Word from the LUCSoR Chair: September 2024
When I posted the post below on the LUCSoR Twitter account a few months ago, I didn’t fully realise how aspirational that final sentence would be: ‘raise a toast with us for the next 10 years!’.
As we are all now aware, the BA Religiewetenchappen and MA Religious Studies were targeted for cancellation in the advice given to the Faculty Board by the Education Portfolio Taskforce, who were tasked with finding solutions to the current budget deficit. The same day that staff were informed about this development, many of you likely saw this Mare article. Religious Studies is mentioned twice and not in a particularly positive manner, but the question being asked is fair: why keep Religious Studies when other programmes are being cut? The LUCSoR OLB and OLC have a meeting with the Faculty Board later this month and we will ask them directly about this, but for now it seems that it comes down to a combination of qualitative and quantitative factors.
I’ll mention two here. The main quantitative factor is that most of our courses have plenty of students registered due to our popular Minor programme. We also get a lot of extracurricular registrations from students who take our courses on top of their regular study programme. Thus, while our new BA student numbers are low, the EC’s generated by LUCSoR is enough to justify our continuation financially.
Qualitatively, it seems that the Faculty Board recognises the crucial place of Religious Studies in any serious Humanities Faculty. As the Humanities Faculty mission speaks of promoting “the essential values of the humanities in contemporary social, cultural, political and economic debates”, given the passionate feelings and convictions toward religion, few topics of study and debate are more urgently needed in our polarising world. But as our colleagues in Religious Studies down the road in Utrecht are experiencing, the foundation of mission statements like these are being shaken to their very core in the current climate.
So where do things now stand for Religious Studies in Leiden? All I can say is that at the moment: all LUCSoR programmes will continue. But along with the entire Faculty, we are being required to make changes. Due to the Programme Norms being enforced, a handful of courses in our programmes (particularly in the BA) will have to be scrapped. All in all, this means less choice in terms of electives. This is a shame because the OLB has worked very hard over the years to offer and cross-list a wide range of courses.
There is also the matter of the Internationalisation in Balance Act. While the Act is still being debated, programmes are being asked to plan on the basis that at least 2/3 of BA programmes be Dutch language education. Fortunately, our own BA programme is not very far off this requirement, so we can make this transition with relative ease.
Looking more long-term, I am deeply concerned by the cuts to higher education announced by the current government. These cuts will only further erode the quality and breadth of expertise at Dutch universities. I encourage all of us to be present at the protest on 14 November in Utrecht. This is only a single step toward showing our united dissatisfaction, but it is an important one nonetheless.
I want to end on a positive note. Our 10-year anniversary symposium we had last week was a great success! It was attended by more than 50 students, staff, and alumni. Below a photo showing some of the participants just before the lunch break and another photo of participants during one of the sessions.
I want to thank everyone who participated. It was a very good day full of reflection and debate. Despite the uncertainty higher education faces, we did raise a toast to the future of LUCSoR and I continue to be inspired by the spirit of forward thinking and comradery that has gotten us here today.
Best,
Dr. Corey L. Williams
Chair of Religious Studies Programmes
Leiden University Centre for the Study of Religion (LUCSoR)
