Task assignment Rotterdam HO Committee Student associations
Preliminary considerations
The Rotterdam student associations and the university are very closely associated. After all, the majority of their members attend a study programme at EUR, and the activities of the clubs are important for the university's image. In turn, the university appreciates the clubs and formally acknowledges and supports them with scholarships for student representatives and in other ways.
Each club has its own culture with which the potential new members will become acquainted during the introduction period that starts after the university Eureka Week. The specifics of the introduction period and the physical and psychological pressure on the members during this time differ between the various clubs. However, society demands from each club that they organise a modern and safe introduction period for potential new members and that they minimise any inherent risks.
The university considers it part of its responsibility to make the clubs aware, through dialogue, of what is and what is not acceptable and to encourage them to make the introduction period safe.
Should an incident nevertheless occur, the university expects full disclosure from the clubs. The university has charged the university’s Student Social Clubs Initiation Period Committee with the discussion on this issue.
Instruction and activities
The committee is charged with encouraging the leaders of the student associations and others who are responsible for the introduction period:
- In their awareness of the physical, psychological and other risks and to stimulate them to actively prevent those risks themselves.
- In view of this, to reach agreements on the minimum conditions the introduction period must comply with so that risks, where possible, are countered. If the committee sees reasons for this, these agreements can be made binding.
The activities of the committee consist of:
- At least two meetings per year with the student associations. The first meeting in May/June is aimed at preparing the upcoming introduction period and the second in November/December at evaluating the past introduction period.
- In the run-up to the introduction period, the organisation of training courses aimed at making participants aware of the physical and psychological risks, trying to prevent those and in appropriate cases handling those correctly.
- Exchange of ‘best practices’ between the student associations.
- Investigation if the committee suspects that a serious incident has occurred during the introduction period. If an unacceptable incident has occurred, the committee can make suggestions to the Executive Board to take suitable measures.
The committee will publish the focus points for the clubs on the university website.
The committee reports annually on its work to the Executive Board. This report is published on the university website.