Following the joint declaration  on the establishment of two independent committees at the University of Amsterdam, the involved parties—COR, CSR, De Nieuwe Universiteit, Humanities Rally, ReThink UvA, and the unions—have initiated a series of meetings with the aim of preparing the establishment of these committees. After an introductory meeting on Wednesday 8 April, it was decided to continue talks in two separate tracks, each dedicated to one committee.

The first preparation meeting on the Finance Committee took place on Wednesday 15 April. The meeting produced a draft mandate, which has been distributed earlier to the ReThink UvA community through the mailing list and is also available in the Virtual Assembly (login required). In a second meeting yesterday, Wednesday 22 April, the parties reviewed the draft mandate and proceeded with a discussion on the composition of the committee. The parties agreed to draft two proposals in this regard and continue discussions on Wednesday 29 April. ReThinkers can send their comments and suggestions regarding the draft mandate and the composition of the Finance Committee to [email protected].

The first preparation meeting on the Governance Committee took place on Monday 20 April. The present parties shared their ideas on the mandate of and timeline for the committee and exchanged thoughts on what issues should fall within the scope of this committee. It was agreed that two attendees of the meeting will prepare a draft mandate on the basis of these discussions. This draft will be discussed during the next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 28 April. The ReThink UvA brainstorm session on democratization today, Friday 24 April, is meant to offer input for this draft too. ReThinkers that are not able to attend this meeting can send an email to [email protected] with their input.

The talks have so far proceeded in a spirit of cooperation. The ReThink UvA representatives present at these meetings are quite content with the ongoing process and are optimistic about reaching an agreement soon.