Susan te Pas reappointed as Dean of University College Utrecht
Professor Susan te Pas has been reappointed by the Executive Board as Dean of University College Utrecht (UCU), effective 1 October 2024. Te Pas has served as Dean at UCU since 2021.
Rector Magnificus Henk Kummeling says that during the reappointment process, he has received nothing but positive reactions to the proposed reappointment: “Both students and staff are enthusiastic about how Susan te Pas fulfills her role as Dean. Among other things, there is much appreciation for her open attitude toward students and the way she listens to them. That trait is essential within the international community of UCU.”
As Dean of UCU in recent years, Te Pas has worked to strengthen the connection with the faculties and Utrecht University (UU). An important development, according to Te Pas. “That connection with UU both in education and research is an important strength of our College in Utrecht. This was recently pointed out once again by an external review committee. That connection is not static, it thrives on constant collaborative effort and thinking of all involved.” In addition, work has been done in recent years to establish a firmer financial basis and to reduce work pressure. Te Pas: “There is still work to be done in those area’s in the near future, especially with the budget cuts on higher education.”
Te Pas is grateful for the trust expressed in the reappointment: “It is a great place to work. Students and teachers really see each other here, I myself feel that as well.”
About Susan te Pas
Susan te Pas is Professor of Cognitive Psychology of Higher Education at Utrecht University. She has supervised the Educational Leadership Programme at Eindhoven University of Technology, Radboud University and the EWUU alliance and has held appointments in Oxford and Nijmegen before becoming an assistant professor at Utrecht University in 2001. In 2011 she became the first Teaching Fellow of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at Utrecht University. Since 2019 she is a member of the Educational Council of the Netherlands. She also held positions as vice dean of education in the Faculty of Social Sciences and as interim director of the strategic theme Dynamics of Youth.
About UCU
In 1998, Utrecht University became the first university in the Netherlands to have a University College. Several other universities copied Utrecht's example in subsequent years and established their own colleges. UCU is a selective Honours College for academic education in liberal arts and sciences with a high level of study success. UCU offers a challenging, small-scale English-language Bachelor’s programme taught at a high level to talented students. The students form an international community with more than seventy different nationalities, who study and live on the UCU campus.