When the upcoming appointment of an ombudsperson for TU/e’s personnel was announced last year, members of the University Council immediately wanted to know whether students shouldn’t be able to seek help from an ombudsperson as well. Universities in Delft and Enschede, for example, currently have ombudspersons for students, even though the ombudsperson at the University of Twente also addresses problems of employees. The question was raised once again during yesterday afternoon’s University Council meeting. Isidoros Kotinis, student member of Groep-één, reminded the Executive Board of its promise, made in October 2021, to look into the proposal. Kotinis wanted to know from the Executive Board how things currently stand.

Vice-president Nicole Ummelen said that much time and energy is being invested at the moment into the further elaboration of plans aimed at increasing social safety for students. These plans include parts from a broader plan for social safety, which was adopted by the Executive Board in July of last year, after which it was officially launched by rector Frank Baaijens in September. The possibility of appointing an ombudsperson is also part of the plan, Ummelen said. Other additional needs are also being looked into, she added, and the plans are currently being discussed with the relevant committees of the University Council. An evaluation of the plans is scheduled to take place in April and May, during which the question of whether there is a need for an ombudsperson for students will also be considered, and if so, how that person will fit into the organization and for how many days.

Ummelen says that the evaluation will include an assessment of the number of complaints that are currently being filed with confidential counsellors, and of the number of complaints that have ended up on TU/e’s ombudsperson for employees, Anna Soedira, up to that point. Figures from other universities will also be included in the evaluation, as well as the nature of the complaints. “We expect to take a decision on the matter in May or June,” Ummelen told the University Council. Students will be actively involved in all these consultations, according to Education & Student Affairs (ESA) director Patrick Groothuis, who witnessed the meeting from the visitors’ gallery.