Students agree on compensation for co-determination councils: They will receive €500 to €1,200 per month

Students on co-determination councils have a say in the policy of their college or university. On important issues, they even have the right of consent. With this responsibility comes adequate compensation, all parties agree, but how high should it be?

In recent years, educational institutions and students could not agree.

At the end of December, the minister tried to restart talks by promising a few million extra to colleges and universities. But then they had to reach an agreement with the student organizations ISO and LSVB before the summer.

Guideline

That agreement is now in place, though not unconditionally. Indeed, it contains agreements on minimum compensation, but exceptions are possible. The parties have also agreed on a “process” to arrive at a higher amount, with the agreed amounts applying “as a guideline.”

Students on a central co-determination council should receive between €500 and €1,200 per month. For faculty or decentralized councils, it is between €250 and €525.

A lower amount?

Universities and colleges promise to engage in “constructive” discussions with their co-determination bodies about this compensation. They will report on the status of those talks and what compensation they have agreed upon at the end of the year. Then a national picture will finally emerge of who gets what.

Co-determination bodies were concerned earlier that a national guideline would be lower than the compensation some institutions already pay. The agreement states that “positive” exceptions are possible, but it is not entirely clear whether institutions that pay “too much” will now be allowed to reduce that compensation.

No amounts were agreed upon for students on program committees. ISO and LSVB had proposed €125 to €200 per month, but the colleges and universities disagreed.

Standard number of hours

In 2018, the parties had already agreed on a standard number of hours. Students on a central co-determination council should spend about eight hours per week on council work, they agreed. The latest employee participation monitor shows that this corresponds with the actual time spent by HBO students. For WO students, it is closer to around 20 hours per week.

Once the norm for the number of hours had been determined, the House of Representatives also asked for a national guideline for financial compensation for students in the employee co-determination council. Dijkgraaf is pleased that this agreement is now in place, he writes to the House of Representatives. Now there is a good chance that universities and colleges will get their promised three million. However, they must share that amount.