Changes to arts minors

Starting in September, a minor programme in the arts faculty will no longer be spread out over three years but will instead be squeezed into the first semester of the third year. Majors will also increase to 150 study points.

Students can choose from four options: a pre-master minor (to enter a master unconnected to their bachelor), a research minor, a labour market-oriented minor with an internship, and an international minor. Upper classmen and non-arts students will continue to follow the old structure until 2017, when there will be a transition period until 2018.

Media and Culture moves forward

The new bachelor Media Studies may finally be starting, albeit under a different name: Media and Culture. Why? None of the involved parties will say, nor will they confirm when the programme will actually start. It was supposed to launch in September 2014, but there were some problems.

There were assumptions that it would be a new journalism programme, which it isn’t, and the programme didn’t undergo the NVAO macro effectiveness test. All that remains now is for the programme to be officially approved and given the quality label of NVAO.

Pathé lecture complaints

Business lecturer Heleen van Peet complained to the faculty board about lectures being scheduled at the Pathé movie theatre. ‘There is this kind of moat around the podium, so making contact with people in the hall is basically impossible. I was blinded by the projectors, and the students got popcorn during the break.’

Vice dean Albert Boonstra wants to use the complaint to bring the issue to the attention of the university board. The lack of large lecture halls is a RUG-wide problem. Van Peet sees one silver lining, though: ‘At least the chairs are comfortable.’

Second study tuition

It has to be easier for students to find out what it costs to follow a second academic programme and what the cost is based on, according to education minister Jet Bussemaker. If need be, Bussemaker will force universities to make their own policies clearer or enact a price cap.

Since 2009, universities and applied science schools do not get compensated for students who begin a new study. Universities can choose how much to charge, which is often more expensive than normal tuition fees. At the RUG, a second bachelor currently costs 7,700 euros – a master’s is 10,800 euros.

Future plans for film archive

In the coming three months, the UB, the arts faculty and the film archive will create a future plan to make the archive relevant and economically sustainable for the RUG. The archive is part of the UB and is a collection of roughly 2,800 films, some dating as far back as 1907.

The collection is used for film courses, research, internships and special screenings by the film club. The arts faculty board has made funding available to keep the archive going in the meantime.