The Independents: from different perspectives to common goals

No student welfare without teacher welfare.

Guiding focus: Education is labor- and time-intensive teamwork which demands clear and coherent vision and meaningful investment of resources. It requires an environment that optimally positions students and lecturers to engage in the learning process.

As representatives of the University's employees, we commit to empowering staff members in ways that enable them to deliver the high-quality education our students deserve. A key strategy is to attract a diverse community of inspirational lecturers who can challenge students and prepare them for the complexities of modern labor markets. Just as critical is to retain staff members through consistent investments in their well-being and professional development in ways that they find meaningful.

The Independents acknowledge the numerous societal changes that increase pressure on educational staff to adapt and innovate. In response, we are committed to upholding high-quality education by ensuring staff have the necessary resources to devote their time and effort to this fundamental university function. We advocate for purposeful and strategic transformations, when needed, avoiding changes that do not have a well-justified rationale.

Create a stimulating environment for all scholars in our community.

Guiding focus: All researchers in our community deserve meaningful support throughout the entire research lifecycle, from conception to dissemination.

We champion an academic environment that not only embraces and honors academic freedom but also commits to understanding society and contributes to enduring progress, rather than chasing short-lived trends. This requires consistent investments to guarantee a secure and fulfilling workspace for every scholar in our community, irrespective of their background, seniority, tenure, or visibility. 

The Independents understand that the scientific process requires not only time but also – the existence of sustainable research infrastructure, which cannot be narrowly defined. We must ensure that investments in digital platforms, laboratories, and research databases are matched by steadfast commitment to enabling reliable technical, funding, and administrative support. We advocate for meaningful support for the entire research lifecycle, from conception to dissemination. We are dedicated to understanding and advocating for the varied needs of our academic community. We champion changes that directly respond to the expressed desires of the community itself.

We should develop without leaving anyone behind.

Guiding focus: We should develop without leaving anyone behind. The best way to do that is to focus on sustainable infrastructure, which is designed around the needs of individuals, and which will benefit the community. 

Pro-activity instead of reactivity. Transparent access to information and special attention to vulnerabilities will direct our participation in the council. We will pay special attention to the employment status of our PhD candidates, tenure-trackers, and temporary employees. We also aim for a reduction of work pressure on full-time staff, support staff, and administration. A key to those aims is a socially safe working environment that is in line with the university’s core values and code of conduct. 

Empowering those closest to the problem to deliver people-centered solutions. Members of our community should be provided with actionable advice about ways to make their voice matter in policymaking and implementation. Given this, as members of the council we will pay special attention to those that may be suffering from racism, disadvantage, and exclusion. This will promote a physically, mentally, and emotionally safe workplace for all students, academic, and support staff.

Hearing what members of our community are telling us. Each group in our community has unique concerns about the infrastructure of the university. Given this, to deliver optimal solutions and advice we will aim to find common ground by listening and hearing and then delivering advice, which stresses that common ground, instead of the interests of any one group over another. 

Use the university’s links between local, national, and international communities.

Guiding focus: We stress the importance of the university's communication not only with the local and national but also with the international community.

To truly “understand society”, the Independents believe that it is crucial for the university to recognize its unique role in the flow of information, knowledge, and innovation. The university should serve as a trusted cooperation partner to regional and local organizations and actors and make use of the knowledge and skills already present. At the same time, it is just as important to acknowledge and use the university’s links between local, national, and international communities. Effectively, Tilburg University serves as a hub in an international knowledge network, empowering the bidirectional exchange of information and innovation from the smallest to the largest scale. 

The Independents do not only want Tilburg University to contribute to society, but we want to be an active part of it. We want to set the bar high. In order for TiU to be able to collaborate and compete with local, national, and international communities, our university must properly function as a close-knit community itself. Our diverse faculties, staff, and students need to work together in unison.

The Independents, with a broad representation of faculties and services, are ideally equipped to help shape and aid this mission. TiU employees and students are proud of the university and recognize themselves in the TiU profile. The relatively small scale of our campus ensures that the human dimension is not lost in the generation and transfer of knowledge. This makes TiU a university – a community – that matters.