When I enlisted for the University Council, I took a stance about transparency and opening channels with the staff. It is time to act on this promise, and while opening the channel has been happening in the background, it is good to surface what is going on in the foreground. So here is a quick look at what's happened in September, and what I see coming next. I'll keep it brief here, for the full story feel free to check out my blog.

These first weeks have been packed with training, ranging around a wide variety of topics: legal frameworks, co-participation, financial discussions, how to run (and don't get run by) meetings and how the university is structured (to a probably too fine level of details). It's been a lot, but both very interesting and very needed. These sessions weren't just about the bare rules; they helped us starting to build mutual trust and finding our collaboration dynamics, while also giving an understanding about how decisions actually get made in co-participation bodies.  Honestly, I wish more people had access to this kind of training earlier in their careers. I would have definitely benefited from it.

We received Mol’s report pretty much at the same time as everybody else. Since then, the governance plan has already sparked many discussions. Our priority has (and will be) connecting with the people most affected, both staff and students, to hear their concerns, their hopes and any suggestion they may have on getting the best out of it. We can't make informed decisions in a vacuum, so we're gathering feedback to ensure any changes are balanced and beneficial for everyone, and to make sure we represent the broader university community effectively. We already had many meetings with faculty councils, deans, YAG and union representatives, but I am sure more will come once the board will present its plans on this matter. 

While the governance has been a large elephant in the room, but not the only discussion we held so far. Fortunately the UKrant is on top of our public streams and made sure to write about some of the more important points we touched upon in our first meeting with the commissions. Have a look at my blog post, I am directly linking to them.

I have to admit that the discussions have been direct, open and, at times, tough, but so far always very constructive and respectful. Not knowing what to expect beforehand, and having heard stories of fights and intrigues, I was positively surprised by the tone and the quality of our exchanges.

Now, budget cuts and the University 5.0 plans are on the horizon. We are preparing for the discussions. I came to learn that preparation for this is never enough, but I am sure we will get better and sharper over time. And we have good more experienced colleagues and students to learn from. In the meantime we want to keep engaging with you and making sure the council's work stays visible. So, if you have thoughts or suggestions, please reach out at wf.ur rug.nl. 

Of course, this is just the beginning. We will do our best to keep up with these informal disclosures, and I hope we will hear many opinions and suggestions from you.

Regards, Marcello Seri