30 October 2024

 

Dear Student,

You may have heard that the Faculty of Humanities is facing significant financial challenges. We would like to provide you with more information about the situation. First and foremost, we want to assure you that, as a current student, you do not need to worry about whether you are able to complete your degree in your chosen bachelor’s or master’s programme.

What is happening?
Our faculty is facing a budget shortfall that is projected to reach nearly 6 million euros over the coming years. Several factors contribute to this issue. There has been a decline in student enrollment following a peak during the COVID years, and fewer credits (ECs) are being earned. Additionally, there have been fewer doctoral promotions. At the same time, internal costs have increased. This shortfall is unrelated to the budget cuts recently announced by the new government for higher education.

To restore financial health to our faculty in the coming years, budget cuts will be necessary. Over the past year, various analyses and calculations have been completed to determine how the faculty can address this situation. Unfortunately, this will inevitably lead to changes in some programmes. For example, we are considering merging certain Humanities programmes. We aim to preserve as many of the faculty's diverse areas of expertise as possible, whether as part of a broader bachelor’s or master’s degree. No decisions have been made yet; we are still in the exploratory phase.

Current Students
For all programmes within the Faculty of Humanities, if you are currently enrolled, you do not need to worry about being able to complete your studies if you are studying nominally, with a maximum extension of one year. That’s certain. If you exceed one year of extension, a solution will be sought in consultation. Before any decisions are made regarding adjustments to the curriculum, there will be a thorough consultation and approval process involving the Faculty Council, where students are also represented. This means that students will have a voice in the decision-making process. Moreover, even after a decision is made, it will take time before the adjustments are implemented.

Changes in Courses
As a student, you may notice that starting from the academic year 2025/2026, changes will occur in the courses offered. Currently, there are many courses with very low enrollment. Thus, departments are exploring whether the number of offerings can be reduced. This may mean that you will have fewer elective courses to choose from or that you may encounter students from other Humanities programs more frequently in a course. The Programme Committee will play a role in these changes, and students are also represented there.

Enrollment for 2025/2026
Enrollment is currently open for the upcoming academic year (2025/2026). You can register for all programmes starting in that academic year, as nothing has been decided yet. This means that the programmes will continue to be highlighted during the Open Days.

Questions or More Information?
If you have any questions or would like to know more, feel free to reach out to the students on the Faculty Council or to the faculty assessor, Nova Verkerk.

Information About the Assessor
You can reach Nova Verkerk via email: assessor@hum.leidenuniv.nl. Nova will also be organizing drop-in hours for any questions you may have. More information about this will be available at: Nova Verkerk - Leiden University.

Information About the Student Representation in the Faculty Council
Find out more about the Faculty Council and the students who serve on it. You are also welcome to attend a meeting as an observer: the Faculty Council meetings are open to the public.

With kind regards,

Also on behalf of the Student section of the Faculty Council

Assessor Nova Verkerk