The Tilburg Educational Profile: Knowledge, Skills, Character

Tilburg students are part of a learning community in which they develop and grow. Degree programs with a relatively large number of students will apply the principle of ‘small within large’. Students will be part of a smaller core group - a ‘Class’ - which is kept together during at least one year of the program and coached by a dedicated Mentor Team.

Debating skills, presentation skills, digital knowledge, etc. are directly applicable during classes or assignments. The development of certain specific skills requires special training courses or course components.

This will be an important means to enhance character building. Not only during their education are students invited to take responsibility for their own development; once they are graduated and function as professionals, they are required to reflect on their own role within a team, in a larger organizational context, and in society at large. Self-assessment tools will be introduced in the programs.

All study programs come under the authority of a program director who presides over a Curriculum Team. The aims of the Curriculum Teams are:

• stimulating the internal consistency of the curriculum (including course design, balanced assessment, etc.).
• monitoring the content of the curriculum and making sure it is fully up-to-date.
• bringing the outside world into the curriculum.

To grow into ‘thinkers of character’, it is not enough to simply attend lectures and pass exams. Some character-building activities are integrated into the curriculum, such as classes in philosophy (12 EC for Bachelor’s programs). However, the 21st century has its own, complex problems for which students need to be prepared. In order to prepare students for these challenges, Tilburg University stimulates students to participate in extracurricular activities, such as participation in the University Council or School Council, active participation in student associations and societies, in honors programs or outreaching programs, activities of Academic Forum, etc. These will enable active students to learn skills and create networks which will facilitate professional opportunities.

Compatibility of lecture schedules to ensure that students can do a Minor abroad or at another Dutch university, or do an internship without this creating problems in their regular schedule.

This will give students the opportunity to collect, organize, and present (multimedia) evidence of their learning experience in the course of their education. e-Portfolios have the potential to assist students in becoming more intentional and active learners by helping them to take ownership of their (academic) progress. It includes things like (self-reflection) assessments, 360-degree feedback, BSA-results (info on official recommendations regarding continuation of their studies), extra-curricular activities, sports-related activities, and paid jobs. Having kept a portfolio like this, students will enter the labor market better prepared.

In order to work on character building, academic teaching should have a broader aim than purely the transfer of knowledge of a particular field. This idea goes back to the founding principles of our institution. The central position of the philosophy courses in our Bachelor’s programs remains an important prerequisite.