Constructive education
Learning should be an active process, in which you gain knowledge from your experiences and interactions with your environment. You are encouraged to think about what you already know, and you learn to integrate new information with this prior knowledge. This helps you to really understand the subject matter, form well-founded opinions and acquire new knowledge, rather than just learning things by rote. You will notice that it is easier to remember things this way.

Learning in a relevant context
You study relevant cases, which have meaning in today’s society – whether these are simulations from professional practice, debated topics within scientific communities, or other problems that require an academic approach. Being confronted with such problems, you learn how to tackle a wide variety of topics, as well as how to make the all-important transfer from theory to practice. 

Collaborative learning
You are encouraged to learn from and discuss with others. By exchanging ideas with your peers and providing one another with feedback, you come to understand the subject matter much better. Learning is not an individual process; it is something you as a group share responsibility for.

Self-directed education
The learning process at UM is something you manage yourself by planning, monitoring and evaluating. The tutors and lecturers are there to assist you, but you as the student are the driving force. As the programme progresses you learn to better direct your own learning process in a motivating and effective way. You will find that this enables you to keep on learning for the rest of your life.

We understand PBL at UM as an umbrella term that includes multiple educational methods that are based on these four principles. Thus, in practice, PBL can take different shapes and forms like: 

• Project-Centered Learning
• 7-Jump/Steps?
• Research Based Learning 

Project-Centred Learning 
Some of our education is designed around the Project-Centred Learning (PCL) teaching method.
In PCL, you participate in one project per semester in which you apply and integrate selected content of the courses. This enables you to develop a variety of skills such as project management, writing, presenting and working in a team. UM offers skill classes to further develop these competences, which are also important for your future career.

During the project, you go through various aspects such as understanding the task, team organisation, the acquisition of relevant literature and data, the implementation of the task to produce experimental results, the discussion of the results, and self-reflection on whether the project goals are achieved.

Your examiners provide feedback during intermediate sessions and the project tutor guides you and your group through the process. This guidance is offered during weekly project meetings.
Projects are based on recent research, or on problems submitted by companies and institutes. At the end of each project, you deliver a functional product and present your findings to your fellow students, the teachers and/or the client.

7-Jump
In its essence, the 7-jump involves seven steps that you follow in groups of 10 to 15 students.

The seven steps are:

1. discuss the case and make sure everyone understands the problem
2. identify the questions that need to be answered to shed light on the case
3. brainstorm what the group already knows and identify potential solutions
4. analyse and structure the results of the brainstorming session
5. formulate learning objectives for the knowledge that is still lacking
6. do independent study, individually or in smaller groups: read articles or books, follow practicals or attend lectures to gain the required knowledge
7. discuss the findings

The initial five steps are covered in the second half of a tutorial. You then work individually or in small groups on ‘your’ part of the problem, and come together in the next tutorial to discuss the results as a group for the first half, before repeating the cycle.

Research-based learning
How does research based learning work?

Students are offered the opportunity to learn about conducting research and to acquire new substantive knowledge by doing research. While participating in a research project, you will learn about the research process, research methodology and the dissemination of research results, as well as obtain in-depth substantive knowledge

The project starts with group meetings in which you explore the subject-matter and methodology under the guidance of the supervisor. As the project progresses, the focus turns more towards your own research as you develop the contours of your own research project. Throughout, you will be given the opportunity to share your experiences with the other students in your project group, to discuss the progress of your research and the challenges you encounter, as well as to provide and receive feedback on proposals, drafts, and presentations.

The projects are supervised by researchers who will guide and support you while you explore the substantive topic and develop your own research project. The project groups usually have 5 -12 participants.

Are you in the process of applying for one of our programmes? Have a look at this page offering resources to help you apply and prepare for your new studies, as well as virtual contact possibilities.

FAQ:

• General questions about applying
• Specific questions for international students
• Specific questions about COVID-19 compensation schemes
• Questions regarding finding a room

Due to the COVID-19 measures I will not be able to take a test required for my registration (IELTS/TOEFL, GRE, GMAT, Boswell Beta/CCVX, etc.) as the test has been cancelled or postponed. What should I do?
One of the options, is to take the TOEFL iBT Special Home Edition Test. This test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the TOEFL iBT test as taken at a test center. It is taken on your own computer at home and is monitored by a human proctor online.

ETS is temporarily offering a GRE General Test at home option. The test is identical in content, format and on-screen experience to the GRE General Test taken at a test center. It is taken on your own computer at home and is monitored by a human proctor online.

In the meantime, please complete your application as far as possible according to the current procedure. Also check whether your test centre offers the possibility to take the test online, as some centres do or are planning to do. Note that the application deadlines for some of our bachelor’s programmes have been extended; visit the individual bachelor's programme pages to review the latest information.

I want to apply, but my school is closed due to the coronavirus pandemic and I cannot upload the requested documents. What should I do?
Please contact the UM Admissions Office via e-mail. They will advise you how to proceed with your application.

How can I hand in a certified copy of my diploma as requested in my admission letter?
You can make an appointment to hand in the certified copy. You can also send a certified copy of your diploma by regular mail. Check the information about certifying documents and the postal address here.

I recently mailed a certified copy of my diploma to you, or plan to do so soon. What will happen?
Your document will be processed by the Admissions Office, although due to the COVID-19 situation this may take longer than usual. If the document is invalid or does not meet the requirements, you will be informed by e-mail. 

I applied for a scholarship. When will I find out if I am granted one?
The recipients will be announced as originally scheduled. To view the timeline, click on ‘Selection procedure’ on the webpage of the scholarship you applied for.
Any other questions? Send us an email.

Of course, everyone's health and safety always come first. All of a sudden, we are being required to work under very different circumstances and that requires flexibility, adaptation and creative solutions. Fortunately, these initial months have already shown that we are very capable of adjusting. Employees have already implemented good new ways to hold meetings and collaborate with one another. But, of course, questions are also arising and sometimes it takes a while to find out what is now expected of each other. With this information, we want to give you a little more guidance and possibly alleviate some uncertainty.

Working from home as of 31 August 2020 (2020/21 academic year)? 

*NEW* What will change on 31 August 2020 (2020/21 academic year)?  
"Working from home in principle; on campus in specific cases."
Working from home has been the norm at Maastricht University since March and will remain so. However, since the end of the 'smart lockdown', we have looked for ways to resume the most important activities in the interest of students, employees and the organisation. We have taken safety measures that allow employees to come to campus at certain times for specific tasks, like providing and supporting education or carrying out research in the lab.

What this looks like in practice depends on the respective employees. For most of us, it means that we still mostly work from home. The concrete implementation takes place in dialogue between manager and employees, and is assessed according to the tasks of the respective team or unit.

Another very important criterion is the capacity of our buildings. The application of government measures, such as the 1.5 m distance rule and conditions regarding ventilation, means that we can use no more than 1/3 of the usual capacity. We implement our educational model 'On campus, if you can. Online, if you need to.’ within this framework. This model is important for determining the balance between working from home and working on campus.  We have already laid down strict protocols on presence in UM buildings when it comes to research that requires a lab or other on-site facilities.

Risk group
If you belong to a risk group, or if you provide (informal) care to someone in a risk group, or if you are pregnant, you are not expected to come to the workplace until at least 2021. We also take into consideration employees who are wary of coming to campus for other reasons. We ask them to discuss this with their manager and/or the Occupational Health Physician.

UM does not want to oblige anyone who fears for their safety to come to campus. In duly justified cases, the employee can continue to work from home. Where the nature of the work does not allow for this, another suitable position can be assigned temporarily.

You can also read more about working safely in the time of corona and the COVID-19 Safety protocol.

How can I ensure that my home workplace is ergonomically sound?
From the beginning of the corona crisis, government employees have had to work almost entirely from home. UM immediately provided information on how to set up the home workplace ergonomically, the ability to borrow office equipment, and the possibility of asking a health & safety officer for recommendations, etc.

• Check your workplace with the help of a test from the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU): http://www.kanstest.nl/en
• If it turns out that the layout of your home workplace is not sufficiently ergonomic, you can borrow office equipment from UM (after signing it out). This includes portable equipment such as a monitor, keyboard, mouse, document holder and office chair (a large proportion of the workstations on campus will not be used, making these facilities available for home workplaces).
• If this still does not lead to an adequate solution, working 100% at a UM location can be discussed.
• If working fully at a UM location is not possible, additional office equipment or furniture (e.g. an adjustable table) may be provided.  
• In the event of (imminent) complaints or doubts about the correct set-up of your workplace, please contact your prevention officer immediately.
• The prevention officer can provide recommendations by phone or through a video consultation. If desired (e.g. for reasons of privacy), this video consultation can be carried out by the occupational health & safety service HCC.
• Here you will find various tips, such as videos that show how to incorporate periods of movement while doing computer work.

Scenarios

Depending on their job function and their situation at home, different groups of employees are facing a variety of scenarios. For all situations, the following principles apply, provided the health of the employee or duties of care permit. 

Every employee whose work allows it and who has access to the necessary facilities, should work from home. Expectations when working from home:

• You should continue your regular work activities as much as possible. If something is not working out, discuss this with your manager so you can find a solution together.
• Your manager and your colleagues must know how to reach you.
• Your manager must ensure, to the extent that it is possible, that you have the necessary facilities to be able to work from home (e.g. a laptop and access to the UM networks). To this end, you and your manager should briefly discuss what you need. Bear in mind, however, that in these circumstances, we cannot always offer the same level of occupational health and safety for your home workplace as for your UM workplace. Nevertheless, it is important that you inform yourself about sensible guidelines for working from home. UM offers tips and information to help you set up a good workplace at home. In addition, it is possible to temporarily use certain items or equipment from your UM office at your home workplace (e.g. your chair or monitor). This should be agreed on with your manager. See the tips below. If you are looking for information about network connections for working from home visit our FAQ about IT-support or the ICTS manuals.
• As a result of the cyber attack in December and the corona crisis, we have experienced how essential a safe and reliable computer network is. Our ICT staff work 24/7 to make sure that we can work in a secure digital environment. However, we are jointly responsible for keeping hackers out. Your behaviour also contributes to a secure IT landscape! So please stay alert, even while you are working on your own computer at home. Here you can read about how you can contribute to the security of UM systems.
• It is important to remember that working from home requires a different type of communication than you are used to. Your manager is expected to keep you and your colleagues as informed as possible about priorities and issues relevant for your team. You are asked to keep your manager and any team members as up to date as possible regarding the progress of your work. Communication about this can take place in various ways, for example, through app groups, weekly updates via email, conference calls, or a daily coffee talk online during which everyone is kept up to date. Together with your manager and team, look for a suitable way to communicate.

In what circumstances are you allowed to physically come to work?

UM is following the national guidelines and advice of the government. The advice of the government is currently to work from home, unless... This 'unless' can include a lot, for example, many crucial professional groups who have to continue their work in emergency services and hospitals. For UM, this 'unless' concerns people who perform a vital, critical function that cannot be performed from home. Discuss this with your manager and ensure that you are never alone in a building. Employees who are physically present are explicitly expected to observe social distancing (keep 1.5 metres distance from one another, do not shake hands). This also applies to people who have fully recovered from COVID-19 (according to a doctor) and who, in consultation with their manager, return to work on location (for now only in vital functions).

An employee whose job does not allow them to work from home (vital functions for UM) will be expected to be physically present at work, unless health problems arise. Social distancing (see description in Dutch) will be strictly observed. UM will ensure that employees can sit far enough apart from each other and that measures are taken to prevent contamination.

For an employee with a job that cannot or does not have to be performed due to circumstances (such as an employee who works at a reception or education desk that is currently closed), there are a number of possibilities:

• You can temporarily perform other work that can be carried out from home or on location. Discuss with your manager which tasks (possibly from another team) you can perform.  
• You can sign up to help in areas where there is a need for support. If you are in a position to help, register via staffcareercentre@maastrichtuniversity.nl. The UM Staff Career Centre is coordinating this and will match requests for help with volunteers who come forward.

An employee with care responsibilities (young children, elderly) is asked to try to arrange alternative care. If this is not possible or is only possible part-time, the following apply:

• You should make an overview of which tasks you can or cannot continue to perform in combination with your care duties and share this with your manager. In this way, your manager knows where there may be gaps and he or she will be able to fill them as soon as possible. Managers are asked to show leniency to employees in this situation. You are not expected to have the same output and physical or online presence as under normal circumstances, but you are expected to communicate with your manager about this.
• We all understand how complicated it is to combine working from home with caring for young children, sick family members, elderly people or others in this situation. Therefore, be flexible with working hours where necessary and make sure that you also take some time for yourself to rest. Communication about what is and is not possible in these circumstances is the most important thing.

For an employee with an existing physical disability who works at UM with special facilities that are not available at home, a tailor-made solution will be sought. Please contact your manager.

An employee whose research is delayed due to these circumstances—for example because the lab is closed or the delivery of laboratory animals is postponed—will work with his or her supervisor to find the best solution. The circumstances are too diverse to have one-size-fits-all solutions for this. As a researcher, you are in any case expected to make a plan of approach to make up for the delay and to reach an agreement on this with your supervisor/client.

Your health and safety and that of those around you are paramount.  As an organisation, we are dependent on each other to get through this time of crisis in good health and with the greatest possible retention of work activities. We are currently investigating the possibilities for offering online training courses on vitality and personal development as soon as possible. There are also numerous articles online devoted to working from home in a healthy way; for example, take a look at the column by Ben Tiggelaar from NRC Handelsblad (in Dutch).

A time is also coming when many people will take some time off. Feel free to do so during this time if your work allows it. It remains wise to switch off for a while, especially in these unique times that demand more energy. Focus on maintaining a good balance.

Tips for working from home

The tips below may help you to work from home in an ergonomic way and keep you vital. It may be that you are experiencing limitations in your home workplace and are afraid of developing ergonomic complaints in the long run. If you have certain equipment in your office at UM (e.g. monitors, keyboards, office chairs, etc.) that you would like to bring home for the time being, please contact your manager. To the extent possible, he or she can facilitate this and take care of the administration involved. For the optimal positions of your chair, desk and monitor, please refer to this short tutorial from the VSNU.

• Spread the work out over the day in blocks, possibly extending into the evening.
• If you need to make a lot of calls, make sure you can place hands-free calls by using earphones/headphones or the speakerphone function.
• Every half hour, alternate sitting at the table with walking around, moving or doing exercises. For example, walk around while you are on the phone.
• The golden rule is to take a break for a minimum of 5 minutes every hour, or 10 minutes every 2 hours.
• Make sure there is sufficient lighting above your workplace.
• Don't have an adjustable desk chair? Then try to raise the chair you do have a little bit. This is so that, when your forearms are on the table, you don't have to raise your shoulders too much.
• Your arms should be supported well on the table with the keyboard a little further away. But keep your back straight and avoid leaning forward.
• If possible, use a separate keyboard at the table and elevate the laptop (e.g. on a pile of books) so that the top edge of the screen is slightly below eye level.
• When working on a laptop without a separate keyboard, be extra vigilant to relax your shoulder and neck muscles and move around more, so that there is good circulation in your muscles.
• It is preferable to sit in a place with the window to one side or behind you. It is more tiring to look in the direction of the daylight.

Complaints

Do you have any questions or complaints about working from home? If so, do not wait too long and send an email to the prevention officer for your unit (or to another prevention officer if the prevention officer for your unit is unreachable).

Faculty of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences

Students
  +31 (0)43 - 38 85 798
  AskFHML via http://www.askfhml.nl
WhatsApp: +31 (0)6 - 41 14 62 81

Employees
  communicatie-fhml@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Head of Faculty Education Office 
  r.nijssen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

 

Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience

Students and employees
  +31 (0)43 - 38 84020
(Monday, Tuesday and Thursday between 10.30-2.00h, Friday between 10.30-12.30h)
  Ask Psy contact form 

FAQ for students: askpsy.nl

Head of Faculty Education Office 
  c.kerkman@maastrichtuniversity.nl

 

School of Business and Economics

Students
 Ask SBE

Employees
  fbfc-sbe@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Head of Faculty Education Office 
  joel.castermans@maastrichtuniversity.nl

 

Faculty of Law

Students
  +31 (0)43-3883045
  info-corona-law@maastrichtuniversity.nl  

Employees
  info-corona-law@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Head of Faculty Education Office 
 roel.gilissen@maastrichtuniversity.nl

 

Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Students
  +31 (0)43-3883946
  study-fasos@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Employees
  +31 (0)43-3883946
  frontoffice-fasos@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Head of Faculty Education Office 
  c.prumpeler@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Faculty of Sciences and Engineering

Students and employees
  https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/fse-corona-virus

Head of Faculty Education Office 
  judith.buddenberg@maastrichtuniversity.nl