The illustrious ‘Ondergang’, home to many student organisations, associations and unions, is getting a makeover. The organisations were informed by the university that they will be losing their permanent offices, as the university wants to turn them into flex work stations. They are shocked.

Per 1 September, the offices of student organisations, associations, and unions in the ‘Ondergang’ of the Elinor Ostrom Building will become flex work stations. The Student Life & International Mobility (SLIM) department informed the student boards during a meeting on Monday evening.

The reason for the plan is to use the space more efficiently and flexibly, according to a statement from the department. “SLIM receives multiple requests per year asking whether boardrooms or storage spaces are available. At the moment, it cannot offer these organisations a place, but it would like to.”

‘Where should we take all our stuff?’

Moreover, a university inventory reportedly showed that the occupancy rate of the boardrooms is low. Since the university needs to cut costs, it wants to encourage more efficient use of space.

According to the student magazine and Ondergang resident ANS, another factor is the possible sale of Villa van Schaeck in the city center. This building houses several large associations, such as Slow and the Navigators. As a result, even more associations would be left without a place.

Meeting place

Student associations, organisations and unions are outraged at the university’s decision. ‘We are not only losing our workspace, but also an important meeting place’, says Victor Rikmenspoel of ANS. ‘Our office is an open space where writers and editors can walk in. Without a fixed location, we constantly have to arrange new meetings, which hinders our work.’

Marieke Camps, also from ANS, points out the practical implications. ‘We organise deadline evenings and interviews in our office. Our computers, files and archive are stored there. Where should all this stuff go when we no longer have a permanent workplace?’

Action plan

Student union AKKU has also expressed its dissatisfaction. ‘There was no democratic process whatsoever beforehand’, argues Nan Lont of AKKU. ‘Even the University Student Council wasn’t informed.’

According to Lont, the removal of fixed boardrooms will have a disastrous effect. ‘Where can members still meet? Where do we store promotional materials? How is a board supposed to function without a permanent workspace? I’m hearing from other boards that they’re unsure whether they’ll even find a new board for next year.’

‘It feels like they’re about to cut off our legs and then ask us how they should do it’

AKKU doesn’t want to leave it at that. ‘This decision shows that the university is primarily focused on efficiency, while many people say it negatively impacts their sense of connection and motivation’, says Lont. ‘We will draft an action plan and ensure that the University Student Council raises questions in the University Joint Assembly.’

Student boards have been invited to provide input on the plans during a feedback session on February 25. ‘The goal is to shape the changes in space usage together,’ the statement says. SLIM also wants to ‘keep in mind the identity of student organisations.’

Lont doesn’t mince words about the process: ‘It feels like they’re about to cut off our legs and then ask us how they should do it.’