The plan for the fusion needs to be clear soon
- Unit Participation Council will receive ‘much more information’ in December.
- Helprich ten Heuw: “getting out of your comfort zone is a good thing.”
The division healthcare and social work is going to be changed. At the start of next year’s September the old study programmes Social Work & Social Services along with Social Educational Care need to be combined into the new study program, Social Work. The study programme Educational Theory will also be added into this combination. A project group has been created to bend itself over the curriculum while another will look into the organisation. For employees, these times are uncertain. Many do not know what is in store for them. Unit Participation Council chairman, Frank Joustra, understands that this is coupled with expressions of concern. “Something like this is always linked to uncertainty. We receive those signals as well, but as Unit Participation Council we need to take a close look at it. I have been led to believe that no work positions are going to be lost and I have not received any information that leads me to doubt this. That does not mean that we are just going to placidly wait for what will happen.”
Will everything be complete in September?
“We still need to receive a lot of information from the Supervisory Board. I believe we should assume a positive outcome. At the start of December we will be receiving much more information.”
Pedagogy teacher Helprich ten Heuw has no problem with the fact that his study programme will be incorporated into Social Work. “At several other universities of applied science we can see the same thing happening. At one point a lot of pedagogues were expected to find work because of the government policy known as ‘Passend Onderwijs’ (Appropriate Education), but in practice there are a lot less of those positions than previously thought. At the same time I see the transition in healthcare which is making sure that pedagogues can find work in that sector. For instance, in neighbourhood teams.”
On the matter of the consequences, he is also not very concerned. “Educational Theory is a young study programme. I can imagine that we are not as settled yet as Social Work & Social Services or Social Education Care. That is why, I believe, the people here have less difficulties with the process of change. Not too long ago, because of budget cuts, we were forced to bid farewell to many people with a temporary contract, which is unpleasant, but for which we immediately received new colleagues. To them, I feel, it will not matter very much where the study programme is going to be housed. I believe the process, due to the project groups, is on schedule. There are certain aspects of our study program that I value very much and I will be paying special attention to them. As for the teachers that are feeling insecure because they are being taken out of their comfort zone, well, maybe that’s a good thing.” (MH)
