Have your say: Tim van der Hagen on social safety

Much has happened around social safety in recent times, and we continue to work towards a socially safe learning and working environment. Various initiatives are being launched or developed. TU News will keep you informed of the latest developments. In the new ‘Have your say’ feature, students and colleagues will share their insights and needs for a safe and pleasant working and studying environment. We kick off the series with Rector Magnificus Tim van der Hagen, who reflects candidly on the past few months and zooms in on the steps being taken towards a socially safe university for us all. 
 
Social safety should be the norm in any organisation, and it is important that if there is an unsafe situation, people know where to go and that it is taken seriously. As a university we are a unique community. A community where people of many nationalities come together. We deal with diversity, but we also deal with strong hierarchical dependencies. It is an illusion to think that our university is immune from transgressive behaviour. And the inspectorate forced us to face the facts. It made me realise that I was relying too much on existing systems to ensure social safety in our organisation. 
Systems that may have worked in theory, but not in practice. We still have a lot to improve, and we are working on it every day.  

The approach to improving social safety within our organisation requires something very different from a Delft engineering solution. It is in our DNA to tackle a problem systematically and technically – 
that is our strength. But this is all about people. There is no tick-box list that we can check off to guarantee social safety at TU Delft. And we shouldn't want to. It's about adaptation, care and constant attention. 

How should we do this? First, by not looking away, by not denying. By letting go of my defensiveness and really listening. Acknowledging what goes wrong and learning from what I hear. I've had valuable conversations with specialists and experience experts, with colleagues from other universities. And I’ve heard how other organisations, like the NPO, were dealing with it. But also closer to home, where friends and my wife hold up a mirror to me every day. That helps a lot. Every day I ask myself: what is the state of social safety in our organisation? Are we on the right track, what could be improved, where can or should we adapt? But also: what is our code of conduct and does everyone understand it? Are managers getting enough support with difficult issues? What can we learn from past problems? And it is important that if there is an unsafe situation, people know where to go and that it is dealt with seriously. 
 
I see the Inspectorate's report and recommendations – admittedly after some introspection – as an encouragement. I believe in the change we have initiated with the Plan for Change. With the plan we are focusing on more prevention, better reporting (a central, independent hotline), but also a commitment to aftercare. We are working towards a safe and inclusive organisation for all. This starts with greater awareness and, above all, a strong commitment to prevention. For example, by encouraging people to talk much more about desirable behaviour and to challenge the unwritten rules. Because you can't just write social safety into protocols and regulations. The workplace culture matters. 
 
It is true that we do not always get it right. That is unacceptable, because every case of transgression is one too many. There are some very serious cases that we must deal with very carefully, and they have our full attention. It takes time and attention to ensure that the university feels like a safe place for everyone. But I believe that together we can create an environment where we can do that. A welcoming and safe place where we can be open with each other and bring out the best in each other.