While the increase in the number of international students in higher education is decreasing nationwide, TU/e is still experiencing a substantial increase. More and more internationals can be found in the bachelor’s programs as well. In the coming academic year, three of these bachelor’s programs - Mechanical Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering and Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences - will host a selection procedure to regulate the number of first-year students. But won’t this selection result in even fewer Dutch students on the TU/e campus? And what effect does increasing internationalization have on the accessibility of bachelor’s programs for Dutch students?

Adjusting selection criteria

“Of course, the departments are examining to what extent the imbalance between the number of Dutch and international students can be counteracted” says Ad Kleingeld. He is an assistant professor working within the Human Performance Management (IE&IS) research group and has been conducting research on gender-based and nationality-based selection of students entering TU/e programs for several years. He also has insights into the relationship between selection criteria and pass rates of first-year students. “The average 5VWO grade, expressed in Grade Point Average (GPA), has long been considered an important selection criterion. But for all three bachelor’s programs, we have observed that this is not the most reliable indicator for a successful completion of the first year of study. There is a higher dropout rate among these students, who are often admitted with a higher GPA. This is due to a variety of reasons. So how students are selected is very important.”

At the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the results of Kleingeld’s study were reason enough to adjust the selection criteria, says program director Hans Kuerten. “This academic year, we were the first department to make the decision not to take 5VWO grades into account anymore. By testing prospective students on various aspects of existing and new knowledge, we get a better impression of whether they are the right fit for the program. This also works out favorably for the Dutch students; almost all of the advance applicants with Dutch prior education got in. Thanks to the increased intake this year, from 360 to a maximum of 500 students, there is even an absolute increase in the number of Dutch students.”

Employment security

Jacob Voorthuis, Built Environment program director, also has no immediate concerns about the accessibility of his bachelor’s program to Dutch students. “All Dutch advance applicants who qualified with a suitable profile were given the opportunity to start as first-year students last year.” He does note, however, that the number of Dutch students has been gradually decreasing for several years, which should be an area of attention. “The construction industry is very sensitive to economic cycles and our program fluctuates accordingly. That also affects employment security for prospective graduates, a factor that also is taken into account in the choice of study.”

With its intake limit extended from 325 to 375 students, the Computer Science and Engineering bachelor’s program remains as popular as ever this year, but it has seen a particularly strong increase in the number of internationals. What does program director Mark van den Brand have to say about the number of Dutch students? “We have adjusted the selection criteria somewhat in recent years; we do still take the GPA into account, but only as a minimal factor. The number of Dutch advance applicants still shows a declining trend, but we try to make it as fair as possible for them.” There is a lot of talk about internationalization within the program, but at the same time, Van den Brand wants to stress that they are there for Dutch students as well. “During the Open Day a few weeks ago, we hosted additional Dutch-language information sessions. At the beginning of next year, we will organize a Winter School to introduce prospective students to the campus and our program. We want to show that TU/e is a great place to study. When secondary school students are offered a place after their final exams, we hope that a connection with the campus will lead to quicker acceptance.”

Help with selection tests

But first, they will have to go through the decentralized selection procedure. Does such a test not deter prospective students? Voorthuis: “That’s difficult to say. We’ve taken a good look at our information sessions and are now mainly trying to alleviate the pressure of the selection day. It shouldn’t be a ‘stressful event’.” Van den Brand has also heard from prospective students that they really dread the selection procedure. “They see it as a big exam, while we mainly consider it a tool to see if you’re suitable for the program. During the Winter School, we offer advance applicants help in preparing for the selection test. By showing them what to expect, we hope to change their view.”

Two-track policy

So steps are being taken on multiple fronts to increase the intake of Dutch prospective students at TU/e. Kleingeld points to another possibility. The new law proposed by Education Minister Dijkgraaf, who wants to change the rules of restricted intake programs in order to regulate the number of international students. “Under this law, in addition to the existing English-language track with restricted intake, the bachelor’s program would get a Dutch-language track that is always open to Dutch students. But would that work for TU/e?” The program directors respond with a resounding ‘no’. Kuerten: “A so-called two-track policy is just not feasible for us, just considering the practical aspects alone. We have so many international staff that Dutch-language education would simply no longer be attainable. Moreover, we educate the majority of our students for a future job in the Brainport region, where English is used as the working language.” According to Voorthuis, the construction industry benefits greatly from international employees. He fears that the introduction of the aforementioned law will negate 12 years of internationalization and compromise the quality of the Built Environment programs in the future. Van den Brand is also vehemently opposed to the introduction of a Dutch-language program variant. So why does this work for the Computer Science and Engineering program at TU Delft? “They also educate students for The Hague, where communication in ministries is mainly in Dutch. With all the high-tech multinationals in our region, we really can't take a step back to Dutch-language education.”

Primary school math

According to the three program directors, the focus should not be so much on limiting the increasing intake of international students, but rather on expanding the pool of prospective students. They call for more focus on the exact sciences package in secondary school and even a minimum grade in mathematics for future primary school teachers. “We need to cultivate a positive association with engineering from a very young age” Van den Brand stresses. “It’s a very good thing that companies in the region offer engineering classes at primary schools, but if a student has any questions afterwards, their own teacher usually can’t answer them. Science subjects are still often perceived as ‘scary and not fun’. We have to eliminate these negative feelings at the earliest possible stage, with teachers who have adequate math skills; who enjoy learning through discovery together with the children. If more secondary school students choose a science subject package, we can get back in the game with a chance to win.”

Editorial note

The amount of journalistic freedom at Cursor is very unclear at the moment. In collaboration with the unions, the editorial staff has submitted a proposal letter with suggestions regarding press freedom to the Executive Board, and a first discussion has taken place. This article was published in anticipation of the outcome of the negotiation process.