The University Council of 2 June was quite spectacular, even before the Council started. Both the TMP, the budgetary framework, and the Media cluster in the Railway Zone were affected by procedural errors, which in the case of the TMP even delayed CTIF-CFI. Fortunately, there was also good news in the procedural area: Rian van Veggel received a flower from the Council for her perfect piece about the entrance gates in the University Library.
Media cluster in the Spoorzone
In collaboration with Fontys and the City of Tilburg, Tilburg University is starting a new initiative in the Spoorzone: a Media Cluster. Here a track of a Master will be established from the university. An extra library at the location is still under discussion! In the meeting the Council gave the green light for the move and the collaboration.
SAM is a strong supporter of this extension of the campus. At the current location there is hardly any room left to expand, and put bluntly, we cannot cut down the entire Warandebos forest. We therefore need to find a new location, and the Spoorzone is ideal for this. We also believe that more students in the city centre will improve the atmosphere in Tilburg Studentenstad.
We look forward to the development of this initiative!
TMP
The TMP is a document that sets out the framework of next year’s budget, and contains every year a number of major projects. New this year are the “Resources Study Advance”, the money that is released by the abolition of the basic grant. The University Council has the right of consent to the use of these funds. In a fierce and technical discussion SAM has ensured that these funds are only used for the quality of education, and that we will receive more than enough information to properly control the spending of the funds.
We have also been fierce about the proposed increase in the price of the sports card. This is presented as a logical consequence of a good investment in the quality of the Sports Centre. Of course we support this investment, but want it to be financed differently. SAM will therefore be against the price increase in July.
Tilburg University is working on a major digitisation project. SAM fully supports this, but lacks a large part of the DEEP digitization program in the TMP: the EDUiLAB. Through this lab, teachers who want to innovate are supported. It would therefore be a shame if the lab is not started. During the OO&I in late June we will discuss the EDUiLAB again.
Short news:
– In the CFI we presented a study about the quality of the WiFi outside on the campus. As expected, this showed that the reception in a number of places is downright poor. The Executive Board also saw this, and promised to improve the reception on the campus!
– After questions from the student parties, the amount of water you can take with you at an exam has doubled! It is now allowed to bring a bottle of 1 litre of water.
