Three study programme managers have to be replaced
- After a study programme manager was relieved from his function, two other study programme managers decided that they did not want to continue their current function.
- The merger process of the three study programmes Social Educational Care, Social Work & Social Services and Educational Theory in one new study programme ‘Social Work’ has a delay of a year.
Around Christmas the management of Healthcare and Social Work had decided to release Jan Willem Bruins, one of the three study programme managers, from his function. The management team has asked him to stay and continue to be the project leader for the Social Work study programme, by combining study programmes: Social Educational Care, Social Work & Social Services and Educational Theory. Division director Ineke van der Wal: ‘We have had contact with the study programme managers and discussed their concerns about the Social Work course. Before Christmas they had written us a letter about their concerns regarding: the workload, the quality of the new course Social Work, not enough management for the new course and they asked for a delay regarding combining the three old courses.’
Last September, first year students did start the Social Work study programme with the new curriculum. According to the three study programme managers, the plan was to let the second, third and fourth year`s students start working with the new curriculum as well, yet this turned out to be quite problematic. Van der Wal: ‘We have agreed to delay the project, we planned for two years yet this has become three instead. We as management team have decided to relieve Jan Willem Bruins from his management function so he is able to completely focus on his task as project leader.’
Bruins` management duties were transferred to management team member Riejet Nijdam. The management team has also negotiated with study programme managers Jildau de Haan and Tamara Mulders. However, after the Christmas break both study programme managers decided that they want to change directions.
After the consecutive developments there was a lot of agitation within the domain. Yet, Van der Wal denies that de Haan and Mulders resigned because of Bruins` discharge. ‘The reasons for their decisions are different and personal. I obviously think it is a loss, yet I do respect their decision.’
De Haan and Mulders announced that they are still available for a couple of months to make the task transfer easier. The team of managers is strengthened by the addition of division managers Riejet Nijdam and Jolling Lodema. Van der Wal: ‘That is certain until the summer break. We do take the concerns of the study programme managers with us and do not set them aside. We will continue to work on it together with the people from Social Work.’ (MH)
