“We feel the pressure to tackle this quickly. We want a solution sooner rather than later,” said Margriet Schreuders, director of the Student Services Centre (SSC), at the beginning of April, shortly after UM had temporarily frozen ties with the two associations, following incidents that violated the code of conduct – a document containing rules for hazing activities. It proved to be the straw that broke the camel’s back: the university is done with a system of codes of conduct, which are violated and amended in turn. A new approach has to be found, and it is up to the SSC to find it.
What about the conversations with “the UM community and experts”, which were announced two months ago? “The first steps have been taken,” Schreuders said on the phone, but there is a disappointing lack of interest. At the end of May, there was a meeting in Tapijn Z where students could share their ideas. Only fifteen people showed up.
“We had hoped for more people, of course, we want to hear lots of opinions,” said Schreuders. “At the moment, we are thinking about a second meeting after the summer, and of sending a questionnaire to all the students and staff.”
There has also only been one conversation with an expert. Nevertheless, the goal is to send a report with first findings to the Executive Board by the end of the academic year. Schreuders was unwilling to share what those findings are. “We don’t want to push people in a particular direction yet.”
Schreuders has also since spoken to the boards of Tragos and Circumflex. They had asked the university for clarification: in a press release, they stated they were not aware of incidents that had violated the code of conduct. Despite UM stating that they had explicitly come to light during the conversations with the student associations. Schreuders had no comment on these conversations, but said she was “surprised” by the statement from the associations, and that she still supports UM’s interpretation. The chairs of both Tragos and Circumflex have refused to answer Observant’s questions for weeks.
As long as there is no new policy, the sanctions against the student associations will remain in place. This also means that Tragos and Circumflex will not be allowed to join the introduction week INKOM, although individual members will be allowed to serve as mentors for groups of participants. “We cannot exclude students based on membership, nor do we want to. It’s not as if they’re part of a criminal organisation. But we are stopping the associations from taking part at other times when they are normally present, such as booths at events.”