Cyclus update!

Consultation meeting UGV/OR/USR with Executive Board, March 22nd, 2021

In this update, the USR dwells on the main points that were identified during the Consultative Meeting. In the Consultative Meeting, the Works Council (OR) and the University Student Council (USR) enter into discussion with the Executive Board (CvB). The agenda included the follow-up memorandum on Proctorio and the User-Owner Model (GEM), with the first topic dominating the discussion. 

This meeting was also the last one with the current composition of the Executive Board: vice-chair Wilma de Koning became general director of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) on June 1. Daan Willems, president of the USR, thanked Ms. De Koning on behalf of the UGV for her commitment to Radboud University in recent years and wished her good luck in her new job.

Proctorio

An eventful cycle in which the predominant vote was Proctorio. Last cycle the UGV was allowed to vote on the framework for the deployment of Proctorio. In preparation, the UGV was allowed to ask the rector and a number of policy staff questions about the documents provided during a committee meeting earlier in the month. During the Consultation Meeting, the emphasis is more on policy questions. For the UGV, a number of issues were not yet (sufficiently) clear, for example, on what exactly we had to agree to: is the use of Proctorio only possible in individual cases or should it be used on a large scale? In addition, the timeline for the Faculty Joint Meeting (FGV) was not sufficiently elaborated. Given that the FGV is responsible for the actual granting of Proctorio and they also have to agree to including Proctorio in the OER, it is important that this is clear beforehand. In addition, the question of whether lecturers/examination boards were actually using Proctorio as a last resort could, in the opinion of the majority of the UGV, not be sufficiently answered. 

On the basis of the documents provided and the discussion during the Consultation Meeting, the UGV was not sufficiently convinced that Proctorio serves a legitimate interest. That is why a small majority of the UGV voted against the use of Proctorio on Monday, March 29. More information? Then click here.

User-Owner Model (GEM)

Due to the extensive discussion on Proctorio, only written responses to the UGV’s questions on the GEM have been received. The GEM is primarily about the distribution of housing costs. The objectives are (1) efficient operation of the buildings on campus, (2) sustainable and optimal use of the buildings on campus and (3) common burden sharing. During the preparatory committee meeting, questions were asked about any adverse effects on working and teaching spaces. The document was now before the GV for information only. The final version will be discussed in June, including our input.