Elections
Let your voice be heard!
From 19 May up to 22 May 2025, students and UM employees can vote for the Faculty Councils and University Councils.
Would you also like to have a say in important policy issues at UM? Then stand for election. Perhaps you’ll become one of the faces in the new University Council. Candidacy is possible between 10 and 14 March 2025.
Our councillors tell about their experiences
From 10 to 14 March, you can run as an employee candidate for the University Council or for one of the Faculty Councils. What is it like to be a council member as an academic staff member, as a support staff member or as a student? In this series, we give council members the chance to talk about their positions as councillors.
Councillor Vanessa LaPointe: ‘You don't have to be a seasoned politician to join the University Council’
Dr Vanessa LaPointe works as an associate professor, and part of her job is also serving for the University Council. Vanessa: 'I always saw possible areas for improvement to make the university a better place. As a member of the University Council, I can now really contribute to that.'
Kim Luijten is secretary of the Faculty Council at FHML: 'It might be something for you!'
Kim Luijten has been the dedicated secretary of the FHML Faculty Council for over 13 years. At the faculty council, you are involved in important decision-making processes going on within the faculty. Kim: ‘The members work for the benefit of the faculty and everyone who works or studies there. That intrinsic motivation to contribute to improving the faculty is something that drives all our current members.’
Former councillor Kim Kuypers: ‘Your input has impact, on the university and on your own faculty.’
Dr Kim Kuypers was a councillor for years, first for the Faculty Council and later for the University Council. 'And I still encourage my colleagues to become councillors too,' she says enthusiastically. What makes being a councillor so interesting? Kim gladly tells you about it.
Candidacy
From 10 to 14 March, you can run as a candidate for the University Council or Faculty Councils. These are participatory bodies where students and staff discuss and decide on important topics such as sustainability, education quality, and student well-being. By running as a candidate, you’ll have the opportunity to actively contribute to shaping the university’s direction, tackle challenging issues, and develop yourself professionally. The elections will take place between 19 and 22 May, and voter eligibility will be determined on 1 February. Be ready to make your voice heard!
Read more on how you can run as a candidate.
Listen to our podcast: CouncilCast
Why is participation and representation so important within in the university? Listen to the CouncilCast to find out!
A day in the life of the University Council
What does the University Council do exactly? In this video, we take you to a meeting between the staff and students that represent you. Watch the video and learn more about the importance of representation and participation.
Central Elections Office
The Central Electoral Committee is appointed by the Executive Board. It is responsible for organizing the elections for the university's participation councils. The Central Electoral Committee organizes the elections on the basis of the Electoral Regulations. In addition, a Code of Conduct has been drawn up in consultation with the University Council to ensure that the elections are conducted as respectfully and fairly as possible.
The Central Elections Office consists of:
Chair
Em. prof. dr. H. Kingma
Members
Maïté Janssen
Serge Mordang
Secretariat Central Elections Office
Niels Harteman
Contact Centraal Stembureau
Niels Harteman - +31 43 3883286
Official Secretary
verkiezingen@maastrichtuniversity.nl
+31 43 3881977
Minderbroedersberg 4-6
Representative bodies
There are three representative bodies at Maastricht University; the University Council, the Faculty Councils and Service Councils. In April 2024 elections will take place for the University Council, Faculty Councils and Service Councils. In the following sections you will find a short summary of the representative bodies. For more background and detailed information please see the section Representative bodies on this website.
The University Council
The central representative body at the UM, the University Council, consists of 6 representatives from academic staff section (WP), 4 from the administrative and support staff (OBP) and 10 from the student section. Employees are elected as Council members for a term of two years; students serve a term of one year. More about the University Council.
Faculty Councils
In addition, each faculty has its own Faculty Council, which also consists of the three sections, WP, OBP and students. The size of the councils varies from faculty to faculty. Here too, staff members are elected for a term of two years and student members serve a term of one year.
Service Councils
There are separate representative bodies for administrative and support staff working in the Maastricht University Office and the service centers, the so-called Service Councils (six altogether). The members are elected for a term of 2 years.
Watch the video about the elections of the Representative bodies below