Executive board

The three “special” university institutions ‒ the Catholic universities in Nijmegen and Tilburg and the Protestant university in Amsterdam ‒ were subject to quality requirements laid down in the University Education Act from 1960, but there were no rules to guide their administration. And so, in theory, these institutions were free in the matters of their religious persuasion and their governance. In practice, however, they did essentially conform to the so-called dualistic model for public institutions, with a curatorium serving as the general board and an academic senate covering education and research.

Changes

Students in those days had no say whatsoever, and when the spirit of the time cried out for religious decompartmentalization and political action, democratization campaigns arose in the late sixties. Stand-out protest events were the occupations of the university in Tilburg in April 1969 and, one month later, the Maagdenhuis in Amsterdam. These protest actions then led to the University Governance Reform Act (WUB) of 1970, which led to the introduction of university councils, consisting of three groups: academic staff, non-academic staff and students. The university council’s task was to “arrange and manage the business of the university in its entirety,” inasmuch as this had not been entrusted to its day-to-day management body: the Executive Board.

Changes, again

In 1997, when the University Governance Modernization Act (MUB) was introduced, the university council’s powers were once more reduced. Since then, the Executive Board has been entrusted with managing the university in its entirety, “without prejudice to the powers of the Supervisory Board.” Functioning as a Supervisory Board in Tilburg is its Board of Governors. To secure employee participation, the law offers two choices: either to apply the Works Councils Act or to apply the institution’s own regulations. Until further notice, Tilburg has opted for the latter model. The Executive Board has no more than three members, including the Rector Magnificus. These members are appointed by the Board of Governors, after they have confidentially consulted the University Council. The special areas for the Rector Magnificus are research and education. After 2006, the Board consisted of only two members, with tasks being partly delegated to the secretary. In 2017, the three-member Board returned, consisting of the Rector Magnificus, a President and (new) a vice-President. In 2018 the board members were Emile Aarts (Rector Magnificus), Koen Becking (President) and Paulina Snijders (vice-President - picture).

Fist board

The first Tilburg Executive Board was installed in November 1971, with alumnus Jan Verster being its President. The University Council elected Professor Piet Verheyen as a member, who was later to become its President in 1988. Rector Magnificus Cees Scheffer, ex officio member, felt that “the new interaction between the Board and the College Council was a relief compared relations as they used to be.” The first female to become Board member and President in 1997 was Yvonne van Rooy, who had been Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.