Proposed decisions by the faculty Board for the educational portfolio
Dear student,
Last week, the Faculty Board shared with the programme chairs new plans for adjustments to the educational portfolio. These plans will soon be submitted for advice to the Faculty Council. We would like to inform you about the new plans and reflect on what has led to these developments
Retrospective: What’s going on?
In the autumn of 2023, it became clear that the Faculty of Humanities' budget was showing a deficit, and that this would continue to increase in the coming years unless the faculty took action. This deficit has several causes. For example, since the COVID-19 pandemic, student numbers, particularly in the master’s programmes, have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. There has also been a decrease in study credits earned and fewer PhD awards. Furthermore, other developments are ahead of us that are creating significant uncertainty, such as the Internationalisation in Balance Act and government cuts in higher education.
In 2024, various working groups of faculty staff and administrators conducted extensive analyses and developed an action plan to address the financial challenges. One of the measures proposed in the plan, called Perspective 2028, is a reduction in the educational offerings. Changes to programmes are necessary in order to ensure the faculty remains future-proof. In the autumn of 2024, the Faculty Board made an initial proposed decision for adjustments to the programmes. At that time, it was proposed, among other things, to merge several language and culture studies with low enrolment into a number of broader programmes.
Following a number of discussions with the programme departments involved, the Faculty Board has reviewed these plans. A new proposal is now in place, in which the Faculty Board has tried to incorporate as many recommendations from the programme chairs as possible, and has been cautious in making irreversible decisions.
Principles for Adjustments to the Educational Portfolio
When making decisions about the programmes, the Faculty Board has taken several principles into account, such as maintaining the broad and global expertise within the faculty, the geographical focus of a programme, innovative educational offerings, projections for student enrolment, geopolitical developments, and uniqueness. Based on these principles and the current financial situation, the proposed changes to the educational portfolio are now less far-reaching than the plans presented in October 2024. However, significant measures are still necessary for some programmes. Additionally, all programmes will be tasked with increasing collaboration, both internally and, in some cases, nationally.
Proposed Decisions of the Faculty Board for the Educational Portfolio
The Faculty Board intends to make the decisions listed below. These proposed decisions still have to be submitted to the Faculty Council for approval. The Faculty Council includes representatives of both staff and students.
Bachelor’s Programmes:
- Enrolment in the bachelor’s programme in Italian Language and Culture will be discontinued starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, and the programme will be phased out.
- French and German will remain as separate programmes; the Faculty Board has decided against a broad bachelor’s in European Languages and Cultures.
- Contrary to previous reports, the bachelor’s programmes in African Studies and Latin American Studies will remain separate programmes.
- The specialisations of the bachelor’s programmes in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and Middle Eastern Studies will continue in a reduced form.
- A broad bachelor’s programme in Asian Studies will be further developed. The necessary adjustments are currently being assessed to maintain separate programme labels.
Master’s Programmes:
- The participation of Leiden University in the joint master’s programme in European Politics and Society will be discontinued.
- Enrolment in the research master’s in African Studies and the research master’s in Latin American Studies will be discontinued starting from the 2026/2027 academic year, and the programmes will be phased out. The regular master’s programmes in African Studies and Latin American Studies will continue.
What Does This Mean for My Programme?
If you are a student in one of the programmes where the proposal is to halt new enrolments from 2026/2027 onwards, you can complete your studies as planned. You have already been informed by email about what this means for you.
For students in all programmes at the Faculty of Humanities, you may notice changes resulting from adjustments being made to programmes. There are currently many courses with low student enrolment and the programme departments have already taken steps to reduce the number of courses offered. Additionally, several programmes will work more closely together. This may mean that, in the future, you will have fewer elective courses to choose from or you may encounter students from other Humanities programmes in your courses more often.
What Happens Next?
These are uncertain times, and the full impact of the proposed measures in the long term is still not clear. We cannot yet say with certainty whether the measures outlined above will be enough to structurally resolve the faculty’s financial deficits. Moreover, the consequences of government decisions, such as the Internationalisation in Balance Act, may necessitate additional measures.
We will keep you informed.
With kind regards,
The Faculty Board
Mark Rutgers
Mirjam de Baar
Jeroen Touwen
Saskia Goedhard
Nova Verker