New Student Charter: motivating behaviour code for students and staff

Since the academic year 2006/2007, the Faculty of Economics has a ‘student charter’; a behaviour code for students and staff which must ensure a pleasurable, motivating and challenging working and studying environment. It was signed during the opening by the dean Tom Wansbeek and by Joost Baljon, student representative.

Look at a copy of the charter.
The Faculty of Management and Organization has similar student charter.

What is in the charter?
It briefly sets out the mutual responsibilities of students and staff. They include things such as that academic staff must be enthusiastic and dedicated when passing on their knowledge, and that students must have a real interest in economics and work hard at their studies.

In addition to these basic responsibilities, the charter also requires the faculty to provide students with the op-portunity to study abroad and that above-average students will be given extra opportunities. Further, the charter explicitly encourages students to take an active part in student societies and student politics. After all, that’s the ideal way to put what students have learned into practice.

At the same time, the charter requires the faculty to support the student organizations and to facilitate participa-tion so that students of the faculty are actually able to become involved and gain management experience. 

Why has this been set out in a charter?
The idea behind the charter is to make explicit the implicit rules which everyone is already – hopefully – fol-lowing. However, when someone – a student or a member of staff – feels that something must be done about a supposed breach of the charter, then it is handy to have a short document to hand rather than an implicit contract or an extensive collection of legal regulations.
This short code of behaviour should be regarded as a sign of the importance that the faculty and the students attach to these basic rules. The charter has been commented on and approved by all the curriculum committees and by the Faculty Board. In addition, the Faculty Council has also expressed support for the charter.
 
All in all, the charter is intended to support and sustain the active and dynamic community of students and re-searchers that is the Faculty of Economics.