12 October 2023

The Core Team and Task Force of the Kernvisie hope you have all had a good summer! In the first month of the new academic year – and also already throughout the summer – we have been working hard to align the Kernvisie with the new administrative and financial situation at the faculty. Here, we would like to report to you on the most recent important developments. We also kindly invite you to discuss these developments during a walk-in lunch on 30 October in the Global Lounge. During this lunch, you can approach the Chair of the Task Force (Professor Bastiaan Rijpkema) and members of the Core Team with questions or other comments you may have.

Kernvisie implementation

In February 2023, the implementation of the Kernvisie got underway at Leiden Law School with broad faculty involvement. In the first six months, the various Task Force teams did an incredible amount of work. For instance, learning pathways have been developed, an ‘exit profile’ (the graduate of the future) has been formulated, and new forms of education have been devised and tested for their (financial) feasibility. We thank all those involved in and outside the teams for their efforts. In the coming weeks, the various Team Chairs will share the progress made in their teams via the Kernvisie blog. In doing so, they will also share potential dilemmas and questions as a way to utilise as much thinking power as possible within the faculty.

Administrative decision

To ensure the progress of the Kernvisie in the new administrative and financial situation that emerged before the summer, the Chair of the Task Force and the interim Vice-Dean (Professor Jan Adriaanse) started a process within which three urgent administrative decisions could be submitted to the interim Faculty Board and the Academic Directors. These decisions concerned: 1. the timeline; 2. the budget; and 3. the 10 EC space needed for the new elective space in the degree programme (the elective space in programmes is to become 30 EC university-wide).

The Kernvisie Team presented three different scenarios for these three decisions, including the pros and cons as precisely as possible. On 5 September 2023, the interim Faculty Board and Academic Directors took decisions regarding the timeline and budget.

Timeline: full implementation in 2025, first steps in 2024

For the timeline, the 'full implementation in 2025, first steps in 2024' scenario was chosen. This scenario brings forward as much of the implementation as possible to 2024, especially in relation to measures to improve study success. But also, for example, subprojects such as working out compulsory matching. Also, a number of innovations in the law degree programme are already being tested, evaluated and further developed. Implementation of the whole package of measures will take place in 2025. So the first cohort of students taking the full 'Kernvisie' bachelor’s degree programme will start in September 2025. This creates some leeway in the schedule. Since a number of administrative decisions could not be taken before the summer, certain teaching deadlines were only achievable with a great effort from the organisation. The Faculty Council also expressly called for attention to the pressure the most optimistic timeline would put on the organisation.

Budget: Annual €1.5 million investment

In the case of the budget, the interim Faculty Board and the Academic Directors have opted for the scenario in which the under-spent €1.5 million from the quality resources, intended for educational innovation for large groups of students, is permanently invested in the Kernvisie.
This means that a number of important innovations can go ahead, albeit in a more limited form than initially envisaged. The Academic Directors were clear in their choice to invest (responsibly) even in the current situation.

10 EC space

Regarding the 10 EC space, the Task Force Chair and the interim Vice-Dean have initiated a process to reach a decision as early as possible this autumn. In this process, the Academic Directors will be working on finding a solution that brings innovation to the educational programme, is in line with the Kernvisie, and at the same time takes into account the impact the change will have. The Academic Directors want to come up with a solution jointly with all institutions. We expect to be able to report further on this in November and we will be pleased to give you another update then.