Economy Professor no longer welcome at own department after conflict with colleagues
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Het Elinor Ostromgebouw. Foto: Diede van der Vleuten
In 2022, Professor Esther-Mirjam Sent got an area ban for her own department. After a disagreement about the economics curriculum, the professor was said to have acted inappropriately, according to several sources from De Gelderlander. Now, Sent teaches at the Honours Academy.
In the summer of 2021, relations between Professor Esther-Mirjam Sent and her colleagues broke down, De Gelderlander stated today on its front page. It started with the intended changes to the curriculum, which Sent could not live with, according to the newspaper.
Sent had tried to reverse those changes, according to an anonymous source. the newspaper paints a picture of a professor who gossips and badmouths people; someone who makes conversations grind to a halt, and who threatens anyone who disagrees. The people involved did not dare to talk to her anymore.
Partij van de Arbeid
At the end of the summer, the former Faculty Board, led by dean Tom Elfring, decided to start an investigation into the disruptions at the economy department. This investigation happened between September and November 2021, performed by Bezemer en Schubad, a company specialised in social security. The investigation focused on the disrupted work relationships between Sent, four professors, and a university associate professor.
According to one of the witnesses De Gelderlander talked to, the conclusion of the analysis was clear. ‘There was no problem between six people. There was a problem with one of them: miss Sent. And especially her behaviour. Something had to be done.’
After the investigation, Sent made fewer appearances at the Elinor Ostrom building. One of the reasons for this is her appointment as chair of the Partij van de Arbeid.
Crisis
The Faculty of Management has been in crisis for months. At the beginning of the academic year there suddenly was a financial deficit of 9 million euros, after which crisis measurements were taken. There are also trust issues between the Faculty Board and the participational bodies. According to the unions FNV and AOb, employees are being intimidated and discriminated.
Unfounded
According to the newspaper this all resulted in a legal battle between Sent and then-dean Tom Elfring. Almost a year after the investigation the dean announced new measures: If the professor were to appear physically or digitally on the department, disciplinary actions would be taken. Shortly thereafter, Sent started working for the Honours Academy; She kept her title as a professor in economic and policy.
Because Sent was of the opinion that the former dean mistreated her, she filed a formal complaint with the university’s Complaints Committee of the Radboud University. That complaint has been declared unfounded on all accounts, according to Elfring.
Own decision
In a written response, Sent claims there was a tense working environment in the department of Economics and Business Economics. ‘One example of this is a content-related and scientific disagreement on the layout of the master’s curriculum. In that context I participated in an investigation of the work environment within the department.’
According to Sent, it was her own decision to work for the Honours Academy after consulting with the university. She also wants to note that at no point was a complaint filed against her, and she still works well with her colleagues of the departments Economics and Business Economics.
Response of the Executive Board
The Executive Board gave a statement saying that it has the responsibility to take good care of all students and employees. ‘As a university, we have a responsibility to take good care of all our students and staff. That is why the university sometimes has studies conducted into the state of affairs within a team, department or between employees. We communicate about such studies with those directly involved, the team or department and, if possible, work together to improve.’
Translated by Lara Nijhof
