On Friday, February 6, a report appeared in newspaper Het Parool where several students described their experiences about the misbehaviour of a student. We are deeply saddened by the experiences described.
We do not want to take anything away from the impact and seriousness of those experiences. We have never prohibited students or staff from speaking to the media. However, we do feel the need to mention that we do not recognise parts of the article and that they are factually incorrect. Proportionate measures are always taken in these kinds of situations, ranging from engaging in a conversation to suspension.
Vice-chairman of the Executive Board and portfolio holder for Safety and Behaviour, Marcel Nollen: "Intimidation, exclusion and violence are absolutely not tolerated on our campus. I find it particularly painful that there are students who report having experienced otherwise. That is why it's important to emphasize: please report to us if you experience feelings of unsafety or have experienced harassment, exclusion or violence. Every report will be followed up. Our campus is precisely a place where everyone should be able to feel safe and free to develop and be who you want to be."
Anyone on our campus who experiences boundary-crossing behavior or feels unsafe can turn to the Safety & Behavior Coordinator or one of the confidential counsellors. For personal questions related to your studies, you can contact your academic advisor. The Safety & Behavior Coordinators deal with concerning behavior. After a report is made, they hold an exploratory conversation to understand the situation: what is happening, what kind of support is needed, and what possible solutions exist. They conduct investigations, hold conversations, and ensure that all parties are heard. The faculty board determines what proportionate actions (such as a warning or suspension) may be necessary. The Safety & Behavior Coordinators also provide assistance and support, including helping individuals who wish to file a formal report. The Safety and Behavior Coordinators also provide assistance and support, including helping individuals who wish to file a formal police report. The colleagues who support students in these situations are deeply committed to their wellbeing. It is therefore very painful that the article calls into question the professionalism and integrity of colleagues who are ready to support students at all hours. Moreover, given the confidential nature of their roles, they are not in a position to respond publicly.
For reasons of privacy, we cannot comment further on the content of reports known to us. This is difficult, because the need for clarity is felt, but we feel that the confidentiality and privacy of those involved weigh more heavily here. Calling names or going into issues would affect the integrity of the desks and undermine the very confidentiality that is supposed to tackle inappropriate behaviour. We do want to point out that we are aware of tensions between students. Just as polarisation is on the rise in society, we also see that differing political ideas among a section of students create divisions and a toxic situation. We are deeply concerned about this. We believe that different ideas are allowed to exist and political debate is allowed to chafe, but this should never come at the expense of someone's space to be who you want to be. Once again, intimidation, exclusion and violence have no place here.
As a university, we believe it is important to give students the insights and tools they need to be able to have the difficult conversation with each other. We continue to offer those involved a helping hand and hope they will take it. At the same time, we continue to invest in having this conversation with each other. This is necessary to create a healthy and safe basis on which we can build further together.
Margrethe Jonkman, Marcel Nollen and Jeroen Geurts
* An earlier version of the translation contained inaccuracies. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.