Hundreds of layoffs looming at Amsterdam applied sciences university HvA

The Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences (HvA) has to make 37 million euros in budget cuts next year. That means hundreds of layoffs, less access to university buildings, and less money for research, Jopie Nooren, chairman of the HvA Executive Board, told Het Parool.

The number of registrations is declining, and student dropouts are increasing, while energy costs and collective wages continue to rise, Nooren explained. In short, the HvA is receiving considerably less while costs are increasing. So, budget cuts are inevitable. “We are taking it from everywhere. Not only from education, although we also have to make painful choices in that area,” Nooren said.

The HvA currently employs just under 4,700 people - a diverse team of skilled people it has been building for years. “We have to let hundreds of people go because we must remain financially healthy. This year, we have used our assets, but that is not infinite. Now we have to take far-reaching measures, and we can no longer make do with small adjustments,” the director said.

“I have a lot of respect for trade unions, but the collective labor agreement excessively protects people who are permanently employed,” Nooren said. “We have invested enormously in diversity for years. We have role models who help our students, but also young employees and people with a bicultural background, who we know have less chance elsewhere in the labor market. It is very unfortunate and annoying that we have to let them go.”

The university of applied sciences is also cutting several courses, master’s degrees, and research programs, including several that are close to Nooren’s heart. “We are a college in the middle of the city. We provide education, but also conduct research into issues that can help Amsterdam further. For example, how do we ensure that the logistics in the city are in order, how do we reduce the pressure on the power grid, and how do you get the heat out of your apartment? The fact that we have to make cuts affects the city and our own organization.”

To reduce energy and maintenance costs, the HvA will only open one of its ten buildings over weekends, so students with little space or calm at home still have somewhere to go to study.

Nooren is very worried that the Schoof I Cabinet’s plan to fine students who take longer to graduate will result in even fewer students for the HvA. That will mean even less money because, just like with primary and secondary education, universities receive money from the national government per registered student.

“It also has consequences for the students themselves, which is what I am most concerned about. It is a short-term idea to punish students who study longer. We expect that students from families where parents have not studied are more likely to drop out or no longer study.”