8. National Programme for Education and use of corona funds

This chapter discusses measures that Erasmus University (EUR) took to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on teaching, research and operations.

Students, lecturers and researchers were hit hard by the lockdowns in 2021. Students were in danger of falling behind in their studies due to dropping classes or exams; first-year students entered after modified secondary school exam programmes and were therefore less prepared. Dozens of researchers were delayed. Changes in student study routes due to delays and in support for teaching and research in a digital world put a strain on operations in 2021.

Most pervasive, however, were the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on students. First of all, COVID-19 has had an impact on their study choice and study career. More students chose to attend university, with the largest growth in the number of students in the master programme in the 2020/2021 academic year.

First-year bachelor students came from a situation where education had largely been provided online. For bachelor students, graduation requirements had been adjusted to reflect the changed circumstances. This had implications for their college careers. It did not lead to higher dropout rates in 2020/2021. However - partly due to adjustments in the standards of the binding study advice - more students moved on to the second year with a study delay.

During the pandemic, several surveys were conducted on student well-being. Although reports of study success do not indicate large-scale dropout or lagging study success, newspapers headlined ‘Students are lonelier, more stressed, and very worried about their job prospects’ (Trouw in 2020). EUR conducted its own survey of students and this produced similar results (Fruewirth, Biswas & Perreira 2021). Students at EUR, especially Dutch nationals, felt more lonely than before or even very lonely (47.09% of students who participated in the Student Monitor 2020/2021). Furthermore, about the same number of respondents reported being in a more than average or severe depression.

Problems among students stem from performance anxiety combined with an inability to ask for help about when problems arise, according to interviews EUR conducted with students after the study. This was already the case before COVID-19 and has been reinforced by this pandemic.

NPO (education) funds have therefore been used to promote student wellbeing and resolve negative effects (study delays and gaps in prior education).

Implementation of the plans began during the summer recess. Not long after, there was a resurgence of the virus and the university went back into lockdown mode. As a result, many plans will not be implemented until 2022.

Theme 1 shows the increase in student enrolment (inflow) in the 2020/2021 academic year, and theme 2 the compensation for halving the tuition fees. Both themes are allocated to the normative state contribution. Financial recognition in the financial statements is as set out in Article 660.202 of the ‘Dutch Accounting Standards’, in the year to which the award relates. Therefore, no additional accountability is required in this Board Report.

Perhaps superfluously, please note that the compensation for the increased inflow is distributed in accordance with EUR's internal allocation model. Furthermore, based on the internal allocation model, the faculties received their share of tuition revenue. The regular (statutory) rates were used to determine this fee.

The halving of tuition fees due to COVID-19 was not taken into account in this respect. The consequence of the method is that EUR bears the result. That result is the difference between the income lost as a result of the halving of the tuition fees and the compensation received from the NPO funds.

The following are explanations of some of the themes in the diagram.

• Extra hands in the classroom (#3 - G1 grant)
• Inflow and advancement, and wellbeing (#4 - non-normative)
• Erasmus MC internships (#5 - non-normative)
• Research (#6 - non-normative)

Students had too few opportunities to make social contacts because of COVID-19. This led to feelings of loneliness. Faculties organised coping strategies training sessions for students in consultation with the participation body. They also spent more money on social activities with students outside the lockdown periods and adapted the learning environment both online and on campus in order to enable students to get together in some way even during lockdowns. In addition, student advisors and mentors were appointed to provide additional guidance and connect with vulnerable students.

Many faculties used the third and fourth quarters to prepare some projects that were partially postponed due to renewed lockdown, or were prepared to be implemented in the middle of the first quarter of 2022. For example, Erasmus School of Economics gave a free workshop for the project Soft Skills 7.

At the central level, projects were set up in consultation with a representation of the University Council. This included efforts to improve information and social cohesion among students.

No consensus has been reached within the Universities of the Netherlands on joint spending of the budget. This means that each institution now plans for its own use of funds. However, knowledge was exchanged and it was decided that some universities would cooperate in existing and new projects.

Plans are being developed for EUR with respect to:

• skills education in collaboration with Maastricht University;
• data feedback VO with some other universities (Utrecht University, Leiden University, Eindhoven University of Technology);
• projects in the area of connection (including the Pre Academic Programme, and the new skills app we are developing together with Erasmus X).

Erasmus MC realised additional internship places that could not be fulfilled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020, 72 interns were unable to get started at the second intake time. Furthermore, it appeared that the number of students who wanted to participate in the draw for an internship in 2021/2022 was greatly increased because a gap year was not possible due to travel restrictions. To keep the waiting list from becoming unacceptably long, it was necessary to temporarily allocate internships to more students. Erasmus MC also had to deal with increased enrolment in internships in the years 2017 - 2020 due to the curriculum renewal of that time. This is why there were agreements with the Erasmus MC departments and the affiliated hospitals to be able to increase enrolment in the internships in a responsible way while observing compliance with the learning objectives. These specific and existing agreements have been used to responsibly and quickly increase the intake of internships for at least two years by a total of 120 places. No NPO funds were used for this purpose. For 2022, however, these funds will be used for this purpose.

For all intake times in the 2020/2021 and 2021/2022 Masters of Medicine, the number of students grew from 72 to 84. Additional costs were incurred for deferred regular internships externally and internally, deferred oldest internships externally and internally, and deferred internship fees. The total budget for these costs is € 2,346,663.

Faculties were asked to provide a review of the number of researchers who were adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This was followed by a request to create an internal plan. It ultimately led to additional support for 249 researchers. This support consisted of extension, training or additional facilities. A total of € 2,795,331 was spent for all faculties, including for the benefit of medicine.

Further reviews and updated spending plans lead to an expected increase in the number of researchers using the scheme in 2022 and beyond. This is specified below by faculty. Perhaps superfluously, please note that these projected expenditures include the use of internal funds.

The plans as adopted in 2021 continue through the years 2022 and possibly 2023. Interim changes will be coordinated with the participatory body. Accountability is set out in the annual report.