VASVU provides a preparatory year for foreign-language students. The Student Success team helps students successfully complete their studies with a variety of services. The Student Counselling team consists of the subteams of student psychological counsellors, student counsellors and colleagues supporting various activities.
Team VASVU
The Foundation year for international students (VASVU) has existed since 1980 and is intended for students who live in the Netherlands and have taken a pre-university course abroad, but are not directly eligible for admission to a Dutch university programme. We offer education to around 50 prospective students each year, mainly refugees.
The aim of the VASVU is to prepare these prospective students for university entrance exams and for studying at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). Therefore, the VASVU offers not only classes, but also excursions and activities to prepare for college.
Team Student Success
We organise education in such a way that all students feel welcome and can start their studies well-prepared and successfully progress from a bachelor's to a master's programme. We strive to ensure that our students can develop their talents to the fullest, enter the job market well-prepared, and take pride in their education and their university.
We closely coordinate the different phases of the study career, distinguishing between before, during and at the end of the study career. Within each phase, VU provides students with clear information, specific guidance and direction, and activates and motivates them.
Before studies, we contribute to improving the connection between secondary and higher education; we also coordinate VU Matching and VU Introduction Days. During the study career, we coordinate Student Wellbeing, Student life and engagement, VU Pride and the above-faculty part of the VU Honours programme. At the end of the study career, we offer several VU-wide Career Services to students.
Each phase has one or more choice moments for students, which partly determine their further study career and ultimately (may) influence their further career.
Team Student Counselling
Student counselling at VU Amsterdam is provided (among others) by the team of student counsellors and student psychological counsellor and various staff involved in projects to support this guidance.
Student counsellors offer support and provide information and advice on study-transcending questions and problems. They help students with problems involving various regulations and legal provisions. They also offer activities for specific groups of students, such as carers, students from the Caribbean and studying parents. Students with autism can receive guidance from the three autism tutors.
Students who perform at top level in sports or cultural field can use extra facilities at VU Amsterdam. The student counsellors support the top performer with these facilities.
Anyone can suffer from psychological complaints that make studying difficult. The student psychologists help students work on these. They offer short-term individual consultations where necessary. The student psychologists also give workshops and training sessions on, for instance, fear of failure and stress.
Three confidential cousellors for undesirable behaviour work within the team. They are there to welcome, advise and support students dealing with undesirable behaviour.
The student support team contributes to various projects such as student wellbeing and studying with a disability. Policy frameworks are set in the field of student guidance, such as studying with a disability and the Profile Fund.