University & Faculty Councils and Programme Committees
The university council and faculty councils are democratically elected co-participation bodies that represent both students and staff of the university and its faculties. Co-participation also takes place at departmental level through programme committees.
The University Council
The role of the university council is to critically observe and advise the Executive Board and, when applicable, to assist the board with important decisions. The powers of the University Council are laid down in the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW) and the University Council Regulations (both only available in Dutch).
Faculty Councils
Every faculty has a faculty council. After the university council, the faculty council is the second highest co-participation body within the university. Faculty councils consist of both staff and student members. Find out more under your faculty tab or in the organisational structure.
Programme Committees
Every programme has a programme committee. Within programme committees, lecturers and students come together to discuss the education provided by the programme. Programme committees provide both solicited and unsolicited advice to programme boards, faculty boards and faculty councils, concerning the quality of education, the course and examination regulations (OER) and educational facilities. If further information is available about your programme committee, this can be found under your programme tab.
Playing a role in co-participation?
Are you interested in playing an active role in co-participation at Leiden University? To gain a clearer picture of the various co-participation bodies, you are welcome to attend their public meetings. For more information about co-participation via the university and faculty councils, you can contact the parties that are active within these councils. You could also consider founding your own party. If you would like to become a member of a programme committee, get in touch with your programme’s own committee.
Faculty Council
The Faculty Council has right of consent or right of prior consultations on a range of faculty matters, including teaching. It operates as the representative of the students and of the scientific and administrative staff with regard to significant decisions. The Faculty Council comprises nine staff members and nine student members, from different parties.
See for more information the Faculty Council website.
Co-participation, how does that work?
Who decides what your study programme looks like? Watch the video and learn! You can always approach our assessor in case of questions, complaints or suggestions – or if you want to get more involved in the faculty! Go to the committee database to find out who's in the committee of your study programme.
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Watch the video on the original website orClick on the wheel icon to change preferred subtitle language!
Departmental Board
Each bachelor’s and each (research) master’s programme has a Departmental Board. The Departmental Board is responsible for the relevant teaching programme, i.e. for designing and implementing the teaching programme. The Board comprises a member of the academic staff as departmental chairman (bachelor’s) or programme coordinator (master’s), generally a professor, and a student from the department in question.
Contact the Departmental Board
Programme Committee
Each study programme has a programme committee. The programme committee advises on safeguarding and improving the quality of the study programme.
The programme committee also functions as the statutory participation body at the level of the study programme. This means that teachers and students can always ask about the workings of the programme committee, with the exception of confidential subjects.
- Annual assessment of the Course and Examination Regulations (OER);
- advising the programme board and / or Faculty Board about the study programme;
- discussion of the assessment visit report;
- analysis of evaluation results, reporting and formulation of recommendations;
- preparing an annual report in collaboration with the programme board;
- serving as a hot-line for our teachers and students for complaints, suggestions, problems and compliments about courses, exams, teachers and the study programme.
If you have a comment about one of the above matters, please fill in a feedback form or send an email to olc-middenoostenstudies@hum.leidenuniv.nl!
A programme committee always consists of 50% (elected) students and 50% (appointed) teachers of the study programme(s) for which it is responsible. The program committee has been determined as follows for the academic year 2020-2021:
- Dr. Jelle Bruning, staff member and chair
- Jade de Groen, student member
- Moena al Homsi, student member and vice-chair
- Ebrar Kaya, student member and secretary
- Dr. Elena Paskaleva, staff member
- Prof. dr. Asghar Seyed-Gohrab, staff member
The programme committee meets at least six times a year. Below are the meeting dates and minutes of the academic year 2020-2021.
- November 17, 2020; Minutes
- December 15, 2020
- February 16, 2021
- March 16, 2021
- April 27, 2021
- May 18, 2021
- June 15, 2021
The meetings are open (without the right to speak) to staff and students from the study programme, unless indicated otherwise by the programme committee.
Board of Examiners
Each programme has a Board of Examiners. The Board of Examiners of your department is responsible for the effective organisation of the tests and examinations. You can find all information about the Board of Examiners of your programme on this page.