To the Dean and Management of the Willem de Kooning Academy: 

Jeroen Chabot, Miriam Bestebreurtje, Liesbeth van der Geest, Elizabeth Mix, Izaak Pattiwael, Roger Teeuwen, René Verouden, Charlotte Bik,

This petition follows from the letter of No Consent, supported by over five-hundred (500) members of the WdKA/PZ community, and is a response to the two community meetings held on March 20 and April 24, 2023. With this letter we would like to collectively address the deteriorating situation in our community, as well as ask for transparent and fact-based communication, open dialogue, and adherence to due process as laid out in the Collective Labour Agreement (CAO), 'the Reglement onderwijsinstituutsmedezeggenschapsraden' and to the rules and regulations of Hogeschool Rotterdam. 

We, the extended WdKA community and signatories of this letter, begin by referring to the social safety report, “Student wellbeing starts with staff wellbeing; Social Safety at the Willem de Kooning Academie” (8 February 2023), which calls attention to a culture of overworking, “arbitrary staff policy”, “lack of accessibility of management”, and lack of attention to the O4i mandates. The report reveals these factors have led to an environment lacking social safety. The report advises our EMT to address these issues before the summer of 2023 [1]. As a result of the ways in which the budget deficit is being addressed and communicated since January 2023, we have experienced further degradation in the working and learning environment, and further damage to the social safety of both students and teachers. The current climate in the academy is characterised by contradictory information, lack of clarity in planning procedures, uncertainty about the education cuts’ consequences to the quality of education, and a reduction in the diversity of the teaching teams and EDI in general. 

The national and institution-specific reasons that led to the deficit, as well as the consequences of the suggested 20 FTE reduction in KUO education (Bachelor of Art and Design), were described extensively in the letter of No Consent. The proposed cuts drastically reduce the number of teachers currently on temporary contracts, impacting the diversity of staff and, by extension, of the curriculum. Furthermore, there is a severe reduction in contact hours per student, as well as preparation and assessment hours for staff that affect the task policy laid out in our PTD document. The scope and speed of such changes arguably constitute a reorganisation plan as described in Article R of the CAO. Such a plan does not only require consent from both PMRs (stated in Article R-1, and Article G-2, clause 4 of the CAO, 'Reglement onderwijsinstituutsmedezeggenschapsraden [2]) but also a report on why each decision is necessary along with an impact analysis of the consequences of such changes on education, personnel, social safety and budget. 

The fact that these changes have been insufficiently communicated have raised serious concerns within the school’s participation councils, IMR and OC, both of which have shared their disagreement with the speed and extent of the cuts and have formally not consented to the proposed KUO Educational Framework. [3] Yet, course leaders were given mandates by the EMT to implement the “not-yet-consented” KUO Framework in their forthcoming planning meetings which we interpret as an attempt to make course leaders complicit in disregarding the participation process. A further cause for concern emerged during the last community meeting of Monday 24th April, when those present were informed by Jeroen Chabot (the outgoing Dean) that “[the councils] will have to consent” (emphasis ours). Most recently, the newsletter sent in May 2023 lays the responsibility for the lack of clarity regarding the non-renewal of the temporary contracts on the speed with which the PMRs would consent to them. [4] This is symptomatic of the continuous undermining of both PMRs position and rights (to consent, to advice, to information) calling into question the way in which the management team imposes its authority. It also shows scant regard for students’ and teachers’ concerns about intentions, planning, and implementation strategies in addressing WdKA’s budget deficit. 

This is worrying, because while EMT voice their concern regarding “misinformation” and “incomplete information” (Email to students May 5th, Reaction to “You can say no poster”) we have been consistently witnessing EMT communication ignoring protocol and failing to legislatively comply with the duties of management. Over the past years there have been several instances where the CAO, PTD and functiehuis have not been followed with due diligence, and this has led to confusion regarding scales, (extensive) unpaid hours for training purposes required by the institution, last minutes changes imposed on PTDs as well as on teaching teams, amongst other issues. Despite the Strategic Personal Plan (presented to staff in January 2023) and the new Action Plan’s call for clarity in procedures, the situation at WdKA is one where:

1) The due process of participation councils is not followed as directed in the CAO, the IMR and OC regulations, evidenced also from the response of the dean in the minutes of IMR on April 5th; [5]

2) The tasks of course leaders (scale 12- hogeschooldocent) do not include HRM tasks such as gesprekcyclus and discontinuing contracts which are management tasks (functiehuis);

3) The suggested KUO Framework for 2023-2024 includes changes in the task policy (taakbelastingsbeleid) that go against the PTD document provided by HR. 

Taking all of the above into consideration, we reiterate our call to follow the Inclusivity advisory report (March 2022) to the EMT by the O4i that: “a language of accountability and responsibility should be used at all times. Transparency is also an attitude to be held; be honest, open and dare to be vulnerable in order to (re)gain people's trust”.

We therefore urge you to swiftly adopt the following demands and inform us as to how they will be met, by Monday June 5th.

Our demands are: 

1. Respect due process and no consent from both PMRs (IMR and OC), and seriously consider alternatives to the budget cuts in conversation with PMRs and in consultation with other professionals whose expertise is to deal with such situations ethically and with professional sensitivity.

2. Immediately stop pressuring and intimidating participation councils. Stop displacing the responsibility to the participation committees, and pressuring teachers or course leaders for not agreeing with and complying to proposals that have not received a consent vote from PMRs. 

3. Use the full 8 FTE that RUAS has allocated to the WdKA to actually continue teachers currently on temporary contracts. Use the next academic year to find feasible alternatives to reduce costs without deteriorating the quality of education and perpetuating staff’s precarity;

4. Comply with CAO, functiehuis, the Reglement onderwijsinstituutsmedezeggenschapsraden and to PTD clauses regarding PMRs, changes in education hours and task policy, as well as functiehuis roles and training hours.  

We await responsible, thoughtful, and considered updates on meeting our demands by June 5th. If none are made, we will be forced to take further steps and use other avenues to make our voices heard.

Kind regards, The signatories of this letter. Rotterdam, May 22, 2023


[1] “Recommendations: We consider it crucial that a sense of urgency is shown and clear communication on how the problems will be addressed before the summer of 2023”, Social Safety report, February 2023

[2] No account is taken of the advisory right referred to in Article 12 paragraph 2 sub a of the 'the Reglement onderwijsinstituutsmedezeggenschapsraden and, in addition, no account is taken of the right of consent referred to in Article 13 paragraphs 1 to 4 of the Reglement. 

[3] Response from OC on 2023-2024 planning and KUO framework OC April 2023 [https://static.mywdka.nl/wdka/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/04/OC-Response_Planning-and-KUO-framework.pdf] and IMR Letter to the Dean and Educational Managers, April 5 : [https://static.mywdka.nl/wdka/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/04/IMR-letter-staff-cut-plan.pdf]

[4]  “Please note that this timeline depends on how soon we get consent from the IMR and OC.”, Newsletter May 2023, [https://2223.mywdka.nl/blog/2023/05/04/news-update-may-2023/] 

[5] “He [the dean] explains that he has not worked with the 6 weeks deadline in the past” IMR meeting with Dean, 5 April 2023, [https://static.mywdka.nl/wdka/wp-content/uploads/sites/22/2023/04/IMR-meeting-with-Dean_5-Apr-2023-ENG-2.pdf]   


Signatories in no particular order,

Lila Athanasiadou, Teacher
Mariana Aboim, Teacher, deFine Art/Autonomous Practices
Carmen José, Teacher
Natalia Sorzano, Tutor Autonomous Practices WdKA
Teana Boston-Mammah, Social Practices
Golnar Abbasi, Teacher at WdKA
SM, Teacher
Tuba Kılıç, Staff
Kari Robertson, Teacher New Earth Social Practice
Sevgi Tan, Student, Graphic Design, WdKA
Nadine, Alumni
Najendra Caldera, Teacher
amy pickles, tutor, autonomous practices & XPUB
Pedro Amorim Páscoa Borher, Student, Fine Art: Photography
Katy Taraporevala, Fine Arts
ari, graduating fine art student
Marijke Appelman, Former teacher at WdKA Photography & Fine Art
Amy Suo Wu, Social Practices
Sandim Mendes, Tutor Fine arts, temp
L.J, SAP
amand, fine art student
Serana Angelista, alumni
ellie mcguinness, student
Vanda, student
Eline Groen, Alumni
Mo Janssens, Alumni from photography
Sharon, /
carlota garcia, 3rd year transformation design student
Max den Hartog, illustration
Juliette Douet, student WdKA
Funs Janssen, Alumni
Reinier de Waal, 4th year Graphic design student, Autonomous Practice: Public & Private
Raluca Croitoru, Temporary contract teacher, WdKA
Cristina Cochior, Temporary-contracted teacher in WdKA and Piet Zwart Institute
Yaraa, Student
Selçuk Balamir, SP / New Earth tutor
Sanyu fernandes, Student
Alik, Illustration student of Wdka
Fiorella Pizziolo, Student
Klaudija Cernenko, Illustration student
Sasha, student
Maria, Wdka illustration
Anonymous,
Anonymous,
Gi, student
Anonymous, student, WDKA, photography
Pepijn Kolsteren, Student
Anonymous, Student
Ipek, Student
Clara Balaguer, Piet Zwart Institute
Dimitris, Student
Anonymous, student
Agnes Momirski, Tutor
Finn van Cappelle, Student, illustration
Nienke, Student
Boglarka Littner, student, WdKA
Haris Latic, Student illustration 2nd year
Eva Gombar Krishnan, Student - illustration
Kaloyan Iordanov, student
Ottavia Natoli, Student illustration
Esther Maij, Graduation Fine Art
Kaloyan Iordanov, student
Milan Mertens, Student WdKa, illustration
Hasse, student illustration
Sophie, student
Chaiyoung Kim, XPUB
Urvee, Student, Transformation design
Cristian Preda, Graphic Design student
Côme Roger-Dalbert, Student / Student assistant / SAP
Faye, student, wdka
Erica Gargaglione,
Aalula, student
Anonymous, student
Julia Kleijn, Student spatial design
Elvin, Student
Anonymous,
Athanasia Papaliou, Student
Elvin, Eldho
Tomi Hilsee, former temp contract teacher
Julia Margas, Student of WdKA
Arson, Marketing of social busines
Nisha, Wdka GD
Elisa, exchange photography
Roan Ida van galen, Studebt
Fritz Kargl, student, photography BA
Oana, Wdka student
Mar, student
Anonymous, student
Student, Student
Student, Student
Stela, Student, Willem de Kooning Academie
Tomasz kulpi, Student wdka av
Lian Veldt, Student, Illustration
Anonymous, student
Maya, student
Julka, Student, deFine Art
Youngjoo Yoo, Student
Sarmento, student
Megan, advertising student
Student, Advertising & beyond
Sitara, Student
Somar Yahya, Student
Vilde, Illustration
Julka, Student, deFine Art
Youngjoo Yoo, Student
Sarmento, student
Megan, advertising student
Anonymous, Advertising & beyond
Sitara, Student
Somar Yahya, Student
Vilde, Illustration
Eva Versteeg, Illustration
Sophie Klenova, student
Jeroen Chabot but cool, Student
Jacob William Wiggans, Illustration Exhcange Student (yr. 2) at WdKA
Anonymous, Student
Hansol Park, Student, Transformation Design
Ainis Alcauskis, advertising
Agnieszka , Student
Myrthe, Student
Yosra, student
Kris Vabalas, Student
Alex Basic, Advertising & Beyond
Marichel Boye, Alumni
Anonymous, Student
Zoé, Illustration student
Giulia, Student
Anonymous , Animation 3rd year
NaN, Wdka Teacher
Sofia Boschat-Thorez , Social Practices
Anonymous , Student
Quinty Robhin, Advertising & Beyond
joak, pzi
Nicolas, Advert
Miru, Illustration
Mereke, Student WDKA DBKV
Eva, Student
Michelle chong, Product design
Kinga Barcs, Graphics design student, student assistant at the print studio
Nina, Transformation
Catherine Somzé, Fine Art & AV theory lecturer, head of the KUO & DBKV assessment board
Eva Garibaldi, IMR & OC Secretary, PZI Alumna
Tessa, Photography
Vera Costa, Student, Fine arts, Willem de Kooning Academy
eske, Illustration
Amanda Joolen, Alumni, DBKV
Anonymous, Student
Yunjoo Kwak, Tutor, autonomous practice
Esma Moukhtar, Tutor WdKA
Nathan , Transformation design
Alice Strete, Temporary contract tutor
Elina Charinti, alumni
Osmar, Student
Agata Kostrzewska , student, WDKA animation
Panos, Student
Emma Brittmann, Animation student
Natalia Morczynski , Student
Venetia Theodosiou, Animation student, Wdka
Milo Jaremek, Animation, student representative
Jop, Illustration
Panayio Sarri, Animation
Emma, student
Bibi Fadlalla, Teacher Social Practices, temp
Emil, Animation student
Lisa Wantz, Student animation
reinaart vanhoe, Teacher
Camila Ailen Trapasso , WDKA Advertising 2nd year student
Joaquina Hintermeyer , Graphic Design
Nina Hauser, Student, Graphic Design
Anonymous, , Student
Nina M. , advertising wdka student
Marianna, Student
Valentijn Hamel, Alumni
Lan, Student
Ally Ivanova, student 2nd year illustration
Anni Schleicher, Education Station temp contract
Anonymous, Fine art student
Pendar Nabipour, Tutor Autonomous Practices
Arvand Pourabbasi , Teacher, Autonomous Practices/Spatial Design
Arvand Pourabbasi , Teacher, Autonomous Practices/Spatial Design
Bobby Sayers, Teacher, Social Practice
Alexandre Furtado Melville, former chairman Social Practices graduation boards
Rada Skumova , Animation
Maciej Frugalski, Find Arts Academy of Katowice, Poland
Sonia de Jager, WdKA tutor
JLS, Student graphic design
Mathilde van der Burght, student wdka, transformation design
Abel Kristian Johnsen, Student
Jason Page, Teacher Illustration
Jasmine Yen Yi, Illustration,
Anonymous, Advertising
Mika Dalderop, Photography
annemarie van den berg, teacher at other academies
Laura, Fine arts
Linde, Transformation Design
ANH NGO , Illustration
Anonymous , alumni
Bas de Geus, Alumni
Loes , Student at wdka
Alexandra , Student
Alexandra , deFine Art
Pablo Lerma, Tutor SP
Santiago Pinyol, teacher
C.P., Teacher at Practices
Eva Schelvis, Illustration student
anonymous, teacher WdKA
Denzel Balois, Student, Advertising&Beyond
Carla, Student, wdka graphic design
Jasmijn Rowling, Illustration
Emir Sivac, Student Fine Art
Virginia Vivaldi, Art student in another Dutch institution
Melina Julia Van Riet, Course student
Anonymous, Course student
Lente, Transformation design
mitsa chaida, student
Aglaia Petta, XPUB
Irmak, Master student
sam, student fine arts
Jonah, Student
Janka Balazs, Animation
Anonymous, Teacher
Fyn Paulina Bonita , Social Practice + (D)FA Department
Thijs Dickhoff, Student,wdka,illustration
Tina Rahimy , ZZP’er
Jan Malte Röhm , Student Photography
Yelyzaveta Lidova , Student
Ines Miranda , Student
Anon, Tutor
Thijmen, student
Dominyka , Visual art student at wdka
Anonymous, Student from EUC
Magdalena, Student
Lídia Pereira, scc
Matija Pekić, Photography Teacher
Ana Dos Santos, graphic design
Femke Dekker, Student MEIA & Tutor KABK
Al Costa, Illusttation Student
Karin Arink, IMR
Emma, master student
Martina, Fine Arts
Max Franklin, Graphic Design
C. Cortés , Musician, artist, Codarts alumni
Ulufer, Independent Artist
Kate Price, Alumni MFA Piet Zwart Institute
Anna, Student
Anonymous, Temp contract teacher
Rachel Refael, PZI Alumni
Marie Caye, MFA master
Julia Wilhelm, Alumni
Vaan, Student
Gill, Teacher, guest lecturer  wdka,
Augustina,
Raquel Williams Vasquez, Student, deFine Art
Ania Halek, PZI Alumna
Nadine Franz , alumni 2022
Lauran Schijvens, lecturer
Lídia Pereira, SCC
Martina, Tutor
Manetta Berends, Piet Zwart Institute
Fleur Wortman, Student, deFine art
Lauran Schijvens, lecturer
Gabriel Fontana , Former teacher
V, animation
Sara Hamadeh, Temporary contract tutor
Merve Kilicer, Alumni
Rana Hamadeh, tutor, WdKA
Anonymous, student
Nasim Razavian, Temporary contract teacher
Marloes de Valk, Piet Zwart Institute
Steve Rushton, Teacher, Piet Zwart Institute
Inez Vierdag, WDKA student
Rachel Sender, Teacher Illustration
Anne Ruijter, student advertising & beyond
Monique, Student
Alona, future student
Seb WB, temp contract teacher
Steph Daniilidou, Student
Katharina Diebold, Student
mika dalderop, photography student
Poppy, Student
Liza, Student
Ratri Notosudirdjo, Alumni
Lui Wolstencroft, Just a guy
Tracy Hanna, PZI alumni and freelance tutor WDKA
Janna, artist
Ksenia Galyaeva, teacher Photography
Elizabete L Sadauska, Student
Kris Dittel, tutor, Piet Zwart Institute



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