Strategic Plan. Internationalization. Excellence in education. Ambitions for Involved in society. Summary

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1 Strategic Plan and innovation Ambitions for Excellence in education Involved in society Summary Internationalization working environment

2 Mission Tilburg University inspires its staff and students to enhance the quality of society - as it is today and as it will be tomorrow. We do this by training young people and moulding them into individuals who are able to hold responsible positions in society, by providing lifelong and post-experience education, through basic and more applied research, and by the valorization of our knowledge. We maintain close contacts with society at regional, national and international level. Tilburg University is rooted in the Christian and humanist traditions of European culture. From this standpoint, in addition to offering scope for academic pursuits, our open view of other cultures and traditions lends itself to reflection and to philosophies of life. Tilburg University is committed to achieving prominence in all of its academic disciplines - economics and management, law, social sciences, humanities, and theology. In some areas we are already among the best in Europe. Our goal is to maintain this position and to build upon it where possible. Positioning Tilburg University projects itself as a specialist in the field of people and society. The current level of national and international competition necessitates additional sharp choices in teaching and research profiles. In national and international arenas, a good reputation is a prerequisite for success. In the years ahead, Tilburg University will redouble its efforts to spotlight its profile even more effectively than before. Tilburg University s website is the starting point for communication with all of our business associates. Tilburg University endeavours to develop state of the art internet and intranet sites. The image of Tilburg as a university town can be enhanced still further. The university and city authorities are developing activities to improve this situation.

3 1World-class research and of research. innovation Strengthening the academic quality and social relevance Tilburg University is pursuing its policy of promoting high-quality, socially relevant, worldclass research. The ongoing 4-out of-5 quality policy will also be maintained. Centers of Excellence Several recently established interdisciplinary research centres are being given the opportunity to develop into university Centers of Excellence. This will enable Tilburg University to continue to fight its corner in national and international competition. To this end, Tilburg University has made funding available provided that the centres meet strict criteria. Recruitment and support of academic staff The quality of our academic staff is of crucial importance to our reputation. Quality attracts quality. Tilburg University shapes its policy to attract new top scientists and to retain its incumbent top scientists. Tilburg University aims to boost the number of doctoral defences to 120 by Cooperation with universities of applied sciences Tilburg University is cooperating with universities of applied sciences to strengthen their capacity for applied research in association with readerships. Tilburg University has identified excellent opportunities for cooperation with universities of applied science, in conjunction with the Institute for Policy Research and Advice (IVA).

4 2Excellence in education Strengthening the quality of academic education, building on the cornerstone of using high quality research. Tilburg University s profile will continue to be one of a quality institution offering programmes that are at least as good as the best that the Netherlands has to offer. We believe that our mission is to train the leaders and entrepreneurs of the future. To this end, the upcoming period will be devoted to an intensification of our teaching programmes. With regard to educational aspects, Tilburg University is also aiming to reduce dropout rates and to improve student performance and academic success. Given the increasing importance of Europe, both for the Netherlands and for the world at large, Tilburg University is also endeavouring to incorporate the topic of European history and identity into its programmes. Enhancing academic success Some students drop out in the first year, having selected an inappropriate course of study. To limit this dropout rate there will be a greater focus on the perceptions of prospective students. With a view to enhancing academic success, efforts are under way to get students more involved with their course of study, enabling them to identify more closely with their own particular educational programme. Tilburg University formulates the following targets for academic success: 70% of students who are given a positive mandatory recommendation should go on to successfully complete their Bachelor s programme in four years; 90% of students who are given a positive mandatory recommendation should go on to successfully complete their Bachelor s programme in five years; 75% of Master s students should successfully complete their course of study in one year. Excellence A range of attractive extracurricular programmes, including training in entrepreneurship for example, has been developed for good, highly motivated students. In the upcoming period, Tilburg University will be pushing ahead with additional

5 educational activities that demand extra academic or social commitment. Our objective is to have 15% of students participating in such programmes by Organization of the study programmes In terms of presentation, Tilburg University s Bachelor s and Master s degree programmes will become less interdependent, to promote national and international mobility from the former to the latter. The academic level of undergraduate programmes will be further augmented, and options for broadening their scope will be reviewed. The Bachelor s-before-master s rule has caused Tilburg University to examine the number of opportunities for students to enter its Master s programmes throughout the academic year. A single contact point for all services will be provided for students both from the Netherlands and elsewhere. Educational programmes will also include more IT applications. Motivational teaching Students will be more actively involved in their degree programme, to boost their motivation and to help them identify more closely with their own particular course of study. More active teaching methods will be used, such as working in smaller groups, mid-term tests, tutoring and mentoring systems, and the incorporation of study skills into educational programmes.

6 3 Involved in society Providing a significant contribution to society: academic endeavour must make a difference! Regional ties In the upcoming period, Tilburg University will be presenting itself as a knowledge centre for social innovation. In close cooperation with government bodies in the region, leading entrepreneurs and other educational institutions, Tilburg University will be making a strong contribution to the creation of the Heart of Brabant region. Together with the City of Tilburg, work is proceeding on city presentation and knowledge valorization within the context of the Kennisconnectie (Knowledge Connection) programme. Tilburg: a city for students is a major guiding principle in this connection. Tilburg University is part of a team (which includes other institutions of higher education in the region) that is working to strengthen the regional knowledge infrastructure. The underlying principle here is the retention of the university s own academic profile. Social relevance of education As part of their academic development, we want to imbue our students with a sense of social responsibility. To this end, the principles and conditions of the Tilburg Education Approach are being tightened up. Various options for meeting the increasing need for refresher courses are also being reviewed. Valorization Tilburg University is committed to expanding our understanding and knowledge of complex social issues. Taking Understanding Society as its starting point, and in consultation with the appropriate social partners, Tilburg University selects the type of valorization that is best suited to any given situation. Tilburg s Centre for Knowledge Transfer will play a pivotal part in this endeavour. Tilburg University plans to augment its range of valorization instruments in the upcoming period. For Tilburg University, cooperation within the Brainport initiative is also a potent vehicle for valorization, and this will be expanded still further in future.

7 Knowledge infrastructure and knowledge transfer In the area of research, Tilburg University has the necessary strategic infrastructure either in house or within easy reach. This is exemplified by the European Values Study project, or by the CentERdata data panel. Tilburg University aims to retain facilities of this kind, and to present them in the right setting. At the same time, a new information retrieval system will also be introduced, as will a new system for recording research information. Together with knowledge institutions in the region, Tilburg University is exploring opportunities to enhance the public awareness of knowledge transfer services for SMEs in mid-brabant. In conjunction with the province of Noord Brabant, Tilburg University is helping to strengthen the facilities available to the province s service sector. Alumni and fundraising Tilburg University and its alumni have much to offer one another. In the years to come, Tilburg University will be making great efforts to strengthen the links with its alumni. The priority here is on providing an attractive range of services for this group of individuals, and on setting up a professional CRM system. Tilburg University anticipates that these relationships will provide it with additional sources of finance with which to fund scholarship programmes, as well as teaching and research activities.

8 4Internationalization international level. Expansion of the international staff and student population, together with increased cooperation and exchange at Internationalization of the educational programme Tilburg University plans to expand its range of English-language Bachelor s and Master s programmes, to strengthen its position in the international tertiary education arena. We are looking into the possibility of extending the duration of our Master s programmes, to improve their international competitiveness. We are also exploring the options for establishing joint programmes with educational institutions abroad. By widening opportunities for international exchange, Tilburg University wants to ensure that at least one quarter of students with a Master s degree will have spent at least three months abroad in the context of their course of study. Tilburg University has set the following targets for students from outside the Netherlands: 25% of students in English-language programmes should be from outside the Netherlands 50% of students in English-language Master s programmes should be from outside the Netherlands Tilburg University community Tilburg University will endeavour to maintain the size of the student body at its current level of 13,000. Tilburg University aims to promote the diversity of its community by focusing particularly on ethnic minority students and by pushing for more top-level posts for women. In addition, we are continuing to make every effort to enhance the campus s international character. Visibility and recognizability Tilburg University wants to achieve greater visibility in the relevant rankings. These are an important guideline for prospective international students and for partners outside the Netherlands. International ties Within the European RISE network, Tilburg University and its partners are continuing to expand their advocacy of the humanities and the social sciences in their dealings with national and supranational authorities.

9 5Inspiring learning and working environment Quality assurance in teaching The quality of our educational system is entirely dependent on the quality of our teachers. Every teacher must attain the Basic Teaching Qualification (BKO). Incumbent teachers may be able to attain a senior qualification. In order to monitor and improve the quality of our educational programmes, the mid-term reviews will be continued and the quality assurance system will be expanded still further. We are strengthening our relations with professionals in everyday practice, to help us assess the relevance of our programmes. Support for academic staff In the upcoming period, Tilburg University aims to build upon its success in the area of personal grants, with a view to acquiring additional research funds. To this end, it is crucially important to identify existing talent within the organization. Appropriate emphasis will be given to mobile services, to allow members of staff to work at home. Restructuring of services and the development of a vision for support staff The exacting demands made of our support staff are in keeping with a 4-out of-5 policy for teaching and research. If this is to be achieved, it is vital that the assignment and the aspirations of the support staff be clarified. The next step will be to improve services and to harmonize them with the requirements of the academic staff. To this end we are committed to two major approaches. The first is the vision process, which involves all of the support staff in the various faculties and departments. This vision will guide the processes and products that make up the services provided by support staff. Secondly, we will carry out a restructuring of the various services. This will lead to stronger strategic policy implementation and to a more streamlined interface between operational, tactical and strategic tasks.

10 Professional development for those in supervisory or management positions The quality of managers has a major impact on employee performance and job satisfaction. Tools are being developed to assess managers performance. Personal development for staff Following the favourable results obtained by the tenure track policy for academic staff, a similar policy will be developed for those in higher support posts, to facilitate additional quality incentives for employees. The aim is to achieve a situation in which all employees find their work sufficiently challenging. Sport of paramount importance Tilburg University attaches great importance to sport, and aims to provide good facilities for sporting activities. The university wants to extend its policy of supporting individual students who are also elite athletes. It also wants to strengthen a number of student sports at Tilburg that are played at the highest level. Accommodation and services The quality of the working environment is an important prerequisite for good performance. The accommodation policy centres around three topics: Efficient and flexible use of space Development of the campus, including new buildings for the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, the Faculty Club and Food Plaza Sustainability in facilities and accommodation policy, coupled with an awareness campaign for employees

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12 World-class research Inspiring learning and