Governance and participation bodies
Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) has been a legal entity under public law since 1 February 1973, established by law and located in Rotterdam.
Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) and the Code of Good Governance for Universities
The Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) sets out the rules and guidelines of the Ministry of OC&W that form the basis for the governance, the obligations and responsibilities of the universities. The Higher Education and Research Act lays the basis for, among other things, the funding method, staffing policy, accreditation of study programmes, the programmes being offered and collaborations.
The EUR’s governance is designed in accordance with the ‘Code of Good Governance for Universities’, drawn up by Universities of the Netherlands (UNL). Under this code, the Executive Board and the Supervisory Board work together on the basis of a transparent form of governance and supervision with good engagement of participation bodies.
This is done with a particular focus on:
- The responsibility of the various governance levels; in addition to the Supervisory Board and the Executive Board, deans and Faculty Boards are also held accountable for their governance role, as they have significant responsibilities within the university both under law and in practice.
- The importance of an open culture and a safe work and study environment. The role and powers of participation bodies.
- The effective design of the governance of collaborations between universities and other universities and between universities and government/business.
This appendix sets out an overview of the roles and responsibilities of the various governance levels at EUR: the Executive Board, the Supervisory Board and the deans. In addition, the role of the participation bodies is described in detail. In that connection, the EUR Central Election Office is also important.
One of the requirements of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) and the Code of Good Governance for Universities is that the members of the Supervisory Board and Executive Board are transparent about their ancillary positions. This appendix therefore also contains an overview of the ancillary positions held in the 2022 reporting year.
EUR has various diligent procedures to ensure a safe work and study climate; you can read more about those procedures elsewhere in this annual report. In that connection, we will describe the EUR complaints policy in this appendix.
Supervisory Board
Roles and responsibilities
Pursuant to the Higher Education and Research Act (Section. 9.6 to 9.9), the Supervisory Board supervises the Executive Board’s administration and management of the university and provides solicited and unsolicited advice to the Executive Board. In any case, the Supervisory Board has the task of approving the strategic plan, the budget, the annual report, the financial statements and the university’s Administration and Management Regulations. The Supervisory Board is accountable to the Minister of OC&W, who appoints the members of the Supervisory Board.
Members of the Supervisory Board in 2022, ancillary positions and term of appointment
Prof. dr. J.W. (Jaap) Winter – Chair of the Supervisory Board, partner at consultancy firm Phyleon
- Leadership & Governance Chair of Supervisory Board of Stichting Het Van Gogh Museum Amsterdam
- Professor of Corporate Law Governance & Behaviour, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
- Professor of International Business Law University of Amsterdam
- Chair of Supervisory Board of Royal Schiphol Group N.V.
Term of office 1 June 2020 through 31 May 2024
Prof. dr. ir. C.J. (Hans) van Duijn - Vice Chair of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Quality Committee, emeritus professor/Rector Magnificus TU Eindhoven and management consultant
- Chair of the Standing Committee on Large-Scale Scientific Infrastructure (Permanente Commissie Grootschalige Wetenschappelijke Infrastructuur) ( (NWO), Chair of sector plan committee for Science and Technology (sectorplancommissie Bèta Techniek)
- Chair of the JMBC Board (research school for fluid mechanics) - Dutch delegate to ESFRI (European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructure)
- Member of Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (KHMW)
Term of office 1 August 2015 through 31 July 2023
Mr. drs. P.H.J.M. (Pascal) Visée – Member of the Supervisory Board and Chair of the Audit Committee
- Management consultant and various Supervisory Board positions Supervisory Board Member of Royal Flora Holland and Chair of the Audit Committee Supervisory Board Member of Rabobank Group and Chair of the HR Committee Supervisory Board Member of Mediq and Chair of the audit committee
- Supervisory Board Member of Plus Retail and Chair of the audit committee
- Supervisory Board Chair of Stedelijk Museum Schiedam - Member of the Advisory Board Nolet Group
Term of office 1 March 2014 through 28 February 2022
Dr. R. (Rahul) Vas-Bhat – Member of the Supervisory Board and Chair of Audit Committee,
- Until 1 August 2022, Deputy Group Controller of Unilever and from 1 August 2022 Chief Financial Officer of Caldic B.V.
- No ancillary positions in 2022.
Term of office 1 March 2022 through 28 February 2026
Drs. L.B.J. (Laura) van Geest, member of the Supervisory Board and member of the Audit Committee
- Chair of the Executive Board of the Dutch Authority for the Financial Markets (AFM) Chair of Financial Expertise Center (FEC)
- Member of Assessment Advisory Committee Nationaal Groeifonds Executive Board Member of Pierson fund
- Member of Supervisory Board of Netspar
- Chair Interdepartmental Policy Research Climate (from September 2022) Columnist at Het Financieel Dagblad (from October 2022)
Term of office 1 June 2020 through 31 May 2024
Prof. dr. E. (Ellen) Giebels, member of the Supervisory Board and member of the Quality Committee
- Full professor of Social Psychology of Conflict and Safety, University of Twente
- Member of Strategic Advisory Council TNO Defence and Security Advisory Board Member LOWI (nominated by NWO)
- Board member of Kurt Lewin Institute, KNAW Graduate School for Social Psychology and its Applications (until 1 April 2022)
- Member of the task force NeurolabNL - Theme Safety and Security Guest lecturer Police Academy
Term of office 1 June 2020 through 31 May 2024
Members of the Executive Board: portfolios, ancillary positions and term of appointment
The members of the Executive Board are appointed by the Supervisory Board and render themselves account to the Supervisory Board for the policy and management they have conducted.
Chair- Prof. dr. H. (Ed) Brinksma
The Chair is responsible for general administrative matters within the university. The Chair’s portfolio includes strategic policy, regional, national and international collaboration and contacts with the municipality of Rotterdam and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OC&W).
Ancillary positions in 2022:
- Professor of Computer Science, University of Twente
- Member of the Supervisory Board, Utrecht University of Applied Sciences, from 1 October 2022
Term of office 1 September 2020 - 1 September 2024.
Rector Magnificus – Prof. dr. A.L. (Annelien) Bredenoord
The Rector Magnificus is responsible for the portfolio of education (quality), research and valorisation, as well as the academic staffing policy, student policy and the provision of public information about science.
Ancillary positions in 2022:
- Group Chair of the Senate of the Dutch Parliament, D66
Term of office 1 October 2021 - 1 October 2025
Vice-President – Dr. Ms E.M.A (Ellen) van Schoten, RA
The Vice-President manages the finance, professional services, real estate, sustainability and IT portfolio and is responsible for the continued development of operations with a view to EUR’s strategic and other objectives.
Ancillary positions in 2022:
- Member of the Audit Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality Chair Escience Center
- Member of the Audit Committee of Statistics Netherlands (CBS)
Term of office 1 January 2021 - 1 January 2025.
Deans
The deans bear responsibility for the quality of the education and research at their faculty. There were two changes in 2022, at Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM) and at Erasmus School of Law (ESL).
- Prof. dr. P.J.F. (Patrick) Groenen), Dean of Erasmus School of Economics (ESE)
- Prof. dr. S. (Suzan) Stoter (until 1/1/2022), Prof. H. (Harriët) Schelhaas ((from 1/1/2022), Dean of Erasmus School of Law (ESL)
- Prof. dr. V.J.J.M. (Victor) Bekkers, Dean of Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Science (ESSB)
- Prof. dr. M. (Martine) van Selm, Dean of Erasmus School of History, Culture and Communication (ESHCC) Prof. dr. H.A.E. (Hub) Zwart, Dean of Erasmus School of Philosophy (ESPhil)
- Prof. dr. S. (Stefan) Sleijfer, Dean of Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FGG Erasmus MC) Prof. dr. A. (Ansgar) Richter, Dean of Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)
- Prof. dr. I. (Inge) Hutter, Rector of International Institute of Social Studies
- Prof. dr. W.B.F. (Werner) Brouwer, (acting) Pro-Dean of Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM) (until 1/5/2022), Prof. dr. M.J. Ijzerman, Pro-Dean of ESHPM from 1/5/2022.
Employee and student participation
Employee and student participation is assured through several bodies at EUR:
- the University Council (Universiteitsraad, UR), which has a EUR-wide perspective
- the representatives of the trade unions, which sit on the Erasmus Labour Council (ELC, formerly EUROPA), the various Faculty Councils
- the Service Councils
- the programme committees.
An overview of the various participation bodies is provided below.
University Council
The University Council (UR) is EUR’s employee and student participation body (university-wide). The University Council is made up of twelve students and twelve employees, all elected by the university community. Elections are held for all seats on the University Council at the start of each academic year. The members who sat on the Council until 1 September 2022 and those sitting on the Council since 1 September 2022 are listed below. The University Council liaises with the representatives of the Erasmus Labour Council (ELC, formerly EUROPA), Faculty Councils, Service Councils and programme committees.
The Executive Board met monthly with the University Council in 2022 based on a jointly prepared agenda. These consultations cover the legally required topics, but also topics about which the Executive Board and the University Council want to engage in dialogue with each other, and the University Council can provide recommendations when requested and on its own initiative.
Quarterly consultations are convened between the central and decentralised participation bodies (ELC, Faculty Councils, Service Councils and programme committees) at the University Council’s initiative. Work groups were set up by the University Council and relevant policy staff for: the joint realisation of the national Higher Education Quality Agreements (HOKA), a work group for creating close involvement in the EUR strategy and a work group in connection with EUR’s sustainability goals. The University Council’s Presidium represented at all academic ceremonies.
Members of University Council until 1 September 2022:
Chair: Hans van den Berg (EUR student) Staff members:
Emese von Bóné (ESL), Irena Boskovic (ESSB), Georgiana Carp (RSM), Aleid Fokkema (ESHCC), Ernst Hulst (ESHPM), Bianca Jadoenath (ISS), Sebastiaan Kamp (PRO), Natascha Kraal (EMC), Nikita Schoemaker (ESSB), Albert Wagelmans (ESE), Max Wagenaar (ESPhil) and John van Wel (PS).
Student members:
Cagla Altin, Simo Azzarhouni, Sandra Constantinou Juhasz, Zohra Hayat, Pi Cheng Hu, Patryk Jarmakowicz, Jasper Klasen, Daemon Ferlucci, Robbert Rog, Friso Roos, Timo Zandvliet and Yusufhan Balci.
Members of UR from 1 September 2022:
Chair: Ivonne Cune-Noten (EUR staff member) Staff members:
Emese von Bóné (ESL), Irena Boskovic (ESSB), Georgiana Carp (RSM), Jaap Cornelesse (PS), Aleid Fokkema (ESHCC), Ernst Hulst (ESHPM), Sebastiaan Kamp (PRO), Natascha Kraal (EMC), Chaya Raghoenath (ISS), Nikita Schoemaker (ESSB), Albert Wagelmans (ESE), Max Wagenaar (ESPhil).
Student members:
Cagla Altin, Simo Azzarhouni, Veerle Bakker, Tom van Dijken, Erin van Gestel, Wesley Hennep, Sandra Constantinou Juhasz, Patryk Jarmakowicz, Wincey Randoe, Friso Roos, Luuk van Tol and Nawin Ramcharan
Service Councils
Each of the support services (Professional Services (PRO), the General Management Directorate (ABD) and the University Library (UB)) has been represented by its own Service Council since 1 November 2016. The Service Councils regularly consult with the heads of the relevant organisational units. Representatives of the Service Councils consult
with representatives of the University Council and ELC (see below). Erasmus Labour Council (ELC)
In the Local Consultations (Lokaal Overleg), the Executive Board makes further agreements with the representatives of the trade unions, which are jointly represented in the Erasmus Labour Council (ELC). The trade unions represented in this body are the Algemene Onderwijsbond, FNV Overheid and CNV.
During the year under review, there were nine meetings of the ELC with the Vice-Chair of the Executive Board and the HR Director. Central Election Office
The EUR’s Central Election Office organises the elections for the University Council and the Service Councils of the central support services. The Central Election Office also coordinates the activities of the faculty election offices, which organise the elections for the Faculty Councils.
In 2018, it was decided in collaboration with the members of the University Council to organise the elections for the University Council student members by means of an EUR-wide election. An addition has been made to the provisions in Article 23 of the Electoral Regulations to create a new Electoral District 10 comprising all students enrolled at EUR, which has replaced the faculty electoral districts. In addition, In September 2021 a list system was introduced for the elections for the student members of the University Council.
Complaints Policy
The EUR has provided for the regulations and procedures that are required by law for the handling of complaints, objections and appeals. This concerns not only formal notices of appeal, notices of objection and complaints under the General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht) and the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW), but also other complaints, such as those relating to day-to-day operations at EUR. EUR ensures that the complaints procedure is unambiguous and accessible and sets out clear rules and guidelines for staff and students.
In 2022, 206 notices of appeal were filed by students with the EUR’s Board of Appeal for Examinations (compared with 307 in 2021). These were mainly appeals against decisions relating to a (negative)
binding study advice, admission to a Master’s programme and examinations.
Nine cases were brought before
the appeals court for the higher education sector, the Higher Education Appeals Tribunal (compared with ten in 2021).
In addition, a total of 48 notices of objection were handled by the EUR’s Advisory Committee for Complaints and Notices of Objection (AKB) in 2022 (compared with 76 in 2021). These mainly concerned decisions taken by or on behalf of the Executive Board.
The Scientific Integrity Committee (CWI), the Committee on Inappropriate Conduct (COG) and the Advisory Committee for Complaints and Notices of Objection processed ten complaints in 2022 (compared with 25 in 2021).
In addition to the notices of appeal and notices of objection submitted, 210 complaints, reports and requests were submitted to the EUR’s Legal Protection Facility in 2022 (compared with 170 in 2021. All institutions of higher education are by law required to have such a facility.
