LUC The Hague: Decision-making about Corona -related Policies at LUC
In these uncertain times when we all have to adapt to new circumstances, LUC is working hard to develop and implement changes in procedures and guidelines for staff and students. We would like to explain how this is organized, because staff and students are not always aware of the many steps that are at play in such processes.
Starting Point
In general, the starting point are national policies and regulations that are communicated by the government. They dictate first and foremost within which parameters we have to operate. These national policies are translated to university policies at the central level, taking into account input from the of staff and students. These central university policies are then brought to the Faculty level (FGGA in our case) to specify those guidelines to the institutes and programs within the Faculty. At the Faculty level input from the of staff and students is solicited to inform the formulation of such guidelines.
LUC's Boards and Councils
When the guidelines at the Faculty level are clear, this dictates what LUC can and cannot do in an effort to respond to the changing circumstances. Within those parameters, the College Board (CB) and Programme Board (PB) then work towards formulating specific policies relevant to our programme. These are in turn discussed with the Programme Council (PC, for program-related matters) and the College Council (CC, for non-program matters that impact staff and/or students), both of which have staff and student representation. For matters of learning outcomes, assessment and diplomas, the Board of Examiners (BoE) is consulted for input to make sure that whatever decisions are made are actually within the boundaries of legal and quality control requirements.
Extra Layers of Consultation
Once staff and students have been consulted through the PC and/or CC, and regulations have been checked with the BoE, the CB and PB can formulate a final decision that is then communicated as soon as possible to staff and students.
Currently, there are even a few extra layers of consultation in the form of a central crisis team, a faculty-wide board members team (including the entire LUC board, and the FGGA student member), and a working group for the middle- and long-term plans (including the dean of LUC). In addition, the educational directors of all FGGA programs have meetings multiple times a week to discuss the ramifications of what is communicated by the central level.
Continious Loop
This means that in this unusual period of ever- and fast changing circumstances, the CB and PB are in a continuous loop of receiving information and directives, translating them to the local level, soliciting input from staff and student representatives and the BoE, and then making final decisions to be communicated. The very fast turnaround of this process is very challenging, but it is important that all formal routes are followed to ensure policies that work at LUC.
Specifically for students: if you have input or questions regarding LUC students, it is best to contact the student member of the programme board Rana Kuseyri (smpb@luc.leidenuniv.nl), the student representatives of the PC (programmecouncil@luc.leidenuniv.nl) or the CC (cc@luc.leidenuniv.nl) so they can use it in their role as advisors to the PB and CB. The PC and CC are then also the bodies that are charged with communicating back to students who have given input to inform them of next steps and relevant decisions that have been made.