Would you like to influence faculty policy? Read about Gelijn Molier’s experiences!
What does the Faculty Council do for staff and how can you stand for election? Gelijn Molier, Associate Professor at the Department of Jurisprudence, has been a member of the Faculty Council since 2019 and is now its chair: ‘People underestimate the impact you can have.’
The Faculty Council (FR) is a co-participation body and plays an intermediary role between the different sections of the faculty. It aims to create participation by hearing the views of staff and students through their own representatives in the Faculty Council. These representatives can discuss, advise and influence faculty policy on behalf of all staff and students. The Faculty Council has the right of consent and advice on all kinds of issues affecting the faculty, such as parts of the budget and the Course and Examination Regulations (OER).
The members of the Faculty Council are elected in annual elections to represent both staff and students and to act as a sounding board for the Faculty Board. Students are elected for one year, staff members for two years. The Faculty Council meets with the Faculty Board once every six weeks.
Why should you stand for election as a staff member?
'During the meetings, you have direct contact with the Faculty Board which takes the time to hear what you have to say. So, you feel you’re being taken seriously and it’s not just some kind of pro forma meeting the Faculty Board is obliged to hold. What’s more, you get a better idea of what’s going on at the faculty and hear more about how certain decisions are arrived at.'
What’s the role of a member of the Faculty Council?
'As a member of the Faculty Council, you have an advisory and consenting role. It’s important that the Faculty Board has support for its plans. In that respect, the Faculty Council acts as a sounding board, but it also has room to provide input and take initiatives itself. It’s not a mere talking shop, because we do bring issues to the table, amend proposals or sometimes block them in consultation with the Faculty Board.'
Can you give an example?
'Last year, the student members on the Faculty Council fought hard not to have exams scheduled in the first week of January, just after the Christmas break. That turned out to be a complex matter in terms of scheduling. But in the end, we managed to get it sorted out and the exams in that week were moved to a different day.
Another good example comes from my predecessor, Lara Hartman-Ohnesorge. When she was chair of the Faculty Council, she took an active interest in the rights of PhD candidates at the faculty. By consistently adding this point to the agenda, we were able to improve their legal status.'
How can staff members stand for election?
'There are two ways for staff to stand for election. You can either do so as a member of an existing party or you can be nominated. Generally speaking, anyone who works at the faculty can become a member of the Faculty Council. We have good, clever people working here at all levels. The most important thing is that you have some sense of how to debate at the meetings and are willing to put the time and effort into preparations.'
Why did you decide to stand for election?
‘I started working at the faculty in 2006. At first, the Faculty Council and Faculty Board felt quite distant and I was more focussed on my own department. But I soon got to know colleagues from other departments and that broadened my horizon. My colleague Bart Labuschagne from the Philosophy of Law department was a member of the Faculty Council and he suggested it might be something for me. I eventually stood for election in 2019. I feel very supportive towards the faculty and I’m happy to contribute in this way.’
Would you advise colleagues to stand for election?
‘Definitely! People underestimate the impact you can have through the Faculty Council. By being active, you also feel more connected to the faculty and get to know it better. On top of that, it’s especially important to be actively involved at this time: the faculty has to make cutbacks, there are targets to meet for this, and, at the same time, we’re having to implement a major overhaul in our education. Ultimately, we all have a common responsibility and a common interest: working together to maintain the high quality of both research and teaching at our wonderful faculty.'
Questions
If you have questions, comments, or would like to meet members of the Faculty Council, please send an email to faculteitsraad@law.leidenuniv.nl