Advice and counselling

If you experience a delay in study progress or if it looks like you might do experience such a delay, it is important that you get in touch with your programme coordinator and the academic counsellor on time. They can tell you what the delay means for you in your specific situation and whether there is anything the university can do to help you.

In case of a study delay in your research project or writing assignment, please read the information available on the GSLS Students' Site (research project / writing assignment) and inform the research project coordinator if necessary. When your supervisor is not available or when deadlines are delayed due to holiday periods, make clear agreements and contact your teacher/supervisor beforehand to prevent study delay.

As the GSLS, we value your personal wellbeing. The UU offers several ways to make sure your wellbeing is safeguarded and options when you encounter a personal problem.

Student psychologist

If you are experiencing personal problems, you can contact the academic counsellor. You can also make an appointment to see the student psychologist. Student psychologists can help you to solve study-related problems and to address personal problems. Read more information here and book an appointment. You first book a short 15-minute (free) appointment to see if the student psychologist is the right person to turn to with your issue.

Caring Universities

Caring Universities offers free online programs to help improve students' mental health. All programs are evidence-based, created by clinical psychologists, and include online coaching. Read more on the page about Caring Universities.

Illness

If you get ill during your studies in the Netherlands or while abroad, contact your programme coordinator. Furthermore, the academic counsellor can advise you as well on what to do in case of illness.

Wellbeing

For more information about wellbeing, resources, and activities organised by the UU take a look at this page.

Do you experience inappropriate behaviour during your study or internship? It is important that you discuss this with someone you can trust. Information on this can also be found on the UU website.

Inappropriate behaviour includes all facets of behaviour and communication that are perceived as offensive and result in an unsafe environment in education, during internships or in private life. Examples of offensive behavior or communication are (sexual) harassment, aggression, violence, bullying, or discrimination. Your university has employed staff that can help you to solve these issues. These are the confidential counsellors (vertrouwenspersonen in Dutch), and complaints coordinator, but also the study advisors are there to help. The issues that you raise in conversations with them are treated confidentially and will not be discussed with other personnel without your explicit permission.

In case you are doing an internship in an organisation other than the UMC Utrecht or Utrecht University, you are encouraged to discuss the issue with the confidant of that particular organisation. The benefit of discussing your issue with the local confidential counsellor is that this person might be better able to prevent such offensive behaviour or communication from happening again. Additionally, we do hope that you are also willing to discuss your issue with one of our confidential counsellors. This gives the UMC Utrecht / Utrecht University the opportunity to improve our own learning environment as well.

Confidential advisors

The confidential advisors offer support and supervise students and employees when offensive behaviour or communication has occurred. The advisors emphasise that it is important that people discuss their issues. Discussing offensive behavior and communication can prevent escalation of the situation. The advisors will never act unless you explicitly allow them to further discuss a particular issue with a third party. Confidentiality is top priority. 

* Marian Joseph and Stefan Vuurens both have access to the e-mail address and can read your e-mail. You can also contact them directly. 

** Contact via secretary ms. Ineke van Krieken (ombudsenvertrouwenszaken@umcutrecht.nl) or 088-75 58 620. More information can be found on UMCU Connect (access with username and password only).

Academic counsellors

The academic counsellors are at your service mainly for study-related queries, however, they can also advise you which confidant is best able to help you with your specific issue. Check here for more information on the academic counsellors.

What can you do yourself in regard to inappropriate behaviour? Consent Matters: Boundaries, Respect and Positive Intervention (e-module)

Do you know what your own desires and boundaries are? How to discuss and safeguard them, and how to assist others in doing so? At the GSLS, we believe that an open, stimulating, and safe learning and working environment is essential for you to be yourself and develop as a student. This can be challenging in practice, especially when addressing sensitive topics. One of the subjects we would like to raise attention for is awareness of sexual consent. Consent means mutual permission or agreement. Do you want to know what you can do in this regard?

To learn more about this topic, you can now complete the online module "Consent Matters: Boundaries, Respect, and Positive Intervention" through ULearning. You can self-enroll through this link using the password 'Consent'.

This module is designed to empower you with knowledge and skills related to sexual consent, personal boundaries, and respectful communication. We believe that creating awareness and understanding around these topics is essential for building a supportive community within our learning and working environment.

If you have a disability or chronic illness, you can request certain facilities to support you in your studies via OSIRIS Case. Here are some examples of disabilities or chronic illnesses where this is relevant:

• visual, auditory or motor impairments
• dyslexia
• chronic ilnesses and mental health difficulties (e.g depression, autism, ADHD, Crohn's disease, diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, ME/CFS, RSI/CANS)

If you have further questions, contact your academic counsellor to discuss your situation and consider whether and, if so, what support is available for you. If you have a medical statement, please bring this with you to your appointment with the academic counsellor. The agreements made during the appointment will be set down in a contract.

More information is available in the brochure Studying with a disability at Utrecht University.

Platform Studying without Limitations

Studying without Limitations is a platform for and by students with a disability. Besides involvement in policy decisions and providing information they also offer guidance for students with a disability such as dyslexia, AD(H)D, autism, and so on. Do you want more information, or would you like to have a buddy for extra support or guidance regarding your study or themes outside your study such as in living, working and going out? Then perhaps our buddy programme is something for you.

Experience and Expertise (X&X) course

In this elective course you learn to integrate your experiential knowledge (ervaringskennis) of living with a chronic physical or mental condition with your research expertise and scientific skills. You learn to cross the boundary between experience and expertise, and transform into a double talent. For more information on this elective course, see this page.

The Skills Lab - the gateway to your academic development- is an accessible service desk where UU students can get a clear idea of what courses, workshops, individual tutoring, electronic tools, etc. are available to them. Much is available, but this wealth of resources can be hard to find and access for students with specific questions. They can show you where to go to improve any skill, be it writing, presentation, studying, or job-hunting.