‘What a huge reward fell to us this month: CreaTe at UT has become top-programme in the Universities Choice Guide 2024. A reward because it expresses our students' appreciation of our programme. Indeed, the Guide bases its judgement partly on the results of the National Student Survey. It is also a great appreciation for everyone who works hard every day to provide good education and organise the programme properly. And best of all: we had not seen it coming, so the surprise was all the greater.
We celebrated this big time, and fittingly, with a fantastic cake from the Executive Board and oliebollen for the students in Twente and Amsterdam. I have rarely been so festively welcomed as in the SmartXP, CreaTe's home lab in Enschede. We could well use this success. Because from a self-critical attitude and the idea that you should always be focused on improving quality, there were quite a few points to work on. After all, an ongoing programme suddenly also shows what can still be done in the collaboration.
Do we now have all teachers for all subjects in Twente and Amsterdam and do they already have mutual consultation? How is it going with the log cabins, with travelling to Enschede, with the D-Lab, with the Humane By Design specialisation, with the course in the third module, with etcetera, etcetera... One thing is clear: the new collaboration in Amsterdam also interferes considerably with the programme in Twente, such as adjusting exams, different submission deadlines and a few more of those things. As to be expected, this is not always received with cheers.
And before I forget: who thinks it is really cool to provide a group of freshmen with a nice innovation assignment? We're looking for you!!! And with the note that it's still very early in the year: the pre-registration figures show a solid increase, both in Twente and Amsterdam, which is super good news!
For now, it is almost time to take a break, to celebrate Christmas and to do things that are not necessarily related to the 'VuTure' but are simply here and now. Hug a tree, pay attention to loved ones, sing songs with your children and find time to just be yourself. I wish you all the best and thank everyone who has again done his/her stinking best over the past year to put up a great education in Twente and Amsterdam. Let's hope that the programme in Amsterdam will also be TOP and that we can all agree on that.’
