At last Wednesday’s University Council meeting, the Executive Board stood firm – Tragos will receive all 84 board grants it applied for, despite opposition from the student party NovUM, which had proposed a reduction. Board members of student organisations at Maastricht University can apply for financial compensation in the form of 'administrative months', with each month equating to €345.50. Tragos applied for 84 administrative months, meaning its board members will receive nearly €30,000 in total this academic year as compensation for study delays incurred due to board membership.
Social safety
Before the summer break, Rector Pamela Habibović explained to the University Council that the sanctions imposed on Tragos for misconduct during its 2022 hazing period had been lifted earlier this year, making the association eligible for university funding once again. However, student party NovUM continues to express concerns about social safety within Tragos. Before the summer, NovUM’s five representatives on the University Council voted against the Executive Board’s proposal to grant the financial compensation. The proposal applies to all Maastricht student organisations, from KoKo and Kaleido to sports clubs and the student theatre association, but NovUM’s objections are specifically directed at Tragos.
Three months later, the Executive Board remains resolute. Are we back to square one, with the proposal at risk of being rejected again? Not quite. The composition of the University Council has changed. This academic year, NovUM has only four representatives on the Council, meaning they are now in the minority. Last week’s vote, held anonymously at the request of several student members, resulted in four votes against and six in favour of the proposal.
Cultural differences
The rector has, however, accepted NovUM’s proposal to allocate additional funding – 42 administrative months, totalling €14,500 – to initiatives aimed at improving social safety across all student organisations. The specifics will be determined by the organisations themselves, in consultation with the director of the Student Services Centre, among others. The rector suggested this might take the form of a workshop involving multiple organisations. She also pointed out the “significant cultural differences” and expressed hope for greater mutual understanding. “Some students want to join traditional student associations like Tragos or Circumflex, and we need to support that. And no, I can’t guarantee that nothing unacceptable will ever happen again, but that goes for all student organisations.”
Not everyone is pleased with the decision. Last week, posters appeared in UM toilets, including at the School of Business and Economics, accusing the university of “sponsoring rape culture” by funding Tragos.
Eligibility
In total, around fifty student organisations have applied for board membership compensation this academic year, amounting to over €600,000. However, the full amount may not be distributed, as the eligibility of individual students is yet to be determined later this year. For example, applicants must be enrolled at UM. Observant recently reported that the number of UM student board members is declining, with more students from Zuyd University of Applied Sciences taking on these positions. Three out of seven board members at KoKo and Tragos are from Zuyd, and Circumflex currently has four Zuyd students on its board. Additionally, only students without prior study delays are now eligible for financial compensation.