Transition Plan Update, number 12 (24 November 2025) |
Dear colleague,
This is the last update of this year.
A lot of hard work has been done in 2025 and a great collective effort has been made. We look back on this with pride and gratitude.
As we wrote in the previous update and can now repeat, we are well on track, both in terms of content and finances. The short-term measures are bearing fruit and ensuring that we meet our financial targets. As a result, we remain confident that these measures and the transition plan will ultimately enable us to achieve our goal and avoid a reorganisation. In addition, we see that the BA portfolio project group is working hard on phase 3; working groups have been set up and started, and colleagues within the faculty are happy to contribute their ideas. This gives us confidence and energy.
In December, we will visit departmental meetings together with members of the project group. We will be happy to update you and answer your questions. In January, we will organise a meeting for support staff with the same purpose.
Even though there are still a few weeks to go before the Christmas break, and it may be a little too early for wishes, we would like to thank you now for your efforts over the past year and we would also like to encourage you to use the break for its intended purpose: take time to rest, take time to be with your loved ones and leave work behind for a while. We would also like to mention that the Open Day for the Politics, Culture and Religion programme was a great success, with 364 applications from interested students (i.e. without supervisors) spread over two days, divided between the market and information sessions. This is a tremendous boost, first and foremost for those involved in working hard on the new programme, but also for all of us as we head into the new year.
We look forward to seeing you again in the new year.
The Faculty Board
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Update on Undergraduate portfolio◼ ◼ ◼ |
Working group on ‘Verbindingspakket’In the previous update, we explained phase 3 of the development of the new BA portfolio. Phase 3 focuses on translating the vision and structure into concrete faculty frameworks. This is being done by four working groups. Information about the ‘Verbindingspakket’ working group is now also available: view the assignment and the composition (PDF).
Revised timetableAt the request of the BA portfolio project group, the Faculty Board has reviewed the timetable. It appears that there is scope to extend the deadline without affecting processes such as curriculum programming. The deadline for the project group has therefore been set at 1 April 2026 (previously 1 February). The project group will determine what this means for the working groups' deadlines.
After completion of phase 3, the implementation of the new educational model will continue within the degree programmes, under the leadership of the Directors of Education. The implementation will be phased. The outline of the schedule is as follows:
- February-April 2026: completion and decision-making on phase 3 of the new BA portfolio.
- March-June 2026: start of implementation of the new BA portfolio & educational planning in the Schools.
- Academic year 2026-2027: continuation of implementation of the new BA portfolio & educational planning in the Schools.
- September 2027: start of year 1 of the new BA portfolio.
- September 2028: start of year 2 of the new BA portfolio.
- September 2029: start of year 3 of the new BA portfolio (by which time the entire new BA portfolio will have been implemented).
What will change in 2026/2027Looking at the launch of the new BA portfolio, as a lecturer you will not notice any changes in the education you provide in the 2026/2027 academic year. However, in that year you will be asked to consider and work on the new range of courses.
Looking at the degree programmes for which enrolment is closed, the phasing out of those degree programmes will begin in 2026/2027. No new students will be admitted, which means that the first-year programme will be phased out. In doing so, we will look at what is needed to enable students to meet the intended learning outcomes of that degree programme, such as drawing up transitional regulations and seeing where provision is needed for students who have not been able to complete certain courses.
Finally, we have the short-term cost-cutting targets, which mean that we must reduce the amount of DCU we spend on education. This may mean that some courses will no longer be offered in 2026/2027 or that a course will be programmed differently (e.g. more extensive education and less intensive education scheduling).
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Within the framework of the Transition Plan, the Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and the President of the Executive Board signed an agreement on 17 June 2025. This agreement sets out the components of the Transition Plan and makes them conditions for the financial support that the faculty will receive from the Executive Board in the coming years.
In recent months, compliance with the agreements made in the agreement has been part of ongoing discussions between the Faculty Board and the Executive Board. As we already reported in the previous mail to all (20 October 2025), these discussions showed that we as a faculty are now well on track, both financially and in terms of content. This gives us confidence, also for the continuation of the discussions with the Executive Board about the monitoring of the agreement.
We will, of course, continue to report regularly on progress (e.g. via emails to all). Are we still on track? Are we achieving the desired results in a timely manner, both financially and in terms of content? We also discuss progress regularly with the Faculty Council. As part of that discussion, we recently shared the text of the agreement with the Faculty Council at the request of the Executive Board. Read the text of the agreement (PDF, in Dutch).
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Data informatiebijeenkomsten departementen en OBP, door FB en PG1◼ ◼ ◼ |
GKG: 2 December 12:00 – 13:00
F&R: 8 December 10:00 – 11:00
TLC: 8 December 14:00 – 15:00
MCW: 16 December 11:00 – 12:00
As an employee, you will receive an invitation from your Department for the departmental meetings, or you may have already received it.
Support staff: 13 January 15:30 – 17:00. Register for the support staff meeting. The working language is Dutch, but you can of course use Lingua Receptiva.
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