Training courses for student and employee participation
Members of participation councils and committees are entitled to training facilities to properly perform their duties. Below you will find an overview of training courses and workshops for participation bodies. Would you like to attend a training course with your council or committee? Please contact your support staff to explore the possibilities together.
These training courses have been specifically developed for the Faculty Councils and Programme Committees of Utrecht University. They provide the basic knowledge and skills required for a successful participation year.
The training materials can be requested by faculties via medezeggenschap@uu.nl and adapted and implemented according to their own needs. Additionally, these materials can serve as inspiration for training courses that faculties already organise themselves.
It is strongly recommended that at least the topics listed below be covered in the training and education of the Faculty Council and Programme Committee every academic year.
| Target group | Staff and student members of faculty councils and programme committees The training materials have been developed for faculties, but align to some extent with the needs of other participation bodies within the UU. |
| Language | Dutch and English |
| Duration | max. 2 hours per training |
| Costs | The training materials are free and flexible to use. The faculty or department is free to organise and conduct the training itself. To engage an external trainer, we recommend contacting Charlotte Croes (c.t.croes@gmail.com). She has co-developed the training courses listed below and can facilitate them as an external trainer upon request. The costs for an external trainer are the responsibility of the faculty or department and amount to €105 per hour, excluding VAT. |
During this training, you will receive answers to questions including:
- Which participation bodies exist?
- What are their tasks?
- How do the bodies relate to one another?
- What rights and obligations do they have?
- Who deals with which topics?
The instructions and presentation for conducting this training can be requested via medezeggenschap@uu.nl
During this training, you will receive answers to questions including:
- What can you find in the EER?
- What rights do you have?
- What should you look out for when reading?
- How do you come to concrete suggestions?
- How do you provide sound substantiation for them?
The instructions and presentation for conducting this training can be requested via medezeggenschap@uu.nl
During this training, you will receive answers to questions including:
- Who do you want to reach?
- What is your message?
- What tools can you use?
- How do you deploy these tools effectively?
- How do you increase your visibility among your audience?
The script and presentation for conducting this training can be requested via medezeggenschap@uu.nl
Additionally, we advise faculties and departments to organise a practical session for the council, together with their controller, on reading and interpreting financial documents, such as the annual budget. This will give council members greater insight into the financial frameworks and enable them to better fulfill their participation role. Standard training materials are not yet available for this session.
Laurens van der Vuurst from training agency Downsideup helps participation councils to collaborate more effectively as a team and make a greater impact. While training helps with acquiring knowledge and skills, team coaching focuses on healthy collaboration within the council: from translating shared ambitions into concrete plans and motivating one another to utilizing mutual differences and holding each other accountable effectively.
In two interactive half-day sessions, the council explores what is going well, where bottlenecks lie, and which skills are needed to realise desired changes in behavior and collaboration.
It is recommended to hold one session in Sept-Oct and one in Jan-Feb. Beforehand, Laurens discusses with a small delegation what is going on within your council and what needs they have. This creates a programme that aligns directly with the council's practice. Laurens contacts every council at the beginning of the academic year and can also be reached via laurens@downsideup.nl and 06 – 45 08 69 58.
| Target group | Staff and student members of all UU-councils. |
| Language | Dutch and English |
| Duration | 2,5-3,5 hours per session |
| Costs | For each council, two sessions will be reimbursed by the University Administrative Service (UBD) in the 2026-2027 academic year. Additional sessions are at the expense of the faculty/department. |
Team coaching and skills training can also be combined; consider, for example:
- Image formation, judgment, and decision-making within the council
- Daring to give and receive feedback
- Effectively addressing each other regarding behavior and/or honoring agreements
- Recognizing and naming group dynamics
- Advising council and board members convincingly
- Active listening and asking follow-up questions: dealing with resistance and conflict within the council
- Working with different personalities
The training agency TAQT offers customised, interactive skills training for programme committees and participation councils. These prepare you to turn participation into influence. The training courses are suitable for all levels, have no entry requirements, and can be provided both online and in person. You can find the full range of courses on their website.
| Target group | Staff and student members of faculty councils and programme committees |
| Languange | Dutch and English |
| Duration | one half-day per training (combinations are possible) |
| Costs | are at the expense of the faculty/department. €1,000 per half-day. UU participation councils and programme committees receive a 10% discount for the first training, and a 5% discount for each subsequent training. Have your support staff request a quote via the TAQT website. |
Featured courses:
Have you already found another training yourself? You may also choose training courses from other providers.
Utrecht University offers students a wide range of training courses and meetings that can be valuable for members of participation bodies. View the full range on this page and discover which training courses align with your role and development. A personal contribution applies to some training courses.
Featured courses:
Utrecht University offers employees a diverse range of training courses that can contribute to their role and development within employee representation. View the full range via the Development Guide or use the development flyer to quickly discover which courses meet your needs. Some courses are subject to a fee.
Featured courses:
Contact and questions
Gwenny Jongebloed
Policy advisor on student and employee participation
medezeggenschap@uu.nl