Participation bodies

The University of Groningen has an extensive system of consultative participation for students. Consultative participation is linked to three levels of management bodies. Each level has a board or a director, and each board or director consults with a consultative body. Consultative participation at the University of Groningen is based on the principle of joint consultation, which means that both students and staff are represented in the same consultative body and that both groups together consult with the relevant board. A well organized participation body is of great importance for the functioning of the university and contributes in guaranteeing the quality of education. A survey of all different consultative bodies is given below, and is visually laid out in the following diagram:

Participation on degree programme level

PCs

Every degree programme has a Programme Committee (PC) consisting of appointed student and staff members. These PCs are responsible for monitoring the quality of the relevant programme. The committee is responsible for:

• Advice on the education and examination regulations
• An annual review of the method of implementation of the Education and Examination Regulations
• Provide solicited or unsolicited advice to the Programme Board and the Dean on all matters relating to education in the degree programme.

On a regular basis, the PC also collects feedback on the courses among the students. The PC Mathematics does that by organizing the Mathmatical Feedback Meeting (MFM). During the MFM ongoing courses and examinations of the relevant degree programmes are discussed. Questions about the curriculum in general, study support and other study-related matters are also debated. Besides that, all the PCs send out and review the course evaluation forms, and are open for additional complaints and feedback in various channels, including the PC Discord server and the emails below. For more info and all the contact details, you can also check out this page on the student portal.

Programme student

Each group (cluster) of programmes has a Cluster Board. This Cluster Board consists of the Programme Directors and Coordinators of the involved programmes and a student, who is also called the Cluster- or Programme student. Their role is to represent the students of the various programmes and make sure their voices are heard within the Cluster Board.

Participation on faculty level

The Faculty Council is the highest representative advisory body within the Faculty. Its members are elected. The Faculty Board meets with the Council to discuss issues of staffing policy, Faculty finance, Health and Safety regulations, housing, organizational change, the budget, teaching and research. The Board needs the Council's consent in the Education and Exam Regulations (EER), in all other issues it has the right to make recommendations.

Participation on university level

The University Council is the University of Groningen’s representative body. As such the Council has a number of general powers and duties. Approval of the University Council is required in areas such as the Student Charter and rules in the field of safety, health and welfare.

Members of the Council are elected from the two factions within the university: staff and students. Both sections are represented by twelve people each. The student section is chosen from different factions: 'Lijst Calimero', 'Studenten Organisatie Groningen (SOG)', 'Democratic Academy Groningen (DAG)' and 'De Vrije Student (DVS)'.

Bètastuf

The Bèta Studenten Federatie (Bètastuf) is the governing body for all student representatives to the Faculty of Science and Engineering. The Board of Bètastuf (BOB) consists of 5 members, who all meet with different groups of (student) representatives:

• The Student Assessor is part of the faculty board. They are the way for student interests to get heard by the faculty board, and have the power to help other student representatives reach their goals. The Student Assessor is chosen yearly through an application by the sitting Student Assessor and the rest of the faculty board, and is a paid, full-time position
• The Study Association Portfolio manager is in contact with, you guessed it, the study associations. They chair the Study Association Meeting (SAM), where all the chairs of the associations come together, and coordinates collaborative projects between the associations.
• The Co-Governance Portfolio manager is in contact with the Faculty Council and PCs, sharing best practices and coordinating projects between themselves and with other bodies like the associations
• The Programme Student Portfolio manager does similar things to the other roles but then for the Programme students
• The Interfaculty Collaboration Portfolio manager is in contact with representatives from other faculties, looking to share information, as well as set up a platform to make it easier to set up projects to tackle issues or realize ideas that span multiple faculties.

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