What was the main goal of your project?
With the resources from the Quality Plan, the VU Broader Mind Course was further developed and expanded. The goals and content of the Broader Mind Course were co-developed with student groups. It focuses on personal development, social awareness, and interdisciplinary exchange. Students felt that these aspects were not given enough attention at VU Amsterdam. They did not want to remain stuck in an academic bubble.
What concrete results have you achieved with your project?
An engaging course has been developed, in which around 500 students annually participate in groups of 20, led by specially trained master's students (‘guides’). They work together on themes such as Success & Failures, Poverty, Human Body, Rebellion (Track A), or Health & Happiness, Digital World, Viewpoints & Worldviews, Sustainability (Track B). Students prepare online and then meet twice for each theme to engage in theme-based games or simulations, debates, or other challenges. The approach we take is playful and open, following, among other things, the Mixed Classroom approach. This open atmosphere encourages students to share their personal perspectives and experiences, allowing for collective growth.
What was the most memorable or special moment for you during the project?
The annual ‘Kick-Off’ in the Aula, with inspiring speakers and music, is undoubtedly a highlight. But what stays with me most are the stories – both in the official evaluations and in personal conversations – of students who did things they had not dared to do before, thought about questions they hadn’t considered before, or made the decision to become active in their local community, in volunteer work, or Community-Service Learning (CSL). That inspires me enormously.
How has the project contributed to improving education at VU Amsterdam?
Some programmes have integrated the Broader Mind Course into their core curriculum. Additionally, the Broader Mind vision has become a key part of VU’s 2020-2025 Institutional Plan and its educational philosophy. As a university, we are increasingly living up to the slogan: ‘At VU you don’t just become something, you become someone.’
University-wide Broader Mind learning outcomes have now been formulated. In short, the Course, together with CSL, is an important step in the rapidly evolving educational agenda at VU, through which we are now reaching a large number of students.
