is one of our four main values at UvASociaal. Providing online access to lectures is beneficial for all students, including those with disabilities and busy schedules.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

The Founding Students

Fully agree

Yes, definitely. We need to be more inclusive of students with disabilities. Furthermore, we want to welcome a diverse student population within our university where everyone feels at home. Some students don't have the financial means to avoid working during their studies, and not all students have the luxury of fitting their study schedule within their work schedule. Students should have more flexibility to tailor their education so that it fits their capabilities and learning needs.

INTER

Agree

Lectures should be made available online to accommodate students with multiple commitments outside of university and also in support of those with special needs and circumstances. Additionally, making lectures available as recordings rather than live streams would ensure that lecture attendance remains high, but those who need an online format are still accommodated for. Moreover, online lectures allow students a greater degree of flexibility when it comes to note-taking, allowing them to pause the lecture, simmer the information, and reflect in their notes.

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Fully agree

DVS believes it is important to promote students' freedom and ensure free access to education. By making all lectures available online, students have more opportunity and freedom to determine when and where they study. This can be especially useful for students with jobs and other obligations. Moreover, online access to lectures can increase access to education for students who are geographically limited, for example, due to distance or mobility issues. This contributes to a more inclusive learning environment and gives students more flexibility. Offering classes online can also be a solution for students who cannot find accommodation in or around Amsterdam.

Students wishing to take honours courses should be able to do so based on their motivation, regardless of their grades

UvASociaal

Neutral

HUMANS

Neutral

The Founding Students

Neutral

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

Grades are an objective measure of these performances and provide a reliable indication of someone's ability to handle complex academic tasks. DVS believes that the honors program should not only be a reward for motivation but also a recognition of academic achievements. If the honors program is solely based on motivation, this could compromise its academic integrity and diminish its value. Furthermore, ignoring grades may pose the risk of admitting students who may not possess the necessary academic skills to successfully complete the program

Party 020

Disagree

Although motivation should also be a deciding factor, we believe that there should be a combination of both grades and motivation as a basis for following honours courses. Having a slightly flexible minimum grade for entry into the honours programme would allow for the university to keep up the quality of education, whilst also allowing for motivated students to participate in the program.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Fuck This Party

Neutral

INTER

Disagree

The Dutch grading system is not without its own critiques. Nevertheless, grades do showcase the extent to which a student is able to handle their university workload. If one's grades are low, this might be indicative that an additional honours course would not be suitable. That being said, one's motivation should definitely still account for a large portion of the admissions process and be taken seriously.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Motivated students who want to take a subject should be encouraged in this: not stopped purely on the basis of their grades.

More investment is needed in interdisciplinary education (providing students with more than just one perspective on a particular subject, such as is done in honours, PPLE or IIS programs)

Fuck This Party

Neutral

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS aims to advocate for more investment in interdisciplinary education. In the current job market, the ability to think across disciplines and collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds and expertise has become increasingly important. DVS emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary education in promoting innovation and creativity, and believes that more resources could be allocated to programs such as honors, PPLE, or IIS. However, this should not come at the expense of investments in traditional studies.

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

INTER

Agree

Interdisciplinary is a valuable asset in today's increasingly complex world. More interdisciplinary education, therefore, would generally serve to benefit the UvA student body. That being said, there remains a need for specialised education within certain fields. This should not be overlooked, and deserves its fair share of investment.

Activist Party UvA

Agree

Gaining multiple perspectives is something the Activist Party likes to see, and students should have more opportunities to pursue this in university. At the same time, this should be accessible to all students, which is not the case with programs like PPLE where students have to pay higher tuition than for other programs.

The Founding Students

Agree

Yes, students should have more elective courses.

Party 020

Fully agree

An interdisciplinary perspective will improve the quality of education by exposure to a variety of perspectives and methods. Further, this will enhance students’ overall chances for developing a successful and fruitful career.

HUMANS

Agree

UvASociaal

Agree

As a way to curb the growth of the university, Dutch language courses should be a mandatory part of all programs

The Founding Students

Neutral

It's important that students pursuing a Dutch-taught program have a good command of the Dutch language. Students without a pre-university diploma, a partial pre-university certificate in Dutch, or a B1 certificate in Dutch should demonstrate their language proficiency. This is already standard practice, so further expansion is unnecessary, but current requirements should be maintained.

HUMANS

Fully disagree

Party 020

Disagree

While 020 agrees that, due to the current UvA capacity limits, growth of the university should be curbed, we do not agree that making students take mandatory Dutch language courses is the best method to do so. Forcing students to take extra courses can potentially interfere with one’s main studies, as well as take a toll on student mental health and free time.

Activist Party UvA

Disagree

Although the Activist Party is for accessible Dutch language education, the ability to learn a language should not affect the final grade of study if it has nothing to do with language.

UvASociaal

Disagree

Fuck This Party

Neutral

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

Dutch courses should be encouraged and become more accessible to students instead of using it as a tool to prevent international students joining in.

INTER

Disagree

INTER agrees with more accessible and free Dutch courses. However, we strongly disagree with making them mandatory. We also take issue with the way this statement is formulated, and believe that the responsibility for curbing university growth should be placed on the institution itself and the Dutch government, rather than serve as a burden for students.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS applauds the provision of free Dutch language courses to all international students interested in them. DVS encourages international students to learn Dutch as it will enhance their interaction with fellow citizens and significantly increase their chances of finding employment in the Netherlands. However, DVS stands for an inclusive university. Mandating the completion of a Dutch language course as part of every program may lead to the exclusion of non-Dutch-speaking students. Therefore, DVS believes that the choice to take language courses should be left up to the students.

It is the government’s responsibility to provide mental health support for students. Therefore, the university should not spend extra resources on this

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

It is important for the university to be a safe place for students, and in our capitalist society many students struggle with mental problems: stress, study pressure, fear of the future. The university should invest on student welfare so that students can feel safe and at home here.

INTER

Fully disagree

While we agree that mental health support should be on the government’s agenda, it absolutely does not absolve the university of responsibility for their students and their well-being. Students spend the majority of their time at the university or with university-connected activities, many live here purely for their studies. The university should not only care for their students well-being, but is in our eyes directly responsible for providing support to any student who needs it and should therefore allocate resources to providing students in need with mental health support.

HUMANS

Disagree

UvASociaal

Fully disagree

While we do believe that it is the government's responsibility to provide mental health support for everyone, universities must also prioritize the mental well-being of its students and provide adequate resources.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS believes that universities can support students more effectively and efficiently than the government. The national government is at a greater distance from the student than the university. Although the government is responsible for the well-being of students in many respects and should also allocate resources for mental health, the university can allocate these resources more targetedly.

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

Sefa Student Party

Fully disagree

The university knows way better about their students and the studies their students are doing, so the university can guide through their students better than the government.

The Founding Students

Neutral

It's essential that students receive the necessary support for mental health, regardless of who provides this help. Whether it's managed by the government or the university, what matters is that effective resources are available to help students. Collaboration between universities and the government could result in broader and better access to mental health care.

Party 020

Fully disagree

Student mental health should not be considered the responsibility of the government. Instead, our students should have appropriate resources readily made available to them by the University when in need of mental health aid. The current resources are not sufficient for the University’s growing student body, leaving many students without guidance or support. The University should therefore invest more in its mental health resources and services.

The Binding Study Advice (BSA) should be abolished

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS believes that the BSA (Binding Study Advice) threshold may be lowered or that certain personal circumstances warranting leniency (resulting in a student not meeting the BSA requirements) could be handled more compassionately. The BSA serves as one of the few objective measures to assess student performance. Therefore, it is not advisable to completely abolish the BSA.

HUMANS

Agree

INTER

Disagree

At INTER we think that the current BSA is too high and that the regulations surrounding it are too inflexible to allow students freedom in their study and personal development. We believe the BSA needs to be lowered and the regulations deciding about exemptions and providing support need to become more flexible and personalisable. However, completely abolishing the BSA is not the answer as it would either further drive UvA’s growth into unsustainable heights or necessitate stricter admission criteria, which would defeat the UvA’s value of giving students fair chances.

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

Party 020

Neutral

020 believes that the BSA is a necessary part to gain the University’s permanence. However, there should also be more flexibility with the Study Advice as different students have different needs and lives which might directly affect their personal Advice.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Currently, the BSA adds a lot of unnecessary pressure on the student's already stressful life. There are many legitimate reasons for failing the BSA: without other problems, starting at university, a new environment, can already be a stressful time. In addition, it also encourages exactly long study, while it is intended to combat precisely this: students often seek a similar study at the same university after failing the BSA, or exactly the same study at another university. Abolishing the BSA would eliminate many problems.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

UvASociaal

Agree

The current BSA places a lot of unnecessary pressure on students, negatively impacting their mental health and study progress. Some students may fail to meet the BSA due to reasons that are beyond their control. We believe students should receive more personalized non-binding study advice, catered to their specific situation.

The Founding Students

Disagree

No, the binding study advice (BSA) is an important measure to see if a student can handle the academic workload. A BSA of 42 credits is low enough to give students space to not stress too much about meeting the required credits, but high enough to give a realistic assessment of their suitability for the program and to motivate them to be engaged and committed from the start. By setting clear standards, the BSA ensures that students take their studies seriously and seek the necessary support when needed. This prevents students from unnecessarily continuing in a program that may not suit them, ultimately saving them time and money. Maintaining the BSA ensures better alignment between students and the program, contributing to a more successful academic journey.

There should be mandatory attendance for tutorials

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

For the same reason that students may be absent from a lecture, students may also be absent from a work group. The Activist Party does not believe that a student should not be allowed to pass a course purely because they have been absent from a tutorial.

Party 020

Disagree

While it is important for our students to attend as many seminars and tutorials as possible for them to keep up with the course material and the important topics discussed in class, making it mandatory takes away the possibility of our students to reallocate their study time according to their needs. Furthermore, the current lack of flexibility in regard to absences puts the students' education at risk of delay, under circumstances that are out of their control such as illness or disability.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS disagrees with this statement. To promote participation and attendance in tutorials, a lecturer should incorporate more participation assignments in the form of debates/interactive activities in the tutorials. Attending a tutorial should be motivated by the intrinsic motivation of interactive learning experiences, not by obligation. A student should be free to choose whether to attend tutorials and is responsible for attending all assessment moments.

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

Mandatory attendance for certain courses and tutorials which strictly requires students' presence is understandable, but not all courses should be mandatory.

HUMANS

Disagree

INTER

Neutral

We do think it is important for students to attend tutorials and engage in discussions with each other about the subjects they are studying. However, similarly as with the BSA, current exemption regulations for the attendance are too inflexible and inconsiderate of students’ physical and mental health, as well as their financial means as many need to work or travel far. We advocate for a more flexible, student-focused attendance policy that is adapted to students’ needs.

The Founding Students

Fully disagree

Disagree. Attending tutorials should not be mandatory because students should have the flexibility to organize their studies in a way that suits their learning needs and capabilities. Clear standards, like the binding study advice (BSA), ensure that students take their studies seriously and seek the necessary support when needed. Students should have the freedom to choose the learning method that works best for them without impeding their progress.

UvASociaal

Fully disagree

Non-mandatory tutorial attendance creates greater flexibility in learning, allowing students to manage their responsibilities autonomously. We believe the university should focus more on ensuring the tutorials are meaningful and engaging so more students attend voluntarily.

The university should be allowed to limit the number of international students

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS is proud of the University of Amsterdam's position on the international academic stage, partly thanks to all the international students studying at our institution. DVS believes that although it is currently not necessary to restrict, the university should retain the ability to regulate the number of international students in response to increasing pressure on facilities and housing.

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

A hard limit on international students only goes along with the nationalist discourse against all things international and does not solve the actual problems we face as a university.

The Founding Students

Neutral

It's important for the university to find a healthy balance in the number of international students to maintain diversity and an international environment while ensuring there is enough space and resources for all students. The university should be able to respond to capacity challenges without imposing unnecessary restrictions that could limit valuable international perspectives.

INTER

Disagree

We understand that there have been tensions among international and Dutch students, and growing resentment on both sides. However, INTER does not believe that the amount of international students is the issue, but rather the disconnect and division among the student body. Instead of curbing the amount of international students, measures of integration, like accessible dutch classes, would be more fruitful.

Party 020

Disagree

We disagree with the idea that the university should limit the number of international students. Our core values are deeply rooted in promoting diversity and inclusion, and we believe that international students play a vital role in enriching the educational experience for all and creating a diverse academic community where varied perspectives and cultures contribute to a more dynamic and innovative learning environment.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

UvASociaal

Disagree

Restricting the number of international students goes against the development of a global learning environment that benefits from diverse perspectives and experiences. The university should instead implement policies that help international students integrate better with the dutch students, promoting academic and cultural success for both.

HUMANS

Fully disagree

Calling the police is an appropriate response by the university to deal with student protests and demonstrations

HUMANS

Disagree

The Founding Students

Neutral

It's a complex issue where the university must balance ensuring the safety of all involved and respecting the right to peaceful protest and freedom of speech. In some cases, police intervention may be necessary to maintain public order and ensure activities remain within legal boundaries. At the same time, it's important for the university to respect the freedom of demonstration and strive for open dialogue and engagement with its students.

INTER

Disagree

Student protests are an important tool for students to express their discontent with important political issues. If students peacefully exercise their democratic rights to freedom of assembly and expression, the police should not be called on them. Especially in light of past protests in which police has engaged in disproportionate violence, calling the police should not be the first line of action. Of course, if a situation escalates, calling the police might be the last resort.

Party 020

Neutral

While we understand the importance of the police in protecting private grounds of UvA, we believe that protests should be evaluated from case to case and the presence of police sometimes unnecessarily escalates the situation. Generalisations such as: all protests must be dealt with by the police do not help the discussion and only stir emotions.

Sefa Student Party

Fully disagree

University should be a safe place to its every student, not a place where violence happens which threatens student's safety.

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

The right to protest is of utmost importance to us. However, sometimes this may conflict with the academic obligations and the open academic debate of fellow students who are not participating in the protest. Protests should not obstruct access to education, and (fire) safety must be ensured for all students present. The UvA should operate with clear protocols to de-escalate such disproportionate protests. If demonstrators do not cooperate, the university should have the ability to involve the authorities.

UvASociaal

Fully disagree

The university needs to respect its students' rights to freedom of expression and peaceful demonstrations. Involving the police has shown to exacerbate tensions and leads to further unrest and conflict. We believe students should feel safe and heard at their university.

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

Absolutely not. The university should protect its students, and bringing violence to campus by involving the police in demonstrations is going way too far.

The university should stop the prioritisation of students from outside the EU in regard to the university provided student housing

Activist Party UvA

Disagree

For students from outside the EU, finding housing can be more difficult, and it is more essential to find housing for their visa. At the same time, international students from within the EU also often find it difficult to find housing here without contacts: so this group should not be entirely excluded.

INTER

Fully disagree

While we understand why such prioritization may feel discriminatory to Dutch and EU students, we cannot ignore the fact that the university admits students who then travel around the world for UvA education while the housing market in Amsterdam is even more difficult for them to access, with a housing shortage combined with the fact that many landlords demand in-person meetings and Dutch or at least EU passports. We support the UvA in informing international students more about these issues to prevent them from facing housing problems after their student housing ends. Additionally, the UvA should analyze its role in combating the housing shortage for all students and actively contribute to this effort.

UvASociaal

Disagree

Party 020

Disagree

With efforts to diversify the student body, the University should not stop prioritising non-EU students in regards to housing. In the current housing crisis, the international students have even more barriers to finding accommodation, which leaves them with less options and more risks, as there is more uncertainty around them being able to remain in the Netherlands and they require a residency permit.

HUMANS

Agree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS believes that the UvA should reduce the priority given to non-EU students. This creates unequal treatment among students. The housing shortage in Amsterdam is a growing problem, and prioritising non-EU students exacerbates this shortage. It is important for the university to adopt a fair and balanced policy when allocating student housing.

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

As far as we concern, the prioritisation of Non-EEA students for housing has already been cancelled.

The Founding Students

Neutral

It's important for the university to strike a balance between equal opportunities for all students and the pursuit of a diverse student population. When allocating student housing, fairness and justice should be ensured, taking into account both Dutch and international students.

The Numerus Fixus should be used to stopthe growth of the university

"Numerus Fixus" is a maximum on the number of students that each year can enroll into a specific degree program. Students are enrolled on the basis of selection or (possibly weighted) random draw.

INTER

Disagree

We are aware of the UvA’s extensive growth in student numbers and agree that action needs to be taken to counteract that. But we want to emphasize that selection should not be purely merit-based in regards to students’ high school performance, but should account for students’ experiences and motivation. A Numerus Fixus and curbing student influx cannot come at the expense of underprivileged students who might be disadvantaged by certain policies.

UvASociaal

Disagree

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

The numerus fixus is a harsh tool, which reduces the accessibility of our programs and therefore should not be used to stop the growth of the university: especially as long as the numerus fixus is often accompanied by a selection process rather than a random selection.

HUMANS

Neutral

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Party 020

Neutral

020 believes that in the absence of a capacity constraint, there is no reason to exclude prospective students from the university, as without careful construction, numerus fixus can be discriminatory to those from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds. That being said, in studies where there is a clear capacity limitation, implementing a numerus fixus can be a successful method to curb even more growth.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Neutral

At DVS, the quality of education is paramount. When the quality of education declines due to the growth of a program, the Numerus Fixus system is the most appropriate solution to maintain quality. However, we want to encourage the UvA to strive for more innovative solutions instead of repeatedly resorting to the Numerus Fixus system.

The Founding Students

Neutral

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Programs should have the sole responsibility in deciding whether they teach in Dutch or in English

INTER

Disagree

The decision should be made in a democratic manner, with all relevant stakeholders involved. The interests of Dutch and international students alike should be taken into consideration.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Fully agree

DVS believes that the quality of education should always take precedence. In the context of education quality, programs should have the autonomy to decide in which language the best education can be delivered. Lectures given by a teacher who does not speak English or Dutch fluently compromise the quality of education.

UvASociaal

Neutral

Party 020

Neutral

We think that limiting any program to students who can only follow it in Dutch harms the accessibility to, and inclusivity of, the University. It would benefit all students if the program had both a Dutch and English track but, due to practical reasons, we understand why courses themselves have to have a say in this.

Activist Party UvA

Agree

In general, the Activist Party believes in as much decentralization as possible, so programs should have the decision about their own policies. At the same time, the conversation about internationalization is currently taking place across the university, which is also important to discuss with the entire university.

HUMANS

Fully disagree

The Founding Students

Neutral

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

The UvA should address problems such as systemic overwork and bad working conditions among its teachers by giving out more permanent contracts

INTER

Fully agree

We agree that the uncertainty caused by temporary contracts is detrimental to teachers' sense of security and their motivation. More permanent contracts is something the teachers themselves demanded, and we encourage a dialogue between the relevant parties. The UvA staff and teachers are the bedrock of our institution and only by ensuring fairness to them can our quality of education improve beyond measure.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

The Founding Students

Agree

Party 020

Fully agree

020 fully supports tackling the issue of overwork and bad working conditions for our lecturers/teachers. Casual UvA is seen as a great initiative started by our teachers and a step towards progress for our teachers and students, since the situation also harms students' wellbeing with grading delays/study delays as a result of overwork for our teachers.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

The university should be a safe place for its students as well as its employees. Teachers should have a permanent place at our university, and not fear that their contracts will not be renewed.

HUMANS

Agree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS believes that teachers who have certainty and freedom can fully focus on providing high-quality education. It is essential to recognise that teachers make an invaluable contribution to education and that their well-being should not be compromised.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

The UvA should involve students in long term plans for study spaces and teaching facilities according to the expected changes in student population

Party 020

Neutral

The University should listen to student complaints about spaces and facilities through the council. However we also believe that the long term plans of facilities need to be left to urban planning experts at the university.

The Founding Students

Agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

UvASociaal

Agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Students know best what they need in terms of study spaces and studying, and students should have a strong voice in the policy of this.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Students should be allowed to participate in more of the development and planning of the university projects.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS believes that involving students in long-term plans for study spaces and educational facilities is important to ensure that the university meets the needs and expectations of its students, especially considering the expected increase in diversity in the student population.

INTER

Fully agree

We believe that students should be involved and have a direct say in all major decisions concerning student life, this is necessary for a more democratic university. Students should be especially involved in the decisions concerning study spaces and teaching facilities as our experiences as students should be considered as valuable knowledge and be treated as such.

The UvA should cut ties with fossil fuel companies like Shell

The Founding Students

Neutral

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS believes that completely severing ties is pointless and does not promote the energy transition. However, clear agreements must be in place to ensure the quality and integrity of such collaborative research. If researchers at the UvA can genuinely contribute to the transition to green energy through funding from fuel companies, this should only be encouraged. Sensibly on the path to a sustainable world.

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

As a university, we should not contribute to the greenwashing of companies like Shell, for which the overwhelming majority of their business still exists of fossil fuels.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

INTER

Agree

UvA should strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible, which essentially includes cutting ties with fossil fuel companies.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

HUMANS

Neutral

Party 020

Fully agree

Especially as UvA’s own researchers study the horrible effects of fossil fuels, it remains extremely hypocritical to continue working with companies like Shell. Possible and implementable alternatives are available, especially to an institution of UvA’s size.

The executive board of the university should be elected through an open election by the students and worker’s body

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

The board is there to serve the students', staffs' and teachers' benefits, so the election should be open to students and worker's body.

Party 020

Disagree

While having the students and worker’s body elect the executive board through an open election would allow for more transparency and democracy in the management of the University, 020 believes that this situation should not be politicised, and that the executive board must be made up of qualified members and those should be chosen by experts, as the student body would not have enough information to choose and vote on the executive board

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

According to DVS, good governance is essential for a good university. It is important to ensure that the university's governance represents not only the interests of students and staff but also the broader mission and objectives of the institution. A qualitative selection of the board, with representation from various areas of expertise and stakeholders, is essential in this regard. Additionally, open elections may have low turnout, so a decentralized selection process is more suitable for finding and selecting capable candidates. To keep the selection process democratic, an independent selection committee with stakeholders, for example, can be established.

INTER

Fully agree

Electing the executive board would increase transparency and promote democratic practices at the university. It would also provide us, students, with the opportunity to choose the people who make important decisions which affect our academic careers as well as make changes to the university we study at.

UvASociaal

Agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

HUMANS

Fully agree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Democratization is one of the Activist Party's main priorities, and with an open election of the Executive Board, much of the power is placed with the academic community itself.

Student councils should support occupations as a legitimate means of protest at the university

Fuck This Party

No opinion

UvASociaal

Agree

The Founding Students

Disagree

HUMANS

Neutral

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

Party 020

Agree

The student council should take an objective approach towards occupation and protests at the university, by assessing the motivation behind the occupation as well as its nature, before revealing a stance on any student protest.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Occupations have accomplished much in the past for the democratization of the university, and student councils are, among other things, a result of past occupations. For this very reason, student councils should support occupations as a legitimate form of protest.

INTER

Neutral

Student councils should have the option to support it, but it should be up to their discretion. It is not for the student councils to encourage such activities, as the main goal of the representatives of the student body is to engage in dialogue with the university to achieve their goals and protect their interests.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

Occupations are a powerful and radical tool. They lead to serious disruption of university operations. This can cause tensions within the university community and hinder the institution from carrying out its core tasks. A participation body is there for all its stakeholders. Using a means that is inherently aimed at seriously hindering a part of the stakeholders, for goals that are sometimes not widely supported within the community, should not be justified by student councils. Additionally, occupations often incur high costs, which the academic community has to bear.

Admission to programs with a limited student capacity should be based on selection procedure rather than random selection through a lottery system

INTER

Agree

Merit should not only be the only criterion, as it can disadvantage already underprivileged students who do not have access to well-funded educational opportunities. Nevertheless, random lottery selection does not consider merit, motivation, or possible disadvantages the student might have faced up until that point. Therefore, we agree that merit rather than a lottery system should be used, but not as the only criterion.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Sefa Student Party

Agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

UvASociaal

Neutral

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS prefers the selection procedure over the lottery system. Although such a procedure can be very demanding, it is the most fair. Students who demonstrate passion and competence for the respective program deserve their place through this process. This ensures that each spot in the program is filled by a willing student.

Activist Party UvA

Fully disagree

A selection process creates room for prejudice in the people who select, while things like grades and the ability to promote yourself do not necessarily affect whether you are going to be a good student. The Activist Party therefore believes that all students who meet the requirements of a program should have the same chance of being admitted.

Party 020

Agree

020 favours a merit based system that accounts for the socio-economic background of an individual and weighs up their achievements and situation against potential shortcomings of a system solely focused on academic achievement such as the GPA. We further believe that a simple lottery will not reach this goal. We believe a more nuanced approach is necessary to both motivate students to achieve high marks as well as level the playing field to allow for a greater diversity of students at the UvA, which will lead to better research output and quality of education. A system that recognises both merit and socio-economic inequalities is crucial to increase equality and diversity while making sure students are motivated in their studies and are certain that their hard work will pay off.

HUMANS

Agree

All food options should be plant based by default

HUMANS

Fully disagree

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

The Founding Students

Disagree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Fully disagree

DVS believes that freedom of choice should be maintained. While promoting plant-based eating is inherently positive, other food options should also be available to respect freedom of choice. We do believe that offering plant-based food options is a good way to normalize and encourage plant-based eating.

UvASociaal

Agree

We believe it is important for the university to accommodate diverse dietary preferences and provide nutritious and satisfying meals for its students. Defaulting to plant based food options promotes environmental sustainability and a lower ecological impact. While the default options are plant based, there can still be non plant-based options available.

INTER

Agree

Eating meat puts a heavy burden on the planet, and is more polluting than vegetarian food options. Therefore, the canteen should be plant based by default, meaning that there are mostly vegan and vegetarian dishes, with some meat and dairy options still being available. Students with soy allergies or vegetable allergies must be acknowledged, and they would be very disadvantaged with a fully vegan or vegetarian canteen, therefore some meat options should remain available in the cafeteria. The animal products offered should be ethically sourced and there should be halal and kosher options.

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

To combat climate change, much less animal products must be used, and the Activist Party favors a canteen where the options are “plant-based by default.” So this means a canteen where the default options are plant-based, but other options can still be present. However, we are moving away from the idea that animal products are the default.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Party 020

Fully agree

Partij 020 is fully dedicated to increase sustainability at the UvA and it's one of our core pillars. A plant-based canteen by default can help decrease carbon footprint in the environment. Furthermore, Partij 020 has been supporting AntiKantine, a student movement aimed to make the canteen more affordable and sustainable. Therefore, we fully support a plant-based by default model for the canteen.

The university lacks sufficient readily accessible gender-neutral toilets

Party 020

Fully agree

It is imperative that UVA campuses provide gender-neutral toilets to foster a truly inclusive university environment. This measure will go a long way toward making everyone feel welcomed and valued at the university.

HUMANS

Neutral

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Currently, many university buildings have few gender-neutral restrooms, which means students who do not identify with the male or female gender have to go to much greater lengths to find a restroom suitable for them. The Activist Party believes there should be more gender-neutral restrooms at the university.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

There should be at least one gender-neutral toilets in each faculty and each building.

The Founding Students

Neutral

UvASociaal

Agree

We believe access to sufficient readily accessible gender-neutral toilets are important in ensuring inclusivity and diversity. The university should accommodate the needs of all students, including those that may not feel comfortable using traditional gender-specific toilets.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

It is important for universities to strive for an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere where all members of the community feel welcome and respected. Increasing access to gender-neutral toilets is an important step in this direction. There should be sufficient access to gender-neutral toilets in every UvA building.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

INTER

Agree

Gender neutral toilets should be available to those who prefer to use them. That does not mean that all toilets need to be gender neutral, it just means that there should be enough of them available across campuses.

The canteen should be deprivatized

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Neutral

In the canteen, the goal should be to provide the best possible food for the best price. Whether this is achieved through a privatized or 'de-privatized' canteen does not matter to DVS. A privatized canteen should lead to a system of fair competition, resulting in the best price. To ensure fair competition, diversity of providers should be taken into account.

HUMANS

Agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Students currently have to pay too much money for a reasonable meal in the cafeteria. The Activist Party stands for a canteen that does not make a profit on students and serves affordable and nutritious meals.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Party 020

Fully agree

In the past two years, Partij 020 has been constantly supporting the deprivatisation of the canteen by helping with projects such as Antikantine. We believe that the current system of the cafeteria is inefficient and outdated; with democracy as one of our pillars, we believe that the current model of the canteen lacks competition and democracy as a result of the rigid contracts that have been implemented. It is our opinion that students should be able to benefit from a greater variety of food, with more sustainable options, at more affordable prices rather than being the customers of a continuously shrinking portion size that does not satisfy dietary needs of students as we have observed these past few years.

INTER

Fully agree

The canteen offers meals at disproportionally high prices, which is a direct result of its privatized organization structure. In order to ensure affordable meals for all, the canteen should be deprivatized.

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Currently, the food at the canteen is priced too high, which makes it less accessible for students and staff, particularly those on tight budgets. UvASociaal has continuously supported the Antikantine project and believes that deprivatization of the canteen may lead to improvements in affordability, sustainability, and overall student satisfaction.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Student & Workers Councils should have the final say in policy decisions

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

For more democratization, democratically elected bodies should have more power: this allows the academic community to decide the direction of the university.

Party 020

Agree

The Councils are an expression of democracy and should always be, in democratic institutions, the decisive ones. Naturally, this must be accompanied by a professional discussion, reviews, and data-based decisions, not ad hoc half-baked ideas.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

INTER

Agree

HUMANS

Disagree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

DVS believes that student and enterprise councils should not have veto power over policy decisions. This authority rests with the UvA's board. Through the participation councils, the board is scrutinized and can be persuaded to consider alternative perspectives through dialogue.

UvASociaal

Agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

Academic freedom is the most important value to uphold for a university

Party 020

Fully agree

Partij 020 believes that universities should be a place where constant dialogue is possible and also encouraged by the university. As democracy is one of our core pillars, we are committed to ensuring that students and teachers alike are encouraged to share and discuss diverse and competing opinions.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

INTER

Agree

Activist Party UvA

Neutral

As an academic institution, academic freedom should be paramount. At the same time, the Activist Party also considers other values important for a university: equal opportunities for all students, democracy within the university, but also stopping unethical collaborations: such as with fossil companies or Israeli universities. Because we believe that these values are not mutually exclusive, we choose “Neutral” here.

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

Academic freedom is a core value for DVS. Researchers, teachers, and students must be free to express thoughts, explore new ideas, and discuss controversial viewpoints without fear of censorship, punishment, or repercussions. Academic freedom is crucial for scientific progress; even non-conforming thoughts should be allowed to be expressed, enabling the demonstration of their falsehood and promoting truth-seeking. It fosters intellectual diversity and enables universities to play an active role in promoting societal engagement and change. We believe that academic freedom goes hand in hand with values such as diversity and social safety.

UvASociaal

Agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Having a physical accessibility university that provides equitable education for it’s students is a priority for the University

The Founding Students

Agree

INTER

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Fully agree

The university should strive for accessible facilities and support services. By focusing on physical accessibility and inclusive education, the UvA can strengthen its role as a leader in equal opportunities.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

It should be important to the university that all students can receive an education here, and accessibility to education and buildings should indeed be a high priority.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Accessibility is one of our four main principles. By prioritizing physical accessibility, the university can ensure all students have an equal opportunity to participate fully on campus and succeed academically.

Party 020

Fully agree

At 020, one of our pillars is diversity & inclusion so we believe that every student has a right to access education without discrimination. We are committed to supporting students in their academic journey to ensure they receive the education they have paid for.

HUMANS

Fully agree

The UvA should give more training to the teaching assistants

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Students helping to teach a seminar should receive good guidance and training from the UvA.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

INTER

Fully agree

The Founding Students

Agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

DVS believes that providing more training to teaching assistants can result in improved communication with students, better understanding of individual learning needs, and more effective support. This investment would enhance the overall quality of education and positively impact students' learning experience.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

Party 020

Fully agree

We strongly support enhanced training for teaching assistants. This aligns perfectly with our core values: improving education quality, fostering diversity and inclusion, and expanding student opportunities. Better-trained teaching assistants can elevate teaching standards, support a diverse student body, and effectively guide students in their academic and career pursuits, enhancing the overall university experience.

Motions

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

The Founding Students

Neutral

Party 020

Fully agree

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Sefa Student Party

Agree

HUMANS

Agree

INTER

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

INTER

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

The Founding Students

Agree

UvASociaal

Fully agree

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

The Founding Students

Fully agree

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

INTER

Fully agree

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

UvASociaal

Fully agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

INTER

Disagree

The Founding Students

Agree

Party 020

Agree

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

Activist Party UvA

Disagree

UvASociaal

Disagree

De Vrije Student (DVS)

Disagree

HUMANS

Agree

HUMANS

Fully agree

Party 020

Fully agree

Activist Party UvA

Fully agree

UvASociaal