Faculty Year Opening: ‘We’re not in a bad position’
The Faculty of Humanities kicked off the new academic year in festive style. On 2 September, staff gathered over snacks and drinks to catch up on the summer.
In his speech, Vice-Dean Jos Schaeken addressed the faculty’s financial situation. Whilst the outlook had often been precarious in recent years, the future now looks brighter. ‘Our five-year budget projections show that we are able to absorb substantial anticipated deficits while maintaining the resources needed to meet our essential commitments’, said Schaeken.
At the same time, he cautioned against becoming too optimistic. ‘We know that government cuts and declining student numbers will gradually reduce our financial capacity, meaning that we cannot continue indefinitely on exactly the same path. (…) The challenges before us are real, but they are not greater than those we have faced before, nor beyond our collective capacity to address them. We are able to do so from a position of strength. We are not in a bad place. If you want to remember one sentence from his speech, please remember the sentence, we are not in a bad place.
Teaching Award
For lecturer Ae Ree Nam, the afternoon took on an extra festive air. She is the winner of the annual Faculty Teaching Award. The jury praised the way in which she manages to engage all her students in her lectures.