For over fifteen years, many universities of applied sciences and general universities, including the Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences, have taken a two-step approach to the binding study recommendation: a minimum number of credits would have to be gathered by the end of the propaedeutic year, and the propaedeutic certificate had to be obtained by the end of year two.

This amendment follows on a series of rulings by the Appeals Tribunal for Higher Education (CBHO), which did not become quite so hotly contested until after the Higher Education Press Office’s farewell interview with the outgoing judge on education, Ben Olivier. In this interview, he stated that educational institutions had taken the BSA too far.
A communiqué from the board of Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences that was released today states the following: ‘Recently, the CBHO judged that once a positive study recommendation has been given at the end of the propaedeutic year, we can no longer require that the propaedeutic certificate is obtained within two years. In earlier rulings, the CBHO did not judge this type of BSA policy to be in violation of the law.’

Not in violation with the law

‘In maintaining this BSA policy up until now, Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences did not act in violation of the law,’ says Erwin van Braam, director of the university’s staff policy organisation. ‘However, case law has changed. The law is no longer interpreted the way it used to be.’

‘The fact that students used to get two years to obtain their propaedeutic certificate was an approach that also took into account their interests,’ states Mr Bormans, president of the board, in the communiqué. ‘It gave them the chance to see that they could in fact successfully complete their programme while also stimulating them to be serious about their studies and prevent them from dragging one or more propaedeutic components with them for too long without having completed them.’

The Executive Board feels it is important for students to be informed quickly about how the university is handling the new legal reality. All those involved must know exactly where they stand. Therefore, the educational institutes will be informing their students this week regarding what implications the new rules have for the individual students. The university regulations will also be modified.

Dorine van Namen