More and more employees and students talk to a confidential advisor at Radboud University. This trend is expected to continue. ‘Social discussions can form a trigger for someone to want to talk.’

In an ideal world, the campus would be a safe place without intimidations, inappropriate relationships, and issues with integrity. But since ideal worlds do not exist, Radboud University has confidential advisors with whom students and employees can talk to for a listening ear or to receive advice on follow-up steps.

PhD students

Those confidential advisors are used more and more often according to the most recent annual report of Radboud University. In 2021, 166 people requested a talk. A year earlier that number was 114.

Especially the confidential advisors who specialise in transgressive behaviour got a lot busier. The number of students wanting to talk about this topic rose from 36 to 52 and the number of employees from 56 to 67. New, since the end of 2020, are the confidential advisors focusing on PhD students. In 2021 20 talks were requested.

‘I insist we stay approachable’

According to coordinator Heleen Kloosterhuis, more people wanting to talk to a confidential advisor is no reason for panic. ‘It doesn’t mean that more transgressive behaviour is taking place per se, but that more reports are being made.’ According to Kloosterhuis, the numbers are just ‘the tip of the iceberg’.

Kloosterhuis thinks it is a good thing that confidential advisors are used more often by students and employees. That is thanks to the efforts made by the confidential advisors themselves, the coordinator states. ‘We work hard in several ways to make more people aware of what we do. Furthermore I insist we stay approachable. It is important that anyone who is struggling with something feels free enough to talk about it.’

Centralised team

The position of confidential advisors within the organisation of the university has also changed. There used to be local confidential advisors at the faculties and there were confidential advisors provided by the Occupational Health & Safety and Environmental Service. The employees providing that service did not get paid extra – the did it next to their usual tasks.

Currently, there is a centralised team of confidential advisors for different disciplines, employees, PhD students and students. ‘Every employee of this centralised team is educated and certified’, says Kloosterhuis. They are now also paid for their hours of work.

Kloosterhuis expects the number of people appealing to a confidential advisor will only keep growing. ‘Look at the social discussions on The Voice and Johan Derksen. Something like that can trigger people to want to talk.’