Confidential Advisors

What do confidential advisors do?

In principle, the confidential advisors are available to anyone at the university who is confronted with unacceptable behavior, e.g., sexual harassment, bullying, aggression, violence, or discrimination. They may also be contacted in the event of suspicions of misconduct and by employees who have become involved in a workplace dispute whereby the regular methods have not led to a solution. The basic principle is that problems must be resolved with the supervisor or the next person in the line of command, supported by the HR advisor. For cases that do not directly come under the Tilburg University Unacceptable Behavior Complaints Regulations, students and employees can, depending on the nature of the problem, contact the Examining Board, the Dean, or the Executive Board with a complaint or a request to take action.

The confidential advisors are:

	Name	dr. A.E.A.M. (Annelies) Aquarius
		Division Academic Support
		Student Development
	Position	Student psychologist
	Room	A 106
	Phone	+31 13 466 2216
	E-mail	a.e.a.m.aquarius@tilburguniversity.edu

	Name	prof. dr. J.W.M. (Sjaak) Kroon
		Tilburg School of Humanities and Digital Sciences
		Department of Culture Studies
	Position	Full Professor
	Room	D 218
	Phone	+31 13 466 2776
	E-mail	s.kroon@tilburguniversity.edu

Name	dr. A.M.H. (Anke) Bisschops
Phone	+31 6 81321411
E-mail	a.m.h.bisschops@tilburguniversity.edu

The duties of the confidential advisors

The duties of the confidential advisors include creating conditions, through contacts and mediation, in which those involved are prepared to discuss the problems and thus contributing to resolving these problems. For the employee or student who is confronted with unacceptable behavior, the confidential advisor is the contact person. The confidential advisor offers initial assistance to the employee or student, and counsels, informs, and advises on ways to put an end to the unacceptable behavior. If necessary, the confidential advisor can advise and assist in any further steps. If necessary, the confidential advisor assists and counsels the employee or student in filing a complaint about the unacceptable behavior. Whatever approach is chosen, the confidential advisor will always act in consultation with and after approval by the complainant.

The confidential advisor does not replace existing procedures. If a confidential advisor is notified of a problem, (s)he will first of all check whether the matter can be or is already being dealt with by the competent persons or internal authorities. In the latter case, the confidential advisor will adopt a passive approach.

Confidentiality

Care and confidentiality are key words in the way the confidential advisors work. The confidential advisors are obliged to treat all information confidentially. In addition, a confidential advisor will not obtain information from other persons or organizations without the complainant's explicit consent.

Confidential advisor on academic integrity

Suspected abuses and breaches of academic integrity can be reported to the academic integrity officer: Professor Aart de Zeeuw, Room C171. He can be reached as follows:

	Name	Em. Prof. Dr. A.J. de Zeeuw
		Division Human Resources
		Management, Support and Staff
	Position	Full Professor
	Room	P 1.222
	Phone	+31 13 466 2065
	E-mail	a.j.dezeeuw@tilburguniversity.edu

Complaints may be filed anonymously.

To protect and guarantee scientific integrity in relation to academic activities, the Executive Board has adopted the Tilburg University Scientific Integrity Regulations. These Regulations contain a reporting procedure. The Committee for Scientific Integrity at Tilburg University handles complaints under these Regulations. You can request a second opinion on a decision resulting from the advice of this Committee from the National Board for Research Integrity (LOWI), set up by KNAW, VSNU, and NWO.