UvA Kieswijzer

The University must prioritise active diversity policies, including decolonization

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.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

Sefa Student Party

Agree

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.

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.

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.

HUMANS

Agree

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 UvA should offer free menstrual products at each campus

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

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.

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

HUMANS

Fully agree

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

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.

HUMANS

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.

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

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.

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.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

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.

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.

HUMANS

Agree

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.

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

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

All lectures should be available online for everyone

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.

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.

HUMANS

Fully agree

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.

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.

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.

Sefa Student Party

Fully agree

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

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

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

UvASociaal

Neutral

Fuck This Party

Neutral

HUMANS

Neutral

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.

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.

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.

Sefa Student Party

Agree

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)

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.

Fuck This Party

Neutral

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.

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.

HUMANS

Agree

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.

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

UvASociaal

Agree

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

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.

UvASociaal

Disagree

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.

Fuck This Party

Neutral

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.

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.

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.

HUMANS

Fully disagree

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

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.

The Binding Study Advice (BSA) should be abolished

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.

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.

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.

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.

HUMANS

Agree

Fuck This Party

Fully agree

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.

There should be mandatory attendance for tutorials

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.

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

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.

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.

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.

HUMANS

Disagree

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.

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.

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

Sefa Student Party

Disagree

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.

HUMANS

Fully disagree

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.

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.

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.

Fuck This Party

No opinion

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

HUMANS

Disagree

Fuck This Party

Fully disagree

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

Sefa Student Party

Neutral

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

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.

UvASociaal

Disagree

Fuck This Party

No opinion

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.

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

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.

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.