This week, the RAB meeting pointed out that there’s quite some dissatisfaction with – particularly – the final ten weeks of the academic year. According to the board, study period four is under pressure every year because many days are canceled – for example, due to Ascension Day and Pentecost. Moreover, re-examinations for study period three as well as study period four fall into the fourth study period.

Chaos
Teacher and RAB member Anneke Kistemaker raised the problem. She wants the Board of Governors to examine whether the academic year can be divided in a different manner college-wide. Kistemaker: “In study period four, many days are canceled, which results in chaos – both for students and teachers.”

RAB student member Kimberley Hermann added: “That chaos is especially evident in the first year. There is very little time between exams and re-examinations, and students are not prepared for that.”

How should it be done, then?
Ron Bormans, executive board chairman, is willing to investigate how it can be done differently. “I understand the dissatisfaction and am willing to examine whether we should do something about it.” Prior to conducting a college-wide survey, Bormans wants to hear more teachers and students first. He also wonders how the RAB pictures such a redivision; fewer academic weeks in the first study period, more in the final study period? “We can’t, in any case, fiddle with the total number of lecture weeks.”

Esmée Paling, student member, provided an example of how it shouldn’t be done in any event. An attempt to tweak the academic year structure was once made in her study program – Human Resource Management – to no avail. “Study period three and four were connected to each other. Those were twenty weeks, four of which consisted of exams and deadlines. This resulted in complete chaos and confusion.”

Femke Radder

This article was originally published in Dutch on April 16, 2015