University of Amsterdam will not abolish the BSA
The University of Amsterdam will not choose to abolish the binding study advice (BSA) altogether. This is stated by rector magnificus Peter-Paul Verbeek in an internal news release.
Now that Minister Robbert Dijkgraaf has announced that the standard for first-year students will be lowered to a maximum of 30 credits, institutions have the choice of either applying this lower standard or abolishing the BSA altogether. The UvA is going for the first option, according to Verbeek’s response.
“Students experience high work pressure and stress,” Verbeek said. “That worries us. That is precisely why we maintain the reduced BSA. This way we encourage students to make an effort from the beginning of their studies. Because once they fall behind, they cannot continue with subsequent subjects. The study delay and stress then increase more and more.”
The mental health of students and young people is one reason why Dijkgraaf wants to lower the standard for first-year students. “In the first year, a lot comes down on a student, such as moving into rooms, getting used to studying and student life and standing on their own two feet.” That, he says, creates quite a bit of pressure. And, “too much pressure has a paralyzing effect, can lead to poor learning performance and thus clouds the picture of whether or not a student is suitable for an education.”
The universities previously expressed their unhappiness with lowering the standard. It is a bad plan, thought chairman Pieter Duisenberg of universities association UNL. Thanks to the BSA, students know more quickly where they stand, the universities say. In fact, precisely weaker students would benefit from a high standard. This is because they study toward the standard: if the bar is higher, they jump higher and they will still benefit from this later in their education.
The new BSA standard will take effect from September 2025. But before that happens, the bill must first be approved. And then educational institutions still have to work to adapt to the changes.
