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Budgets, political agreements, human rights and fossil free society, and the MUMC+ integration

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Dear members of the UM Community,

With the new year in full swing, the University Council has gotten back to work. While there are undoubtedly many challenges facing us, our belief in the process of university democracy gives us faith that, together with the Executive Board, we can do what is best for our community. 

At the end of last year, the Council discussed and consented to next year’s budget. With so much uncertainty about the future of higher education funding and because of our very healthy financial position, it was agreed to only make a budget for one year and not to make any dramatic cutbacks for the moment. In the spring, the Council will receive a multi-year budget for the future. This multi-year budget will take into account the political agreement made in The Hague just before Christmas. This agreement works out well for Maastricht University. Not only are the cutbacks reduced, with the long-study fine scrapped and the savings on international students reduced, but the agreement also creates much more room for English-speaking programmes in border regions like Limburg. The details are still being worked on, but this is a hopeful development.

In January, the University Council Operations Committee held a joint meeting with members of the Faculty and Service Councils, to discuss the implementation of the Rewards and Recognition programmes for support staff. They were able to explain the effects of what has already been implemented and what their concerns are to our Vice-President and the Director of Personnel & Development (formerly called HR). 

A lot of time has also been devoted to discussing the new Human Rights Due Diligence and Transition to a Fossil Free Society policy frameworks. These frameworks govern how UM will assess whether partners of Maastricht University are directly involved in gross human rights violations or actively work against the transition to a fossil-free society, and whether it should decide not to cooperate with them. The Council discussed this twice during a Strategy Committee meeting and during a public plenary, which featured significant input from the community. It will issue its advice in the next few weeks.

Lastly, the University Council has been informed that there is a delay in the development of the MUMC+ board integration proposals. However, they should be ready in the spring and the Council’s dedicated committee is looking forward to discussing them so that the Council can offer its advice and consent before the end of the academic year.

Teun Dekker
Chair University Council

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T.J. Dekker

Teun J Dekker (1980) is Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences Education at University College Maastricht, where he teaches courses on the intersection of the Social Sciences and the Humanities, including History of Political Thought and Distributive Justice in Contemporary Political Philosophy.

As Professor of Liberal Arts and Sciences Education, his main duties are: 

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