A colleague from HR recently asked if we’re going to stop and reflect on the fact that the paper version is stopping and we’ll be entirely online after the summer. Are we going to commemorate the moment? Good question, although for now we don’t really have time to stop and reflect. We’re speeding steadily onwards towards the summer holidays. And honestly – as you will read in our article on annual leave – the work is never finished.
For the last nine months, there has been a A3 sheet of white paper on the wall, covered in ideas for articles, some typed, some handwritten. And the rather telling title: ‘Coming soon (or not)’. From poverty among students, the vulnerability of lecturers (think of bad appraisals, accusations of unacceptable behaviour) and unethical theses (a research project for a ‘questionable’ company) to the downside of winning an ERC grant and the status of cleaners, movers and security at UM. Toxic leadership and social safety issues at specific faculties and services are up there too. Thankfully, a good number of topics has been crossed off over the course of the year. For example, we have published excellent articles on fifty years of sustainability, student communication, the huge turnover among HR directors, and loneliness among students in large housing complexes.
Recently, a staff member for Marketing and Communication visited the office. He chuckled when he saw the A3. Helpful to prepare the spokespeople for any upcoming ‘difficult questions’, he joked. He was particularly interested in how an idea develops into an article. And well, that’s different every time. Often it involves speaking to a lot of people and choosing a specific area to focus on. But the most important thing is to be patient and diligent, listen to both sides.
Some ideas don’t lead to anything. A follow-up question shows it to be a false alarm, such as ‘bad lectures in Law’. In one of the first faculty council meetings in the autumn, a student of Dutch law had complained about the quality of the lectures (boring), but when we asked for more information, she didn’t respond. No examples, no explanation. Then it can be a challenge, because one student might think the lectures are boring, while another really enjoys them. You could ask a large group of students their opinion, in a bid to get a less subjective story, but still... Which lecture do you pick, what subject? Impossible, we decided. Crossed off in thick black ink.
That sheet of A3 will be binned soon. In August, there’ll be a fresh sheet of paper with ideas (old ones and new ones), to remind us that our work is never over.
The editor-in-chief gives a look behind the scenes at the editorial office