Elections 2008
Whatever your workplace is within Tilburg University, there is a lot going on:- Efficiency checks of services;
- Mid-term reviews of research and education;
- Keeping your research time;
- Working with service-level agreements;
- The implementation of large ICT systems;
- The slow decrease of the number of students;
- The internationalization of our University.
These developments result in high requirements for the individual employee.
In the field of force of the Executive Board, faculties, students, services and society it is crucial that the interests of the personnel are being pointed out.
Within the University council the AbvaKabo has been the largest and most influential personnel’s party for years.
The party promotes the interests of the Tilburg University personnel in a professional manner. Moreover, the interests of the organization as a whole are monitored. In the next term our principles are:
- Don’t just formulate goals, facilitate goals!
- Invest in employees!
- More attention to education!
Our University has many ambitions. Too often however, these ambitions are only formulated and not taken action on.
AbvaKabo stands for the opportunity for individual employees and divisions to achieve those ambitions. New requirements are good, but only when the work can be done and pressure is not getting higher and higher. So, if English becomes the second language, provide an extensive base of courses in the English language and the possibility to learn it during work time (thus: replacement). Lower visitation results should not directly lead to stringent interruptions, but to reconsideration and possibly, future investments.
Our opinion is that, given the many challenges Tilburg University deals with, there should be permanent investment in the human capital of the University.
For example, what is the consequence of the implementation of the tenure track system for scientific staff members?
And to what extend is talent among supporting staff stimulated? Anyhow, we think that the current staff should have the opportunity to be able to deal with high requirements.
Within the university council the AbvaKabo party keeps the Executive Board focused by critically examining and influencing policy intentions and if necessary by developing own initiatives.
This way, in the past term the party has (partly together with the student fractions) demanded attention for the quality and need for investments in education. Important subjects in the next term are:
1. Research and Education: for the greatest part this is filled in on the level of the faculties. But the question on a central level is where extra resources should be used. Because scientific staff members have to focus on (international) research to broaden career possibilities it is of necessity that the Executive Board guards the quality of education better. Besides this, we do not forget that Tilburg University should also perform in doing research.
2. Diversity policy: women and ethnic minorities are still strongly underrepresented in higher functions in our organization. A lot of progression can be made to this respect.
3. The labour conditions: in times of great changes attention for subjects like work pressure and the labour situation are crucial for the wellbeing of Tilburg University employees. How, for example, is the fire security of the University buildings guaranteed?
4. Efficiency checks of the diensten: Within the next months efficiency checks of the diensten will be executed. Checks are done based on themes (ICT, finances, and personnel). The synchronization between centralized and decentralized levels is an important topic to this respect. In the University council we will review the conclusions of efficiency checks thoroughly.
5. Connection TIAS – TU: The connection between Tilburg University and TIAS has known tensions for a long time. New deans for the faculty of economics and TIAS create new opportunities for collaboration. Our party is right on top of this development.
Our party consists of competent AbvaKabo members, coming from the different services and faculties. The strengths of the party are the mutual collaboration and the network within the University. Four of the current six party members are re-eligible to guarantee the continuity in the party.
For a critical and constructive voice in the University council -
Vote AbvaKabo.
