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Subcommittees VU

Last updated on 14 January 2026
Whereas the Works Council exercises employee participation at the central level, the fifteen sub committees (ODC) of faculties and services do so at the decentralised level.

The Works Council established the ODs in consultation with the Executive Board. The rights and powers of the ODC's are defined in the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act, the Works Councils Act, the OR Regulations and the Decree establishing them.

The subcommittees of the faculties and services are formally committees of the VU Works Council (OR). Through contact persons, the OR and its subcommittees keep each other informed about all kinds of relevant issues.

In addition, the faculty ODCs, together with the faculty student councils, form the so-called Faculty Joint Assemblee.

More information

  • What topics does an ODC cover?

    An ODC deals with a wide range of topics ranging from board appointments, the annual plan and budget, criteria for promotions, housing and so on. An important, recurring yardstick in many of these topics for the ODC is to control (or reduce) workload.

    The ODC is not for individual problems related to work. For that, it is better to turn to the union or the ombudsman. Unless there are several individual signals about the same problem; then it becomes a subject for the ODC.

  • How does an ODC advise?

    The ODC advises on organisational, financial and social consequences, e.g. changes in competences or group hiring of workers. But the ODC can also advise on investment plans or environmental care.

    The ODC has the right of consent on personnel matters, such as the remuneration or job evaluation system; on working conditions, absenteeism, reintegration policy; but also on appointment, dismissal or promotion policy.

    The ODC acts as a watchdog for the management and provides solicited and unsolicited advice. Twice a year, it takes stock with the management and identifies the main themes. For each theme, representatives of the management and the ODC sit in subgroups to develop policy together.

  • What does the chairman do?

    Besides the regular work for the ODC, the chair is an important point of contact for issues affecting the ODC. Naturally, the chairman chairs the ODC's own meetings, but also chairs the Faculty Common Assembly, alternating with the FSR chair. The chair is the faculty board's interlocutor during agenda consultations, keeps the overview and takes the lead on important decisions. Additional hours are paid for the duties of chair.

  • What does the secretary do?

    Besides the regular work for the ODC, the secretary deals with secretarial matters such as signing in and out ODC members to the OR, writing the minutes of ODC meetings and maintaining the mailbox and ODC archives. Additional hours are paid for the secretary's duties.

  • What can I do for an ODC?

    The ODC advises the board on matters affecting the faculty or department and represents the employees. It is therefore important for an ODC to know what is going on in its faculty or department. The ODC therefore values input from employees.

    It is also important that different departments and units are represented in the ODC. Membership of the ODC costs time, but ODC members receive an hours compensation! In addition, as a member you get insight into the decision-making of the faculty, are entitled to training and, more importantly, are allowed to advise, agree and thus co-decide.

    Contact one of the members or via a general e-mail address; these can be found at the bottom of this page

Subcommittee per faculty

You can find the members, reports and contact details from individual committees per faculty here.

Contact with the ODC Faculty of Science? Please email to odc.beta@listserver.vu.nl.

Members

Ivo van Stokkum (chair)
Anton Feenstra
Pieter Vroon
Nathalie van der Putten
Yves Bollen
Paul Jennings
Ad van Dommelen
Christian Bick
Trynke Hoekstra
Priyanka Rao-Ruiz
Elwin Janssen
Martin van Velzen
Andréa Tijhuis

Please contact one of our members or via the general email adress: odc.fgb@vu.nl

Members

Artem Belopolsky (Voorzitter)
Tirza Bosma
Sjoerd Bruijn
Anne de Bruijn
Geert Buijtenweg
Marieke Buil
Simone Burger
Richard Casius
Carla Heldens
Quinta Helmer 

Annual reports

• Annual report 2020

• Annual report 2019

• Annual report 2018

• Annual report 2017

Advices

• Reactie en definitief besluit CvB m.b.t. reorganisatie UCGB (oktober 2019)

• Advies OR m.b.t. reorganisatie UCGB (oktober 2019)

• Bijlage bij advies OR m.b.t. reorganisatie UCGB (oktober 2019)

• Instemming wijziging faculteitsreglement i.v.m. masters (juli 2019)

• Eerste reactie reorganisatieplan UCGB (juni 2019)

• Advies portefeuillehouders (mei 2019)

• Advies interim-decaan (mei 2019)

This subcommittee does no longer excist and is now part of ODC Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.

Members of ODC FSSH

Gijsbert van den Brink
Bert Brouwenstijn
Jan-Paul Crielaard
Ellen Droog
Wilma Elsing
Mauricio Garnier Villarreal
Maaike van den Haak
Jan van de Kamp
Razi Quadir
Younes Saramifar
Aalt Smienk
Peter-Ben Smit
Shiyanthi Thavapalan
Benjamin Tida-Leidorf
Jaelah van Tol

This subcommittee does no longer exist and is now part of ODC Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.

Members of ODC FSSH

Gijsbert van den Brink
Bert Brouwenstijn
Jan-Paul Crielaard
Ellen Droog
Wilma Elsing
Mauricio Garnier Villarreal
Maaike van den Haak
Jan van de Kamp
Razi Quadir
Younes Saramifar
Aalt Smienk
Peter-Ben Smit
Shiyanthi Thavapalan
Benjamin Tida-Leidorf
Jaelah van Tol

This subcommittee does no longer excist and is now part of ODC Faculty of Social Science and Humanities.

Members of ODC FSSH

Gijsbert van den Brink
Bert Brouwenstijn
Jan-Paul Crielaard
Ellen Droog
Wilma Elsing
Mauricio Garnier Villarreal
Maaike van den Haak
Jan van de Kamp
Razi Quadir
Younes Saramifar
Aalt Smienk
Peter-Ben Smit
Shiyanthi Thavapalan
Benjamin Tida-Leidorf
Jaelah van Tol

Advices ODC FSS

Read here the letters about bacheloronderwijs, the facultaire pre-master and toetsbeleid en vakevaluaties.

The ODC can put issues on the agenda in response to employee reports. If you have a suggestion or are concerned about something, please contact onderdeelcommissie.rechten@vu.nl.

Members

Anneke de Laaf (chair)
Bertjan Wolthuis (secretary)
Bahija Aarrass
Ioana Bratu
Lucinda El Filali
Hylkje de Jong
Chantal Mahé
Nerissa Naarden
Roos Nieuwboer
Suzanne Schot

Members

Femke van Horen (Chairman)
Marketing

Marius Rietdijk
Management and Organisation

Ilka van de Werve
Econometrics and Data Science

Chantal Schouwenaar
Ethics, Governance and Society

Karlijn Snel
Onderwijsbureau SBE

Martijn de Vries
Finance

Mohammad Rezazade
Knowledge, Information and Networks

Nicole Lijs
Executive Education

Paul Koster
Spatial Economics

Remco Oostendorp
Economics

Rosario Paradiso
Operations Analytics

Contact

The ODC can put issues on the agenda in response to staff reports. If you have a suggestion or are concerned about something, please contact the chair or one of the other members of the ODC.

Subcommittees by division

You can find the members, reports and contact details from individual committees per division here. 

Members

Dirk Jan Stelwagen (chair)
Martijn van Houten
Sedef Iskit
Mandy Kamper
Hans Schoorl
Stefanie Snoeren
Richard de Waard

Agendas and reports can be requested from the secretary at odc.cm@vu.nl

Members

Emma van Wolferen (chair)
Ed van Harlingen
Monique Leeuwe (vice-chair)
Rianne Letschert 
Mariam Sugijanto
Houkje Vlietstra

Members

Renske Meijer (chair)
Gisela van Vugt
Rositsa Todorov

Members

Marcel Langeveld (chair)
Eva Alders
Erwin van Bentum
Sebastiaan Haaksman
Rob Kolk
Marlous van de Koppel
Mary Koster
Andy Swarts
Dimitrios Venetis 

You can contact us by sending a mail to: odc.fpc@vu.nl

Members

Dennis Hollander (chair)
Joanne Ligtermoet (secretary)
Richard Altepost
Angelique Doppert
Zita de Hoog-Hazenberg
Simon Six
Ingrid Tierolf

The ODC consults with Renée-Andrée Koornstra, director HR & HSE or her deputy Paul van Soest. They are assisted in these consultations by Melanie de Vries, HR Advisor HR & HSE/CCE. The ODC HR & HSE has a balanced composition which means that the various departments and disciplines are represented. The current term of office runs from September 2023 to September 2026.

You can reach the members of the ODC HRMAM in various ways. In addition to a personal conversation or phone call with an ODC member, you can also email us: odc.hrmam@vu.nl

Members

From January 2025 to September 2026, the ODC consists of these members:

  • Ellen van den Boogert, HR Policy
  • Jan Thomas Cremer, HR Advice
  • Judith ten Brink, HR Advice (vice-chair)
  • Kelly Hazelhof, HR Service Center
  • Frank Hulsbosch, Health & Safety & Environment (secretary)
  • Carin Maas, HR Policy (chair)

ODC meeting dates with management representative

  • Tuesday 10 February 2026 
  • Tuesday 7 April 2026
  • Tuesday 30 June 2026
  • Tuesday 15 September 2026
  • Tuesday 3 November 2026
  • Tuesday 15 December 2026

Report

Prior to the consultation with the director or her deputy, there is a preparatory consultation by the ODC members on the agenda items to be discussed. Minutes are taken of the consultation and after approval in the ODC meeting, the minutes are distributed to the HR & HSE staff by email and also sent to the OR official secretary.

Members

Daan van Leeuwen (chair)
Inge Gessel  
Johan van Hattem
Danny Hoenstok
Frank van der Laan
Jelena Mazul Lukic
Remi Mol  
Will Tummers 

Members

Marthe Keijman (chair)
Paul Steeman (chair)
Michael Arentsen
Frits van Beek
Dorien Boerrigter-Jansen
Anouk Hellingman
Alice Schaap
Sebastiaan Scholten
Katinka Vos

See also

Participatory bodies

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