At every plenary meeting of the University Council, students and staff are briefly given the floor during what’s known as the “speakers’ quarter” – a moment to raise issues they care about. In recent months, for example, the war in Gaza has come up several times. The speakers’ quarter isn’t meant to lead to a debate; speakers share their message, and that’s it.
No restrictions on food
This may well have been the first time that a candidate standing for the university elections used the speakers’ quarter to set out their political agenda. Robbin Rutten called for fewer English-taught degree programmes, more Dutch courses to support the integration of international students, and no restrictions on food and toilet visits during exams. While maintaining he’s not opposed to internationalisation, he argued that UM is too focused on its own economic gain – namely, attracting a lot of students – and not focused enough on the future of the Netherlands.
Narrow-minded rhetoric
Council member Andrew Scrivener responded towards the end of the meeting, noting during AOB that the speakers’ quarter isn’t intended for campaigning. Taking an “If you do it, I’ll do it” approach, he briefly outlined NovUM’s own political programme. He also emphasised the value of international students to the university, not just because they bring in money – a point made earlier by UM President Rianne Letschert – but also because interaction between people from different cultures and with different perspectives is the best way to address today’s global challenges. “I condemn all nationalist, narrow-minded rhetoric which fails to recognize that we’re better off together.” He concluded with a pointed remark about Robbin Rutten’s choice of language – Dutch. “If you want to change our minds and run an effective campaign, maybe speak the language that all of our community understands.”
Tricky
Is it actually allowed to use the speakers’ quarter for campaigning? Chair of the University Council Teun Dekker is cautious. “I just apply the regulations. There’s a speakers’ quarter; the chair gives people the floor. There’s no list of acceptable or unacceptable topics. You shouldn’t be too quick to say ‘no’. It’s always tricky during election time – where do you draw the line between a personal opinion and a campaign message? Let’s have a conversation about this.” He adds that perhaps it would be worth talking to the members of the University Council about what exactly they would like the speakers’ quarter to be.