• How did this situation come about?
• Are the declining student numbers and decrease in student's credits a problem specifically in the Faculty of Humanities, or are they also happening in other faculties/ universities?

How did this situation come about?

The financial challenge we are facing has multiple causes. Student enrolment has declined in recent years, following a peak during the COVID-19 period. Since then, student numbers have not returned to previous levels, and there has been a particularly noticeable decline in master's programmes.

In addition to the university having fewer students, the number of ECTS credits obtained has also decreased. This has financial consequences, as our funding is directly linked to the number of ECTS earned.

Furthermore, there has been a decline in the number of PhDs completed, which has also reduced our income. At the same time, internal costs have risen, including expenditure for cybersecurity.

On a national level, several developments are creating uncertainty. These include the Internationalisation in Balance Act and the proposed budget cuts to higher education outlined in the Coalition Agreement. Additionally, universities will no longer receive funding from starter and incentive grants.

Are the declining student numbers and decrease in student's credits a problem specifically in the Faculty of Humanities, or are they also happening in other faculties/ universities?

The decrease in EC's seems to be a wider problem: other Leiden University faculties and other universities are also facing this. The precise reason for it isn’t clear, but it could be an after-effect of the coronavirus crisis.

Unfortunately, the decrease in master’s students is a problem specifically for the Faculty of Humanities. Many of our bachelor’s students are going elsewhere to do a master’s, and we’re not attracting enough master’s students from other universities to offset the bachelor’s students who are leaving. 

• What form has the process taken up to now?
• How does the Plan of Approach relate to the government's budget cuts in higher education?
• Will the Faculty Council be closely involved?
• How can students get involved?

What form has the process taken up to now?

In the autumn of 2023, it became clear that the Faculty of Humanities' budget was showing a deficit, and that this would continue to increase in the coming years unless the faculty took action.

In 2024, various working groups of faculty staff and administrators conducted extensive analyses and developed an action plan to address the financial challenges. We call this action plan Perspective 2028. One of the measures proposed in the plan was a reduction in the educational offerings. In the autumn of 2024, the Faculty Board made an initial proposed decision for adjustments to the programmes.

After discussions with and significant efforts from the involved programmes and their chairs, the Faculty Board has reviewed the plans once again and submitted a revised proposed decision to the Faculty Council. On 19 March 2025, the Faculty Council issued a positive recommendation regarding the proposed discontinuation of the research master's programmes in Latin American Studies and African Studies. This proposal is currently under consideration by the Executive Board and the University Council.

To achieve further savings within the faculty, the Faculty Board is focusing on streamlining programmes and identifying cost reductions in other areas. You can read more about this in this column: A new direction.

How does the Plan of Approach relate to the government’s budget cuts in higher education?

The current Plan of Approach is based on the problems and developments that are known at present. At the same time, however, we do not want new developments to catch us unprepared. Both measures from the Schoof administration's coalition program focused on higher education, and the Balanced Internationalisation Act (Wet Internationalisering in Balans) are causing us great concern. Part of the measures in the action plan are therefore aimed at improving the organisation's ability to respond adequately and efficiently.

Read more here about the measures being implemented at the university level: Update: Executive Board responds to government cuts.

Will the Faculty Council be closely involved?

Yes. The Faculty Board holds regular discussions with the Faculty Council, both in formal consultation meetings and in a more informal setting. The MTs of the institutes, the Operational Management (Bedrijfsvoering) MT and the programme chairs are also involved at all times.

How can students get involved?

Would you like to contribute your ideas about your programme or education? You can do so by joining your department’s Programme Committee or the Faculty Council. Check the right-hand side of this page for more information.

• What strategy is the Faculty Board pursuing to restore the faculty’s financial health?
• Will the measures not result in lower quality of the curricula, and therefore a (further) decline in student numbers?
• What savings measures are being implemented at the university level?
• What impact will the (current and future) financial situation have on the construction and renovation plans for our faculty (and the university)?

What strategy is the Faculty Board pursuing to restore the faculty’s financial health?

The Faculty Board is focusing on the following action lines within existing study programmes, aimed at saving on staff deployment:

• Reduction in the number of courses across all Humanities programmes
• Greater focus and coherence in the range of specialisation tracks within master's programmes
• Combining committees

In addition, a proposal has been prepared to reduce staffing and material costs within the support departments.
Read more about this in this column: A new direction.

Will the measures not result in lower quality of the curricula, and therefore a (further) decline in student numbers?

We need to think creatively about how we attract and retain students, while at the same time we need to look critically at our education portfolio, although its present quality must naturally be maintained.

What savings measures are being implemented at the university level?

In response to the government’s budget cuts in higher education, measures are also being taken at the university level by the Executive Board.
You can read more about this in the following update: Update: Executive Board responds to government cuts.

What impact will the (current and future) financial situation have on the construction and renovation plans for our faculty (and the university)?

The current and future financial situation also impacts the construction and renovation plans for our faculty and the university as a whole. At the central level, the Real Estate department is assessing what the budget cuts mean for the planned developments, such as the Humanities Campus and renovations across all other faculties.

Sustainability and the modernisation of our buildings remain essential to make our faculty future-proof and attractive. We are also facing sustainability legislation and goals, which require measures to be taken in our buildings in the near future.

The plans for the Humanities Campus take into account the budget cuts and a more compact faculty. To save costs, the Aleida Nijland building (currently the Matthias de Vrieshof) will be shell renovated. Additionally, after the redevelopment of the new Reuvens building (which will house the large teaching halls) and the demolition of the current Lipsius building, the construction of Lipsius South will be postponed. This means that the Humanities Campus will have one building less than originally planned, resulting in significant savings for the Real Estate department. The vacant plot will remain available for potential future university developments.

• What will the discontinuation of programmes mean for me? Should I be concerned about completing my degree?
• What impact will the faculty-wide savings have on me?
• Can I still enrol in my preferred (master’s) programme in 2025/2026?

What will the discontinuation of programmes mean for me? Should I be concerned about completing my degree?

If you are a student in one of the programmes (research master Latin American Studies or African Studies) for which the proposal is to stop accepting new enrolments from 2026/2027 onwards, you will still be able to complete your degree. The last cohort of students in a programme that will be discontinued will have an additional year beyond the nominal duration of the programme to obtain their degree. For example, for a two-year research master’s that will no longer accept new students from 2026/2027, this means both current and new students must complete their degree by the 2027/2028 academic year at the latest.

There are no further plans to discontinue existing degree programmes.

What impact will the faculty-wide savings have on me?

All students at the Faculty of Humanities may notice some changes. For instance, there are currently many courses with low enrolment, making them very expensive. Programmes have already taken measures to reduce the number of courses offered and save costs. Additionally, certain programmes will work more closely with other programmes. This may mean that you will in future have fewer elective courses to choose from or that you will encounter more students from related humanities programmes in your classes.

At present, the master's programmes offer a broad range of specialisation tracks, some of which attract only a small number of students. The aim is to bring more focus and coherence to this offering. This may result in a slightly reduced level of choice in specialisation tracks. In many cases, however, the expertise from tracks that are no longer offered independently will still be incorporated in other ways.

Can I still enrol in my preferred (master’s) programme in 2025/2026?

Yes. All programmes will still be offered in 2025/2026. The possible discontinuation of programmes will not take effect until the 2026/2027 academic year at the earliest.

For more information, check the Humanities bachelor’s and master’s programmes here.