Elections: which canary will you choose?
Miners used to take canaries into the coal mines. As long as the bird kept singing, everything was fine. When the song stopped, they knew toxic gas was leaking and it was time to head back up. Those small birds saved lives. At TU/e, participation plays a similar role, say Gabriël Nusselder and Martijn Klabbers of the University Council.
The members of the University Council, the department councils, and the services council are TU/e’s canaries. Together, they are the university’s only elected bodies and represent the voices of students and staff in participation.
Last year, the Executive Board presented the Fit for Future report, a large-scale reorganization plan. The council reviewed the plan thoroughly and raised the alarm: without a proper problem analysis, there was neither sufficient justification nor support. Partly because of our questions, the plan was put on hold.
In Project Beethoven, the council asked critical questions about the consequences for education and research, as well as the necessary conditions for the proposed growth. Regarding compensation for board years, the council safeguarded important values: all students should be able to take on board roles, regardless of financial background.
In the notebook regulation, the council sought a balance between necessary cuts and protecting students—ensuring everyone has a functioning laptop and the safety net does not become overloaded.
These decisions affect your daily work. Whether you can take an exam on a reliable laptop. Whether your colleagues are not overwhelmed by workload. Whether you can gain board experience without financial concerns.
In the previous elections, only 23 percent of students and 32 percent of staff voted. Such low turnout undermines legitimacy. Why would the Executive Board listen to a council that represents only a quarter of the community? With so few votes, crucial perspectives are missing, and risks may only be noticed when it is too late.
On December 9 and 10, you can vote not only for the University Council but also for your department council or the services council. The closer the participation layer is to you, the more directly it affects your working day or academic year.
Choose a canary for your part of the mine—someone who represents your interests and stays alert to what is happening. Because only with enough supported canaries, spread throughout the mine, can we avoid danger.
Gabriël Nusselder and Martijn Klabbers are the chairs of the student party Groep-één and the staff party PUC. The views expressed in this column are their own.
This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.
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