Better TUgether, we care – update oktober ‘24

Formation of the project group for integrity and social safety 

A dedicated project group has been put together with a broad delegation from the organisation. It meets weekly and is responsible for drawing up the Implementation Plan and coordinates and supports the implementation of the various activities. This group is also responsible for communicating about the activities and preparing the progress reports. The project group members - who work full-time on this project - actively participate in the implementation of the activities where possible and necessary. Work to put together the project group took place over July and August. The members come from the Integrity Office and the following departments of Communication, Human Resources (hereinafter: HR), Integrated Security (hereinafter: IV) and Legal Services (hereinafter: LS) and a representation of the Legal Affairs department (hereinafter: LA). The members of the project group make use of a broad network within the University. 

Reporting to Education Inspectorate 

This is the first quarter that will be summarised into a report to the Education Inspectorate. Since the launch of the dedicated project group for integrity and social safety, members have been busy in September putting together the first report that will be sent to the inspectorate at the start of October. In this report, you can read about the items presented here in this update as well as many other things that are going on at the university.  

Sounding board group first meeting 

The first meeting with the sounding board group was successfully held on the 19th of September. Going forward, regular meetings will continue to make sure that the group is always up to date on what is going on at the universities, and as a way for ideas to be shared in an informal and interactive setting. A critical sounding board group is relevant because it serves as an advisory group that offers different perspectives and feedback. This helps the project group to identify blind spots, provides a reality check, and contributes to improving the quality of the plans and decisions. The sound board group is composed of a diverse group of participants, in order to ensure a wide range of perspectives and experiences, rather than just a formal representation of entities such as directorates and faculties.  

Share & Care co-creation workshop 

In July 2024, parties were approached and asked to write proposals for what Share & Care at TU Delft could be. By August 2024, six proposals have been submitted, three of which have been selected. Video pitches were made of these three proposals to be used during a co-creation workshop.  

The first co-creation workshop took place on 3 September 2024. The workshop was facilitated by the Integrity Office and the Diversity & Inclusivity Office. Parties such as DEWIS - Delft Women In Science, Delft Young Academy, X and study advisors were involved in this workshop. People with experiences of social insecurity and/or who were affected by events after March 2024 at TU Delft were also involved.  

NPO Visit 

A delegation from TU Delft visited the NPO in August to learn from their experience in listening to those affected and providing aftercare. Insights from this have been incorporated into the TU Delft approach.  

Reporting point 

Work is being done to develop a new reporting structure at TU Delft in the form of a central reporting point. This was approved by the Executive Board in September, and intense work has continued since. Work on the reporting point is iterative, and the goal is to produce a clearer path to reporting social unsafety, transgressions and suspicions of breaches of integrity, both social and scientific. 

The reporting point will consist of a Front Office (with a telephone line, e-mail address, registration system) and the Triage and Advisory Group (TAG) that triages and advises reporters and/or the Front Office. Both teams consist of employees from different organisational units within TU Delft. The initial version of the reporting point is aimed at launching in mid-November. 

 

Coming month 

Mindlab invitations 

In October, invitations to Mindlab will be announced throughout faculties and departments of the university. Mindlab is a theatre performance, originally developed at Utrecht University, that encourages reconsideration and reorientation. A series of 12 performances are scheduled at TU Delft in November, with an additional series coming in early 2025. In the performances, situations of transgressive behaviour are magnified to make the audience think and then facilitate the conversation.  

After the performances, attendees are encouraged to participate in small group conversations. Here they can share their impressions, reflect on their own experiences and discuss questions such as "Am I the colleague or manager I want to be?" "Can I be that at this university?" "Do I dare to stand up for my colleague?" "How do I deal with uncomfortable situations?" "What do we need for this?" 

Share & Care interventions 

The pilot for Share & Care interventions commences in October and carries on through January 2025. Share & Care is open to all students, employees, guests and external parties who work or have performed work at TU Delft and have been harmed by social insecurity at the university. The aim of the pilot is to test whether these Share & Care interventions can be further developed into a long-term offer for staff and students at TU Delft. Share & Care interventions are about sharing experiences and learning from each other's perspectives. These interventions result in reports with points of attention or recommendations for the organization. These reports will fully guarantee the privacy of the participants and respect the confidentiality of the interventions.  

Aftercare includes services such as counselling, coaching, medical and psychological help that can be offered to the above-mentioned target group. The existing offer of aftercare will be adapted to the needs of the participants of Share & Care and will be coordinated with the Sounding Board Group. 

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Month 

Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Month 2024 - Intranet (tudelft.nl) 

In October 2024, we will celebrate Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Month with the theme: United for Change, Together We Grow. The Diversity & Inclusion Office, together with faculties, networks, and service departments, will offer workshops, training sessions, and other events, often led by colleagues within TU Delft. 

This year, the focus is on practical learning. Check out the events here and register quickly, maybe even together with a fellow student or a colleague. The agenda will be updated regularly, so keep an eye on the page. 

All events are free to attend. Questions? Email diversity@tudelft.nl.