Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management
Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management

Social Safety

Together we make it possible

We create social safety together

At ESHPM we want students and employees to feel safe during their studies and their work. Social safety means that we treat each other with respect and do not harass, discriminate or intimidate each other. It means that we do not tolerate transgressive behaviour.

However, social safety is more. It also means that your work or study is a place where you feel at home, at ease and where you can be yourself. In this way everyone can develop and improve to the maximum. It is important that we work together on an open culture in which we engage in dialogue.

Social safety has full attention within ESHPM. At the same time, we realise that there is always room for improvement. Do you have ideas for further improving social safety at ESHPM? Let us know!

On this website you can read who you can contact if you need help or have suggestions on how we can do better. You will also meet ESHPM employees and students who will tell you what social safety means to them and what they do to work on social safety.

What does social safety mean for you?

Together you create a safe environment

Who can I contact?

If you need guidance or advice during your studies, you can contact your Study Advisor. If you face other issues, you can contact the Student Guidance department. You can also make use of the EUR Contact Point.

The Ombuds Officer contributes to a healthy and safe working environment within the university and to the learning capacity of the organisation. He works independently, impartially, autonomously and neutrally. Employees and students can approach Wico Verbaan in an accessible and confidential manner with reports of improper behaviour.

Erasmus University Rotterdam considers it important that all its students make optimum use of their talents. The Studying With a Functional Impairment Team (Team SMF) works to turn this desire into a reality and is dedicated to supporting students with a functional impairment.

‘Students with an impairment’ refers to students with a physical handicap or chronic illness, dyslexia or another learning disability and mental disabilities. 

The Diversity Office is committed to creating purposeful and effective policies that promote a safe learning and working environment and social justice for all. The office exchanges information, connects, supports and advises all units within EUR that are responsible for a safe environment and social justice for all members of our community. The office also works with student counselors for students with disabilities and student groups.

Areas of focus:

  • Social and ethnic equality
  • Discrimination

At different times in your life, you will face important choices. One of these is a choice of study. You chose a study programme at an earlier stage, but was this choice the right one? You probably want to or will have to change your study programme. You will not be the only one. At the end of the first year of study, around 35% of students change their study programmes.

There can be all sorts of reasons for switching:

  • You may decided that the study programme you are following at present does not match your interests and needs.
  • Perhaps the requirements for the programme are not a good fit with your capacities.
  • Perhaps you do not feel at home in your current study programme.
  • Or… there could be countless reasons why you decide to change your programme.

Whatever the reason is, making a new choice is sometimes easier said than done. In order to choose a new study programme, you will need to do more than just complete a simple test. It calls for a more active attitude.

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) considers it essential that students and employees can perform in a pleasant and productive atmosphere for study and work. EUR has not one, but a network of Confidential Counsellors for employees and students. The Confidential Counsellors are the point of contact for anyone who has encountered or is encountering inappropriate behaviour or unequal treatment in their study or work situation.

What is inappropriate behaviour?

In principle, inappropriate behaviour is all behaviour that is perceived as inappropriate. This may include:

  • (Sexual) harassment
  • Aggression and/or violence
  • Bullying
  • Discrimination
  • Stalking
  • Unequal treatment

Don’t wait until after your graduation to think about your career! The Careers Advisors of Erasmus University Rotterdam will be happy to help you with all your questions concerning your preparation for the labour market.

You can contact careers advisors with the following questions:

  • If you are aiming for an international career
  • If you are considering starting work as a self-employed person
  • If you want assistance in choosing a master’s degree course
  • If you would like tips and advice on your CV and/or LinkedIn page

You can also talk to the Careers Advisor if you would like to define your interests and qualities:

  • Discover what you are good at and which sector suits you
  • Find out which type of job best suits your capacities and/or functional impairment

The objective of the University Psychologists is to provide help to students in the case of study problems and problems of a mental, social and/or emotional nature, if these are hindering your study progress. If the university psychologists cannot offer the student the necessary assistance, they will refer them to other care institutions.

The Student Counsellors inform, assist and advise. For substantive questions concerning your study and other study-related questions, please contact the study advisor.

The counsellors can help you:

  • In the case of questions and/or problems in which different regulations and statutory provisions play a role (e.g. regarding regulations and your legal position).
  • If you practice elite sports and wish to discuss the length of your study, your study schedule or an application for a scholarship.
  • If you have a functional impairment and need extra support or facilities. Studying Studying with a Functional Impairment Team (SMF) would be happy to assist you!
  • If you are a student parent. Students who are pregnant or have young children may contact both the student counsellors and the study advisor for questions concerning the length of the study or other matters. A Partou childcare centre is present on Woudestein campus.
  • If you are a student with an extra care task. Students who are informal caregivers can contact the study advisors and student counsellors to discuss possibilities for adjusting the study programme. Financial support is sometimes possible in the event of study delays due to informal caregiving. For other information and assistance: Mezzo (Dutch website).

Other matters that the Student Counsellor can help with:

  • Finances (tuition fees, student loans) and financial support for personal circumstances
  • Study progress (e.g. BSA, illness or personal circumstances)
  • Registration and deregistration, admission and graduation
  • Support with application for scholarship from private funds
  • Application for government grants
  • Problems with your faculty (mediation, complaints, objections and appeals)
  • Choice of study programme (bachelor’s degree), planning and motivation, and also about learning to study and sitting examinations

Asking for help in difficult times can be a difficult first step. That's why the Student Society introduced the first welfare mentoring program! Our student mentors are trained in techniques to deal with anxiety, stress, burnouts and unrest. With one click on the phone and almost no waiting time, any student who needs to talk to someone can easily schedule a free appointment with our mentors. We have made sure that if anyone needs help, big or small, there will always be a trained mentor to guide them.

At ESHPM, we aim to work continuously to improve social safety. This means that in policy-making, we have to devote attention to this theme in everything we do. We also organise special activities relating to social safety for employees and students, such as training courses and workshops. If you have any suggestions for further improvement of social safety, please contact our Social Safety Officer Hester van de Bovenkamp.

There are also other matters that Student Guidance can help you with. The full overview can be found on their website.

Is something bothering you? Or are you faced with a problem that you can’t resolve on your own? First try to find a solution yourself, in talks with a colleague, manager or section leader. If you can’t resolve things together or you’d prefer not to discuss this with them, you can contact the people listed below. You can also make use of the EUR Contact Point.

The Ombuds Officer contributes to a healthy and safe working environment within the university and to the learning capacity of the organisation. He works independently, impartially, autonomously and neutrally. Employees and students can approach Wico Verbaan in an accessible and confidential manner with reports of improper behaviour.

The HR department advises the MT and individual employees on the operational, tactical and strategic level, with the following focus areas:

  • Employment conditions
  • Working conditions
  • Labour relations
  • Work content
  • Sick leave/stress

The Diversity Office is engaged in creating purposeful and effective policies that promote a safe learning and working environment and social justice for all. The office exchanges information, connects, supports and advises all units within the EUR that are responsible for a safe environment and social justice for all members of our community. This takes place by means of new policies and activities, such as our 25/25 policy for fairer academic promotions. The office also works with counsellors for students with a functional impairment and student groups.

Focus areas:

  • Social and ethical equality
  • Discrimination

The Research Integrity Confidential Advisor is the first contact point if you have any questions regarding the Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and any potential violation of research integrity.

You can exchange ideas in confidence with the Research Integrity Confidential Advisor. The Confidential Advisor will offer advice and can assist in any mediation or other attempts to resolve problems. The Confidential Advisor can also inform you about the procedure for submitting a complaint to the Scientific Integrity Committee.

EUR has two Confidential Advisors for scientific integrity, Ellen Hey and Erik Schut.

  • Ellen Hey is Professor of Public International Law at Erasmus School of Law (ESL). Her research focusses on international environmental law and international institutional law.  Formerly, she advised the Board of Erasmus University Rotterdam on the internationalisation of education.
     
  • Erik Schut is Professor of Health Economics & Health Policy at the Erasmus School of Health Policy and Management (ESHPM). His research focuses on the organisation and financing of health care and long-term care. He was a former director of research at ESHPM and participated in the EUR Taskforce Scientific Integrity.

Both Confidential Advisors can be contacted via the Confidential Advisor Secretary, Nick den Hollander: vertrouwenspersoon.onderzoek@eur.nl / +31 06 13628107. All contacts with the Confidential Advisors and the secretary will be handled in the strictest confidence.

Since June 2018, Erasmus University Rotterdam has had a number of Work-life Balance Coaches who can help staff find a good work-life balance. You can contact the coaches yourself for various questions. How do I say ‘No’? How do I set the right priorities? What are my stress factors? What gives me energy and how do I keep enjoying my work?

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) considers it essential that students and employees can perform in a pleasant and productive atmosphere for study and work. EUR has not one, but a network of Confidential Counsellors for employees and students. The Confidential Counsellors are the point of contact for anyone who has encountered or is encountering inappropriate behaviour or unequal treatment in their study or work situation.

What is inappropriate behaviour?

In principle, inappropriate behaviour is all behaviour that is perceived as inappropriate. This may include:

  • (Sexual) harassment
  • Aggression and/or violence
  • Bullying
  • Discrimination
  • Stalking
  • Unequal treatment

Focus areas:

  • Sexual harassment – verbal/non-verbal, physical
  • Intimidation, Abuse of power
  • Aggression – verbal/physical
  • Stalking
  • Bullying
  • Unpleasant treatment
  • Discrimination
  • Labour conflict
  • Academic integrity

Are you dealing with something large or small, private or work-related? Do you face a major challenge, or are you worried about a small change? Open up, anywhere, anytime. Gain easy access to psychologists via chat, telephone and video consultations. OpenUp ensures that you can continue to get the best out of yourself.

Who and what is OpenUp?

OpenUp offers fast and easy access to psychologists by telephone, chat or video call. It is an initial preventive line to support with mental issues. So are you dealing with something large or small? Something private or work-related? You can put any issue to the psychologists of OpenUp.

Via OpenUp, you have access to health checks, webinars, self-help programmes, mindfulness consultations and other tools that also enable you to start working on your mental health yourself, without the support of a psychologist.

Themes on which OpenUp focuses include:

  • Work performance
  • Stress and worrying
  • Self-confidence
  • Sense of purpose
  • Relationships
  • Lifestyle
  • Sleep
  • Mindfulness

Company Social Work makes a contribution to the promotion of working in an effective, motivated and vital manner. It can also make a constructive contribution to reducing and preferably, prevention of absences.

Our social workers work on its goals by supporting, coaching and advising staff who wish to develop certain competencies and/or who have or are at risk of developing social/psycho-social difficulties. They can help staff with both work related and home related problems and development issues.

Recent studies show that at least 1 in 4 PhD students have an increased risk of developing a burn-out or depression. Do you also regularly suffer from the following complaints? Then make an appointment with no obligation!

  • You find it hard to let go of your work and/or can’t stop thinking about it
  • You find it hard to get to sleep or are exhausted when you wake
  • Every extra request made of you feels like one too many
  • You have more difficulty in concentrating and/or focussing
  • You doubt your own capacities or feel uncertain
  • You regularly withdraw from social environments
  • You regularly have headaches or stomach aches, or become irritated more quickly
  • You find it hard to relax

Following several instances of domestic violence appearing in national media, the government has examined various methods of detecting and preventing domestic violence and child abuse. One of the conclusions was that employees from educational institutions can play an important role in alerting agencies about this. This role is recorded in a legal obligation and reporting code. If you suspect that an EUR student or colleague is involved in domestic violence or child abuse, or you have suspicions about a child that is participating in an EUR activity, follow the step-by-step plan from the reporting code.

At ESHPM, we aim to work continuously to improve social safety. This means that in policy-making, we have to devote attention to this theme in everything we do. We also organise special activities relating to social safety for employees and students, such as training courses and workshops. If you have any suggestions for further improvement of social safety, please contact our Social Safety Officer Hester van de Bovenkamp.

The Occupational Physician invites (ill) employees to his/her consultation hour. This is also open to any EUR staff who wish to ask questions about work-related health problems, for example screen work, physical stress, risks for a pregnancy, or workplace adjustments.

Focus areas:

  • Work-related health complaints
  • Sickness absence
  • Reintegration
  • Employer and employee advice on the above issues

Meet the people who can provide you with further assistance

The story of student Kyra Mulders

How does Kyra perceive the accessibility of the campus?

Social safety has many different aspects. Accessibility is an important part of this. Kyra Mulders, Bachelor Health Sciences, BMG, shares here experiences as a wheelchair user. How easy is it to navigate the campus? What was very helpful to her? What are points for improvement? Watch her video and learn to know the campus from a different point of view.

Student Kyra is in a wheelchair and talks about accessibility on campus in an interview

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