The central representative body wants an open debate on how the university is growing, says Camps. ‘At present we talk about growth in relation to buildings or evening lectures, but we think there also needs to be a discussion about the policy. We want to know what the exact plans are. What size is WUR aiming for in the longer term and will it fit in the campus we have now?’
Tenure track is another item on the agenda. All WUR researchers are on a track where they can become a professor holding a personal chair in 12 years as long as they fulfil strict requirements for teaching and research. ‘If we stick to this combination of education and research, everyone with a permanent position who teaches will eventually end up as a professor with a personal chair,’ says Camps. ‘It’s debatable whether this is sustainable when the demand for teachers is rising. Perhaps there should be another career path for lecturers who aren’t interested in doing research.’ Camps would like to hear the chair groups’ thoughts on this.