The Landelijk Overleg Fracties (National Deliberation Factions, LOF) and the Studenten Overleg Medezeggenschap (Students Deliberation Co-determination, SOM) base their conclusion on a nation-wide enquiry amongst 102 students. On Monday, student assessor Mark de Jager received a symbolic casket of pears on behalf of the university board.
According to Gijsbert Brinkman, board member at SOM, the ‘award’ is meant especially to encourage the university to make sure the representatives for RUG students and staff are easier to find online.
According to RUG spokesperson Jorien Bakker, the award comes a bit too late. ‘Since last Friday, the RUG has a new website and a lot of improvements have been made. Mark and the student factions see the award as a stimulant to offer more information about the co-determination boards and make sure their contact information is easier to find on the RUG’s online channels. The Communication department will support them with that.’
‘We share a lot’
Daan van Dijk, student faction Lijst Calimero’s chairperson, confirms the factions are working hard to improve the level of visibility of student politics. The student factions do not agree with the way the organisers of the Gebakken Peer Award describe the situation.
‘Through our websites and social media channels, we share a lot of information on who we are and what we do’, says Evan Clark, chairperson of Student Organisation Groningen (SOG). ‘Virtually no-one looks for that kind of information at normal websites.’
Besides, a lot of students cast their vote during the university elections, Bakker thinks. ‘The turnout has been around 30 per cent for years now, that’s better than in Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, and so on.’
Nevertheless, the student factions promise they will keep trying to improve their level of visibility. ‘And there is a nothing a Gebakken Peer Award can do to change that’, says Clark.
This year, the ‘prize’ was also awarded to the Haagse Hogeschool.