What’s Student Politics at UvA All About— and Why You Should Care

Disclaimer:
The information presented in this article reflects the viewpoints and statements of the various student parties at the University of Amsterdam. While we have done our best to accurately represent each party’s stance, we apologize for any inconsistencies or inaccuracies that may have occurred. If you notice any errors, please feel free to reach out to us.

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Student politics isn't just about who makes the decisions at the top tier. It's about making student choices heard, because behind every policy, there's a decision, and behind every decision, there’s a seat for students.

 

Each year, students have the chance to make their voices heard through elections for the Central Student Council (CSR) and the Faculty Student Councils (FSR). This year, the elections will take place in May, allowing students to choose representatives who will advocate for their interests on issues such as housing, sustainability, variety of food, etc.

 

The Central Student Council is made up of 14 members, seven of whom are elected by you! This council tackles key issues, including housing, sustainability, and student well-being. Through meetings with the Executive Board, the CSR proposes changes that once approved, become official policy. One of its recent successes was expanding access to menstrual products across campus, showing how student involvement can lead to real, impactful change.

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Additionally, each faculty has its own FSR that focuses on academic matters such as exam policies, teaching quality and student rights within the faculty. Both councils work together to ensure students' voices are heard and acted upon.

 

What do the parties think?

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Before the elections take place, the parties come together to discuss various topics and share their perspectives, promoting their values and beliefs. The participating parties are: UvaSociaal, INTER, The Activistenpartij UvA (The Activist Party) and De Vrije Student.

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During the debate, issues like peaceful protests, digitization efforts, examination and regulation changes (including the BSA), and the need for inclusive student politics were discussed by the parties. Furthermore, the importance of student representation in university decisions was discussed, highlighting the roles of the CSR and FSR.

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Each party had a speaker representative speaking on behalf of the party on the panel. The party spokesperson was asked to discuss various topics that felt important to them and their parties. This article highlights internationality on campus, peaceful protests and changes in the education system at UvA.

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International Campus

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UvA Sociaal: ‘We stand for inclusivity and diversity. I think it's very important for different cultures and different people to bind together in university and learn from their experiences. And I think it's very important that there is a diverse CSR, FSR.  I think it's very important to have international students at the university knowing other people from other places, different perspectives really helps out, and it actually binds to cultural differences and community.’

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UvA Sociaal also pointed out later in the discussion that more attention should be paid to the needs surrounding diversity and inclusivity. For example, the prayer rooms for Muslim students that UvA provided. This is a step toward greater inclusivity. However, the small size of the rooms reflects students’ needs not being fully met or listened to, making the effort feel more symbolic than supportive. Truly recognizing and accommodating diverse lifestyles and mental well-being is essential.

 

De Vrije Student: ‘I think internationals really add value to our university and the international character of the university, and I think that's good for all of us. But we also see problems with the growth of the university and in association of our brokers. I think it's also very important to keep that in mind. So I think we cannot as a university all see people growing, people getting more students, more international students. There is cap on that.’

 

INTER: ‘After Brexit the Netherlands, became a capital for international students. Maybe the people that used to go to Oxford University or other universities come to  the Netherlands, and maybe you can see that there's a benefit of having these academics and future researchers in your country. But I can see that you also want to have sufficient  security for Dutch students so that they are able to go to university and have housing as well.”

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The discussion also addressed the support for students affected by past protests and the importance of open dialogue in university policies.

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Peaceful protests

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The Activist Party finds that it is needed to protect those who faced the consequences of protesting. By giving them the sufficient support they need, like providing lawyers and the university’s support ,the university itself should take concrete actions towards creating environments for more peaceful protests.

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The Activist Party: ‘We have seen the immediate reaction of calling the police when there are protests. There is very little effort in trying to understand what’s going on. The fact that they are being so rigid is also the reason why so much has happened. Protests only became aggressive and violent when the protestors were attacked and the police became involved. So perhaps the university should take the first step to ensure that protests are peaceful.’

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UvA Sociaal:  ‘There was indeed a lot of police active at the protests. Our party stands for peaceful protests. It’s very important for students and for people to know what's actually going on and very important for their voices to be heard as well. Police is a part of the protest but protests are a good way to understand and hear the voices of the people. Peaceful protests can actually help people's voices be heard.’

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De Vrije Student: ‘I think it’s important that the protestors hold themselves accountable for their actions as well and realize that there can be consequences followed by protesting.'

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Education

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The parties discussed what can be changed or improved about teaching at the University.

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INTER mentions that students should be given the space to complain and voice their opinion so that they have more space to provide feedback to the university. The party also supports moving away from the traditional set-up of taking exams.

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UvA Sociaal highlighted the need for providing sufficient resources for international students. It was pointed out that the courses are more expensive for internationals, while housing procedures also prove lengthy and difficult. It would have been better if the university provided more clarity on such matters for international students so they can anticipate their stay in Amsterdam while studying. In addition, the party addressed the pressure caused by the Binding Study Advice (BSA). They argued that unexpected personal challenges during a student’s time at UvA can make it difficult to meet strict academic criteria, and the BSA often overlooks these realities.

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The Activist Party also mentioned that the BSA is punishing for many students and that it has not been proven that students obtain their degrees faster in relation to the BSA. The party also noted that some students simply follow university-recommended paths and that it would be nice if more personalized educational approaches would be provided by them.

De Vrije Student emphasized that with regards to the budget, the university should primarily focus on education and research, prioritizing good education quality while focusing on providing money for other concerns later on, such as those that aren’t directly tied to education and research. One such indirect concern was the provision of student psychologists, whose importance was highlighted by the other parties for the betterment of students’ mental well-being.

 

The Student Council elections will be held from Friday, 9 May to Friday, 16 May. By voting, you can choose which parties will take place in the student councils and who will represent you in meetings with the board of the UvA. Below you can find the goals and values of every party. Your voice and vote have an impact so go and vote!

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Values of the parties

·  UvAsociaal (https://uvasociaal.nl/)

o   Focus:  Diversity, Inclusivity, Sustainability, Education

o   Party Programme: Diversity (e.g, diversity literacy in education), Accessibility (e.g, mental health, studying with disabilities), Environmental Sustainability, Education (e.g, student representatives, feedback on open work), Democratisation, Sustainable Internationalisation (e.g, education as primary concern), Financialisation (e.g, hidden budget cuts), The Academic Community and Underrepresented Groups.

 

·  INTER (https://www.interuva.nl/)

o   Focus: Transparency & Democracy, Sustainability & The Environment, Diversity & Inclusivity, Quality of Education, Mental Health & Student Welfare.

o   Policy Paper: Quality of Education (e.g, accessible lecture recordings, change in attendance policy), Diversity and Inclusivity (e.g, more balanced scholarship opportunities, improve physical accessibility), Student Welfare (e.g, more accessible psychological help, affordable food options, redistribution of funds for associations), Sustainability & The Environment (e.g, introduce reusable cutlery), Democracy & Transparency (e.g, full transparency in university’s external partnerships, transparency of the student council’s work).

 

·  The Activistenpartij UvA/The Activist Party (https://activistenpartij.com/)

o   Focus: Fair and Accessible University, A Moral and Sustainable Future, True Democracy, a Place of Learning (not a diploma factory)

o   Manifesto: Radical Democracy (the university council should include democratic representation of students, academic staff and non-academic staff), Against the Neoliberal Profit Model on the Backs of Students (e.g, shift from the view of internationalisation as a profit model, increase university’s role in student housing, free Dutch language courses at all levels), Mental Wellbeing and Accessibility (students’ mental health needs must be met), Selection Procedures and Entrance Exams (e.g, BSA should be replaced with adivising study advice (ASA), numerus fixus should become lottery based), Acknowledging the Climate Crisis (the university should cut it’s ties with organisations that are contributing negatively to the environmental well-being of the planet), Decolonization, Catering on campus (affordable food options), Worker’s Rights and Casualization at the UvA (e.g, implementation of permanent contracts for teachers), Police Violence + Cops off Campus, Eradicate Class Diversity, Heternormative Ideology (e.g, ending student discrimination based on gender).

 

·  De Vrije Student (https://en.devrijestudent.nl/over)

o   Focus: “[To] create educational conditions in which students can develop in their own way into value-driven adults who take responsibility for their lives and get the best out of themselves and their environment through his / her knowledge and skills. in society to overcome the challenges of society.”

o   Party Values: Academic Freedom (transition from academic freedom into realistic educational policies), Educational Innovation & Improvement, Durability (e.g, efficient deployment of personnel).