The environment and circumstances of your studies are fundamental to high-quality education. Lijst Calimero, therefore, places the well-being of students at the centre of its policy. In addition, we are committed to improving housing for new students, study facilities, and the inclusiveness and sustainability of our university.
In order to represent your interests as a student we need your vote during this year’s elections. Quality is a choice, so make yours. Choose Lijst Calimero.
At Lijst Calimero, we have always placed the wellbeing of students at the centre of our policy. Wellbeing directly affects the quality of education that students can receive. This will continue to take priority next year as effects of the pandemic on student wellbeing continue.
The well-being week was implemented and is organised by Lijst Calimero. In order to increase the effectiveness of this annual event, we want the university to support us more.
Lijst Calimero wants to prevent overcapacity at student psychologists. This can be done by hiring more student psychologists. This year, we secured funding for another psychologist to be added, however, waiting list times demonstrate more is needed.
Study Advisors should be equipped with the ability to detect when students are experiencing problems and help them solve these. This should, in part, be done by sending out an email at the start of each period in which they offer their assistance.
Many students are dealing with burnouts caused by high amounts of stress. This is highly problematic and Lijst Calimero intends to find the root cause of high stress levels and we will solve it best we can.
A network of mental health first aiders (MHFAiders) should be set up. Successful in 15 countries, MHFAiders are there to listen, respond and reassure. They can refer students to possible solutions like therapy, support groups and self-help resources.
Drawing on the model from the University of Oxford, the UG should establish free trainings for students who want to learn how they can better support their peers and themselves.
Structural policies need to be in place to ensure that international students can find their place in Groningen when they come to study here.
Communication between the Board of the University and the municipality has to be improved so that enough housing will be made available for new international students. Next to this, information about legal issues has to be distributed to all new students.
Short Stay Housing is not a solution for the long term housing problem and there are numerous drawbacks to it. However, it does provide a platform on which the UG can build to improve the housing situation, which we strongly encourage.
There is too much promotion of the UG in other countries. This leads to an increase in students while there isn’t enough housing yet. The UG should spend its money in truly necessary areas and reduce the international marketing budget.
The UG is currently writing her strategic plan for 2020-2025 and the importance of sustainability and how the UG will improve on this should be evident in this plan. Lijst Calimero will, besides focus on topics ourself, ensure this is done.
There should be a clear focus of sustainability in course programmes (that are designed for this). If students are taught in sustainability, they will be able to come with breakthroughs later in their lives.
This year, we created a Sustainability Sharing Platform, where all study associations and students can share best practices related to sustainability. We will stimulate its use next year, particularly when associations apply for the sustainability grant.
The energy use of buildings should be checked and improved where possible. This should be done by Energy Officers, who do not only monitor the output, but also advise the university on their policy regarding this.
The catering of the university can become much more sustainable, whilst creating more vegetarian and vegan options. Additionally, plastic cutlery should be replaced for more sustainable alternatives.
Unnecessary amounts of the magazine ‘Broerstraat 5’ are currently printed and distributed amongst non-alumni student houses. This is redundant and a massive waste of paper, which can easily be changed to sending them digitally by email.
We will stimulate a healthy collaboration between the Board of the University and the municipality so that the Zernike Campus will be developed to become more sustainable.
Taking part in extracurricular activities can improve skills and knowledge of students, dependent on what activities they take part in. We would like to make these kinds of activities more accessible, as to stimulate students to develop themselves this way.
Students who take part in extracurricular activities that benefit the university or society in general should be able to have some flexibility in their courses. These students should be entitled to, for example, deadline extensions.
An optional board programme should be implemented. This should be offered to board members at the start of their year, so they can be more effective during their board year.
The UG is a university that accommodates more than 30.000 students, each of them different. We must put in play policies to include these students, so that everybody can benefit from the University in the best ways possible.
Student Associations for international students should be provided with more support from the UG. They should receive larger study rooms to receive students in, and the CUOS funding should increase towards these associations, as they are invaluable for the international aspect of the University.
Additional courses in Dutch and English should be provided to students, so as to overcome the language barrier and improve the inclusion of all students.
The UG should provide information about its organisation to new students not only at the start, but throughout their entire study period.
The UG should make a start on including blind and deaf people by offering more material as audiobooks and extra courses on sign language.
A new policy plan for students with a performance disability was created by the UG. We will monitor the implementation and evaluation of this policy plan to improve the information provision towards these students.
The University should improve the quality of facilities, as these are directly related to one’s studying circumstances.
We want to propose a pilot project that will assess the efficiency of space in the UB and how to improve upon this.
The UG has a high amount of classrooms which can be used for students to study in instead of the UB. We want the University to provide better information to students about which rooms can be studied in and when the rooms are available.
The UG should set requirements which the caterer of the University will have to meet. These requirements have to include the prices for meals and the amount of vegetarian and vegan options.
The University should secure access to all facilities for the students of Campus Fryslân, as every UG student has the right to adequate facilities. Students at this faculty should also have access to psychological services at their campus. The planned expansion to Campus Emmen should take account of issues faced by Campus Fryslân.
Lijst Calimero critically engages in decisions made on a central level and strives to craft progressive, constructive policies. In order to do this, we want to maintain contact with students as much as possible to represent them and keep them updated.
In the application process for faculty boards, the student member in the Application Committee is selected by the board. As this person is not elected, but the Faculty Council members are, the latter should select the student member for this process.
Documents that regard the decision making at university or faculty level should be provided in both English and Dutch. This enables everybody to read and understand information they need to actively take part in the decision making process.
Programme Committee, Faculty Council and University Council members should receive a training, organised by the UG, at the start of their year. This will improve the quality of their work and through that, the quality of the entire University.
Students are a large and important aspect of society and are therefore sometimes subjected to national policy making. We want to represent students on this national level as well and believe we can make a difference in national politics.
Lijst Calimero supports the project #nietmijnschuld. They campaign for the reintroduction of a form of the basisbeurs, compensation for the students in the current system and the assurance that this will not be paid from the education budget.
A government-funded study found that €1.1 billion extra is needed in the national higher education budget. Lijst Calimero will continue to lobby nationally so that this money is made available and that it reverses damage caused by the van Rijn budget cuts in higher education.
Coalitie-Y is an organisation which fights for giving young people, like students. a voice in national politics. This ensures that problems such as pressure to finish studies as fast as possible and uncertainties about a future job will be addressed in the national debates. Therefore, they have our support.
