What do TU Delft students and employees think of diversity and inclusion at TU Delft? And what do they expect from the university in this area?
(Illustration: Eveline Schram)
How do TU Delft students and employees feel about initiatives such as the hoisting of the rainbow flag, the diversity week or the quiet room at X. Where is potential for improvement? And what should TU Delft prioritise in terms of diversity and inclusion?
Nineteen independent news outlets covering universities and universities of applied sciences in the Netherlands have joined forces to conduct a survey about diversity and inclusion in their institutions. The idea is not only to measure how diverse and inclusive each university is but also assess how Dutch universities compare to each other.
- Are you a student? Use this link to go to the survey
- Are you an employee? Use this link to go to the survey
The survey is an initiative of the Council of Editors-in-chief of Higher Education Media.. This council consists of the chief editors of 22 Dutch university and college media. Its chair, Ries Agterberg, explains the choice of topic: “Diversity is a hot topic inside and outside higher education. Opinions vary when it comes to the need of certain diversity policies and, if they are necessary, how far they should go. Are universities taking it too far or not far enough? The Dutch Minister of Justice recently stated that “wokism” is threatening academic freedom, for instance. With this survey, we’re aiming to find out what students and staff think about this subject.”
Excluded or discriminated
In 2020, there was a heated debate in the Dutch Parliament concerning a National Plan on Diversity & Inclusion. Generally speaking, there were two lines of thought. One said that you should not pay attention to diversity and origins as it should only be about quality. The other said that quality sometimes does not shine through as certain people are disadvantaged. What are the opinions of the students and staff? This is also a question in the survey.
More than collecting opinions, the survey also invites respondents to share their experiences. “Do certain students and employees feel excluded or discriminated against? If so, do they know where to turn to?”
The initiative was made possible thanks to the Fund to Stimulate Journalism, an organisation looking to support and improve journalistic production in the Netherlands. The Council of Editors-in-Chief has received 100,000 euros to conduct the study. The questionnaire has been devised by a think tank comprising members of all the outlets involved and put together by the research bureau Newcom. All answers will be anonymous, but respondents may share their contact details with the journalists of their institutions if they are interested in talking more about their opinions or experiences.
- Are you a student? Use this link to go to the survey
- Are you an employee? Use this link to go to the survey
- The questionnaire will remain open until October 25. The results will be revealed in a series of articles later this year.
- This survey is unrelated to a questionnaire the TU Delft Diversity Office recently sent out to all employees
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