The Department of Student Development is dedicated to empowering students to take this responsibility. The Student Success team offers VU-wide activities that support students in their personal and academic development. The Student Guidance team helps students who need temporary support to then be able to continue on their own. The VASVU team provides a preparatory year for aspiring foreign-language students.
Team Student Success
Student Success is about developing students into responsible, free thinkers with a moral compass who are eager to learn and resilient in life. The Student Success team supports students in this (preventive) with various VU-wide activities. This starts even before starting their studies by providing the connection education of the Pre-University College and the support of the network Education Partners Region Amsterdam and Surroundings. After registering for a programme at VU Amsterdam, it involves coordinating the digital questionnaire of the study choice check for bachelor's students and, after registration, organising the bachelor's introduction days. During the study, it involves coordinating the supra-faculty part of the honours programme, the VU Amsterdam part of the e-health programme Caring Universities, the VU-wide part of Career Services and student welfare, coordinating with student associations and supporting the elections for the student participation council. Finally, the team provides target group-specific support for first-generation students with the Better Prepared programme and the team houses the information point for studying with a support need.
Team Student Counselling
Student counselling involves demand-driven, low-threshold support for students with more complex questions, which require specific expertise. This support is aimed at helping students regain control of their studies when this has come under pressure. The Student Counselling team is responsible for the VU-wide student counselling provided by the student counsellors and student psychologists and the secretariat of the student support fund. The student counsellors offer students support within the context of VU Amsterdam procedures and national laws and regulations, such as (study) funding, urgent accommodation and DUO. They also advise and support students from specific target groups, such as students with autism and students who are top performers in sports or culture. The secretariat of the student support fund handles the financial support applications of students who, due to personal circumstances, suffer study delays or are eligible for an administrative scholarship. The student psychologists offer students low-threshold, short-term treatment for psychological problems that hinder the student's progress in personal and/or academic development. They also give workshops and training on, for example, fear of failure and stress.
Team VASVU
The VASVU team (Preparatory Year Other-Speaking Students Free University) offers target group-specific support in the form of connection education for prospective students, mainly refugees. VASVU offers students education, excursions and activities to prepare them for university entrance exams and for studying at VU Amsterdam. VASVU is part of the 'Taalschakeltraject Amsterdam'. In it, the team works closely with the 'VU-Dutch as a Second Language' department, Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences and City of Amsterdam.