It took two years, but there is now an official regulation for the confidential counselors. Previously, they were mentioned in complaints procedures and protected by Executive Board (CvB) decisions, but everything was not set out in one coherent document. That has now changed. Thanks to this regulation, it has become much clearer what the confidential counselors stand for, says University Council (UR) member Martijn Klabbers. The document describes, among other things, the role and working methods of the confidential counselors, but also their position within the university and how they should be protected.

According to Klabbers, the long time it took to reach an agreement had to do with differences of opinion on several points in the regulation. A large part of this concerned the position of the confidential counselors in relation to the CvB. In the view of the UR, that position was too dependent. The positioning and independence of the confidential counselors are now explicitly laid down in the regulation. In addition, the ombudsperson has been given an important role as a buffer between the CvB and the confidential counselors in cases involving complaints about deans, directors, or CvB members, as well as complaints about the confidential counselors themselves.

Streamlining the process

Thanks to a “constructive dialogue” in October with several parties involved, the UR and the CvB managed to reach agreement, and on Monday the council decided to approve the regulation after all. The intention of all parties involved was good from the very beginning, Klabbers emphasizes. He also highlights the role of Integrity and Social Safety ambassador Ingrid Heynderickx: “I appreciate the systemic approach with which she and her team are addressing all regulations related to the Integrity & Social Safety (I&SS) Desk.” According to Klabbers, UR and CvB are working on streamlining the overall process.

Although the UR had not yet granted its approval, the CvB had already committed to following the essence of the draft regulation since it was first drawn up, says Heynderickx. “And in practice, that is exactly what happened.” She stresses that the I&SS Desk itself does nothing other than what the confidential counselors have always done. “The confidential counselors are trained and certified to listen to the person reporting, discuss options, and support them in all possible next steps,” Heynderickx explains.

Formal reports

She believes there is still room for improvement in the process that follows, especially when it comes to the procedure for formal reports. The organization Governance & Integrity International supported TU/e by working out the process for a formal report together with representatives from various parts of the university – including legal experts, UR, HR staff, and confidential counselors. “With the aim of ensuring a fair and structured process for both the person reporting and the person being reported about,” says Heynderickx. This new reporting procedure is now being formalized in an official regulation, which is expected to be ready in early 2026. That regulation will also clarify the role of the integrity case manager in the context of a formal report, which was not clear in the past.

The fact that the confidential counselors now have a regulation in place will likely be reassuring for the unions. Back in August, they voiced concerns about the lack of a regulation for the I&SS Desk and the resulting lack of guarantees regarding procedure, due care, independence, and confidentiality. With the new regulation for the confidential counselors, the desk should now also be covered; after all, it is nothing more than a central contact point that is fully staffed by confidential counselors, Heynderickx explains.

Ten confidential counselors

The university is stepping up its efforts in the area of social safety on several fronts. For example, the team of confidential counselors was expanded in October to ten members – double the number of a year ago. Two of them are external, as was already the case before, and eight are internal. The reason for this expansion is to improve the desk’s accessibility. Especially last summer, there were instances where people could not get through when they wanted to file a report. “Our hope is that we can now staff the desk continuously during office hours,” says Heynderickx.

By increasing capacity, the confidential counselors will also have more time to reach out to the organization and provide information about what the desk is and what students and staff can expect from it, Heynderickx adds. In addition to the regulations, the Core Team Integrity & Social Safety – not to be confused with the I&SS Desk – is also working on a new code of conduct, and this month a pilot for an Active Bystander program was launched. The university also expects to receive the results soon of an external study that should bring clarity to the various roles related to social safety within the university.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.