Indeed, there are no central rules for this problem, the spokesperson for Maastricht University confirms. “Those who create schedules and the Examination Boards are not compelled to take students’ additional duties into account.” They can submit a request, but these are not always granted, Von Klitzing knows from his own experience. The student fraction wants a structural solution for this problem and they are looking at the faculty board for this.
The board is not in favour of more rules, although they do recognise the problem. “I am going to plan a meeting about this with the block co-ordinators and the education institute,” says Wilko Letterie, who is responsible for education and research. There is support from the council but also criticism. “Where do we draw the line?” Marc van Ekert, council member on behalf of the academic staff, wants to know. “For example, do the little trips made by the study association Scope also come under valid excuse?”
A brief round among the student council members from other faculties shows us that maybe official rules are not necessary. At the Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, for example, they don’t have rules, but Juul Hennissen has never had to miss an FHML faculty council meeting during his three-year membership. When there is a double booking “something can always be arranged with a lecturer. It also has to do with how you deal with that yourself.” Although he did receive “a kind of statement from the examination board with the request for the lecturers (mainly geared towards the internships) to co-operate in coming to an agreement with regard to possible absence.” He also hasn’t heard any “alarming messages” from his fellow council members.
There is no compulsory attendance at the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, so there are no consequences for the study programme anyway. Problems are often simply solved by sending an e-mail to the council chairperson, says student council member Olsi Sokolli. The same applies to the Faculty of Psychology and Neurosciences, says council member Noor Dubbeldam. “Especially when there are exams, it is usually possible to reschedule the council meeting. With the compulsory tutorial group meetings, I usually try and arrange something with the tutor, for example, that I am allowed to sit in with another group. The council chairperson is usually willing to help us with that.”