Introducing the relocation team

For any questions, concerns or specific assistance, don't hesitate to contact the relocation team. We are here to help you at every step of the process. Below this item, you will find an overview of all contact persons from the relocation team.

Packing efficiently

In the relocation documents to the right of this page, you will find a useful packing list and instructions for putting stickers on the furniture that will be moved. We will send you a reminder about this just before the move.

Packing efficiently means packing as little as possible. You can start right now by clearing away anything you do not need to take with you. Over the years, many staff members have accumulated paper archives and reference works. Now is the time to think about what you want to keep and what can be digitised. Note: Do not take any documents containing confidential information home with you, but dispose of them in the paper containers near your office.

Schedule

You will find the current relocation schedule in the documents to the right of this page.

Information and questions

If you have any questions about the move, please first check the FAQ section to the right of this page. If you do not find the answer to your question, please contact the relocation team for further assistance.

Preparing for the move

How can I prepare for the move?
The best thing you can do right now is tidy up your archive and things, so that you do not need to move too much. Extra paper containers will be made available in the weeks before the move.

I would like to clean up my books/archive, but the paper container is full
You can request an extra paper container via servicedeskwsd@ufb.leidenuniv.nl.

Can I use moving boxes to take my books home?
Absolutely. If you need moving boxes, please send us an e-mail at servicedeskwsd@ufb.leidenuniv.nl. Approximately three weeks before the actual move, we will place moving boxes in the corridors near the offices that will be relocating.

What am I allowed to take with me?
We will move your desk, desk chair, drawer cabinet, desktop or docking monitor, whiteboard, books, and personal belongings to your new workplace.

The faculty board will have shared workspaces. These will have standard furnishing. Drawer cabinets will not be moved.

Note that the new workplaces have room for a maximum of two bookcases and limited space for personal belongings. You should therefore start cleaning up your things as soon as you can.

How do I indicate which items should be moved?
In the Relocation Instructions under 'Relocation Documents' you will find detailed instructions on how to put stickers on your furniture and moving boxes. You will receive the stickers and a reminder of the relocation instructions in time for the move.

What should I do if my furniture is no longer in good enough condition to be moved?
If your furniture is broken or worn out, please contact the relocation coordinator Mo Rbii at verhuiscoordinatorwsd@ufb.leidenuniv.nl.

The move

Am I expected to work from home on the days of the move?
Yes, on the days when your workplace is moved, you will not have access to an alternative workplace.

How long will I not have access to a workplace?
We will send out a schedule beforehand, specifying on which days we expect your workplace to be unavailable. Shortly before the move, we will of course also inform you of the precise time when your workplace will be moved.

What should I do if I am on holiday/leave during the move?
Pack up your things before you leave, and if needed, ask one of your colleagues to put stickers on your things. If you are unable to pack for some reason, please get in touch with the contact person of your unit.

Do I need to take any actions during/after the move?
Make sure you change your e-mail signature to reflect your new workplace. We will send out a reminder about this in the period before the move.

ICT and telephony

How can I use the landline at my new workplace?
For internal calls, you can use the 4-digit extension number. If your telephone is logged out after the move, you will need a pin code to log in again. We will resend the pin code before the move. Detailed telephony manuals can be found on the personnel website.

I have a landline telephone. Does this mean I will be temporarily unavailable during the move?
We are asking all staff members who do not have a mobile telephone to use the out-of-office assistant to indicate that they may be harder to reach by telephone during the period around the move. Please indicate how people can reach you during this period (by e-mail or via Teams).

How do I make sure that the work address on my profile page is correct?
After the move, all work location details will be automatically adjusted on the website.

My new workplace

Does my new office open with a key or a LU card?
Your new office is equipped with a SALTO lock, which opens with a LU card. All Leiden University staff members can apply for a LU card. This personal card for Leiden University employees gives you access to certain areas or buildings, parking areas, and the
University Library. You can also use it to print and copy.

If you do not yet have a LU card, you can apply for it via the University website or the Lipsius Service Desk. Once you receive your card, you can activate it at the LU card updater. The card updater can also be used to update your card, which you should do at least once every 30 days.

Who should I contact if I have a question about my workplace?
If you have any questions, you can get in touch with the contact person for your unit. See the contact details of the relocation team.

Herta Mohr building facilities

What are the opening times of the Herta Mohr building?
The opening times are Monday to Friday from 08:00 to 18:00 hrs.

Can I work in the building outside the regular opening times of the Herta Mohr building?
The access door to the Herta Mohr building in closed in the evenings and at the weekend. If you want to work in the evening or at the weekend, you can pick up a special front door key from the Lipsius building. This external door key is issued in exchange for a blue key pass. You can request a key pass via your own secretariat.

This will allow you to work in the building until 22:45 hrs on weekdays and 19:45 hrs at the weekend. You must return the borrowed external door key to the reception before 23:00 hrs on Monday till Saturday or before 20:00 hrs on Sunday.

Where can I safely store my personal belongings in the Herta Mohr building?
If you have a fixed workplace in the Herta Mohr building, you can safely store your belongings in the drawer cabinet in your office.

If you share a workplace with colleagues from your department, lockers or cabinets will be made available for safely storing your personal belongings.

Will the Herta Mohr building have a restaurant?
The Herta Mohr building will have a manned coffee corner on the ground floor.

Does the Herta Mohr building have a place for informal meetings with colleagues?
Absolutely. All institutes and the Faculty Office can make use of the social zones and common rooms created for this purpose.

Can I use a fridge in the Herta Mohr building?
Fridges are available in the pantries.

How many bookcases will I have in my new office?
There is room for a maximum of two bookcases per workplace.

Where can I park my bicycle in the Herta Mohr building?
The Herta Mohr building has an underground bicycle shed where you can safely park your bicycle.

Where can I park my car in the Herta Mohr building?
We encourage staff to come to the University by public transport or by bicycle. If you do come by car, there is limited parking space available in the parking garage underneath the Herta Mohr building, which can be reached via the Maliebaan.

Do I need to bring my ventilator along to the Herta Mohr building?
The Herta Mohr building makes use of a thermal storage system. This system is a sustainable and reliable method for heating and cooling buildings with heat or cold that is temporarily stored in the ground. As a result, ventilators are no longer needed. Your ventilator will not be moved, and will remain at your former workplace.

Contact

Who can I contact if I have a question about the move?
You can get in touch with your contact person within the relocation team (see overview of contact persons on this web page).

The area will undergo major changes in several phases until 2030, while teaching and learning continue as normal. An individual approach will be taken to each of the existing education buildings. In some cases, the building will simply be refurbished, while in others there will be more extensive renovation. 

The first two subprojects have now been completed. The P.J. Veth Building, adjacent to the Hortus Botanicus, was reopened in 2017, following a large-scale internal refurbishment. The second subproject, the internal renovation of the historic Arsenaal, was completed in 2020. 

The next phase of the renovation is the Herta Mohr building subproject, which is going ahead according to the original plan. Completion is scheduled for 1 April 2024. In early May, the Faculty Office of the Faculty of Humanities and the KITLV will move into the new facility, followed by the African Studies Centre. Starting from early June, the LIAS institute will relocate from Matthias de Vrieshof to Herta Mohr building. Finally, the Middle Eastern Library and IIAS will move after the summer. From September 2024, the lecture halls will also be in use.

The next building up for renovation is the North Cluster (current Matthias de Vrieshof)

The University’s aim in developing the new Humanities Campus, closely linked with the University Library and its important collections, is to guarantee the quality of education and research for students and scholars. The Campus will be an area where not only students and staff, but also Leiden’s visitors and residents, can enjoy spending time: a pleasant, green space with sustainable buildings offering attractive work and study spaces, and various facilities that are open to the public, including a literary café and a restaurant.

During the construction work, teaching and research will continue as normal.

Activity-based workspaces (ABW) are needed because many workspaces in our buildings could be used more smartly and efficiently. Rooms are left locked, and staff members are out for protracted periods doing research or giving lectures. More efficient use of workspaces improves sustainability and also provides a solution for the growing number of staff.

Leiden University’s Real Estate directorate is therefore working on ways to redesign the current spaces. This process is taking place step by step: new layouts are being introduced in the various Leiden University buildings at different times.

The ideas of ABW were incorporated in the plans for the Humanities Campus from the outset. The ABW pilots in e.g. the Faculty of Social & Behavioural Sciences and Leiden Law School give us an opportunity to see which elements of ABW could work in our Faculty, and which would not. We will therefore be organising guided tours of these faculties on a regular basis in 2022.

Read more about activity-based workspaces in the University. (Dutch only)

• The alternative Humanities Campus will be designed according to the new workspace norm. Individual offices with bookcases and space for discussions with students will still be possible. There will be one-person and multi-person offices with fixed or flexible workspaces, and large and small meeting spaces. Each institute will have its own preferences in this respect and these will be taken into account, within the limits of available space and budget. The aim is, in any case, that permanent staff members will have their own designated workspace.

• Attendance-based teaching (face-to-face) will continue to form the basis of our study programmes. We also want to have facilities that enable high-quality support of online teaching. 

• Regular attendance of the staff in our buildings will continue to be the norm. Individual preferences and rhythms vary greatly, but institutes – education and research – exist only by the grace of staff members’ presence. However, it can be expected that more colleagues will want to work from home more often, supported by the policy on working from home. 

• Investments will be made in both workspaces and communal areas. Interacting with colleagues is a core function of university buildings, but there is also a need for quiet workplaces and meeting spaces. When we know how many square metres will be allocated to an institute, and a design is available for the new buildings, a discussion can commence in each institute about the best layout for the available square metres. The institutes will ultimately be responsible for how staff members are actually assigned to specific workplaces.

• The development of the alternative Humanities Campus will take place on the basis of the vision for the Humanities Campus and within the financial frameworks and architectural possibilities.