Update transport strike: Next Wednesday the 27th of June the strike of the transport services will still go ahead because the unions couldn't reach an agreement with the employers. It will probably last up to Friday the 29th of June.

Students who plan to rely on local transport at the start of next week to get to TU/e in time to take part in the last exam period must seriously consider their transport options given that the buses and some of the regional trains will very likely not run due to strike action. At present it is almost certain that the strike will go ahead, but it is not yet entirely clear whether it will last three days or for an indefinite period.

For students who will be taking their exams starting Monday, the strike cannot be used as an excuse for failing to attend an exam. According to Jessica van de Ven, who works at Education and Student Affairs (ESA), students must make their own arrangements to ensure they arrive on time. “That might involve having your parents bring you or getting together as a group and working out another option. You could also come to Eindhoven on the Sunday and try to arrange an overnight stay with friends.”

Hardship clause

Marcel Visschers, policy officer at ESA, tells us that students who nonetheless arrive too late for an exam due to demonstrable problems with public transport are usually referred by the Examination Committee to the next opportunity to resit. Visschers: "If that resit is not passed, the Examination Committee can apply the hardship clause and offer another chance, or it can permit the student to sit the exam in the next academic year."

ESA is currently busy drafting an announcement that will appear early tomorrow morning on the screens on campus; it will also be published on MyTimetable and Canvas. Van de Ven: “Via various social media channels too we'll be drawing attention to the situation, but as has been said, ultimately everyone is personally responsible for whether they are present on Monday morning."