Internal Affairs has recently come to the conclusion that it is no longer worthwhile to keep the Reproshop open in the evening and in weekends. Bertie Fijneman-Sloots, coordinator for Facility Services, explains: “If you look at visitor numbers in the past year, you notice that it is not busy after 18.00 hours and in the weekend. It is manned by working students then and while we do not need to make a profit, it must remain cost-neutral. Which was not the case now.”

According to Fijneman-Sloots the Reproshop does attract many visitors during the examination period – including nocturnal hours and Saturdays and Sundays. That is why that period is excepted, so the Reproshop will be open when examinations are taking place.

During the latest University Council meeting, on October 19, Groep-één voiced doubts about scaling down the opening hours. Party member Bor de Kock: “We fear that the bustle during the daytime will increase too strongly as of January. Whilst extra devices like a printer would already be helpful, that would not be enough. Students really like it when they can also study in the MetaForum at night, but it is a pity that they will not have access to the facilities of the Reproshop anymore nor to the Studentshop. Moreover, we think that this measure is not in keeping with the bigger picture: a more lively campus, where students can also study at night. Groep-één is getting a lot of reactions about this topic so we notice that this is a much-debated issue.”

Executive Board member Jo van Ham said during the University Council meeting that he thinks there is a lot going on at the campus already, at night as well – but that he would turn to the head of Internal Affairs (DIZ) to make some further inquiries into the activity. This week he informed Cursor that ‘at this moment he has not received an answer from DIZ yet’. “Once I have a reaction, the first thing I’ll do is answer this question in the University Council, where it was asked.”