go directly to the survey
This questionnaire is not only being distributed at the UT. This week, students and staff at 19 universities and universities of applied sciences across the Netherlands will be completing this survey. Independent news outlets at Dutch universities, including U-Today, have joined forces to conduct this survey about diversity and inclusion in their institutions. We will share the results with you in a number of publications on our media channels in December.
The survey is an initiative of the Council of Editors-in-chief of Higher Education Media. Its chair, Ries Agterberg, explains the choice of topic: ‘Diversity is a hot topic inside and outside higher education. Opinions vary when it comes to the need of certain diversity policies and, if they are necessary, how far they should go. Is higher education taking it too far or not far enough? The Dutch Minister of Justice recently stated that ‘wokism’ is threatening academic freedom, for instance. Is that true? With this survey, we’re aiming to find out what students and staff think about this subject.’
Policy and experiences
The questions the survey intends to answer include: What should the university prioritise in terms of diversity and inclusion, according to students and staff? What do they think about the policies implemented so far? And where is room for improvement?
More than collecting opinions, the survey also invites respondents to share their experiences. ‘Do certain students and employees feel excluded or discriminated against? If so, do they know where to turn to?’
In addition to the survey, the Council of Editors-in-Chief of Higher Education Media is also conducting its own inquiries into the policies of their institutions. What do their Executive Boards prioritise? The survey will therefore be useful in determining whether there is a discrepancy between what management thinks is important in terms of diversity and inclusion and what the students and staff think about the topic.
Journalistic production
The initiative was made possible thanks to the Fund to Stimulate Journalism, an organisation looking to support and improve journalistic production in the Netherlands. The Council of Editors-in-Chief has received 100,000 euros to conduct the study. The questionnaire has been devised by a think tank comprising members of all the outlets involved and put together by the research bureau Newcom. All answers will be anonymous, but respondents may share their contact details with the journalists of their institutions if they are interested in talking more about this question.
The questionnaire will remain open until October 25. The results will be revealed in a series of articles later this year.
