38 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
38 lines
1.7 KiB
Markdown
The Dutch University Occupations of the 1960s were a series of student
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strikes and university occupations aiming to democratise the university
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system in the [Netherlands](Netherlands "wikilink") in favour of workers
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and students.
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## Background
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Inspired by similar movements in
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[France](May_1968_Events_in_France "wikilink") and Germany, a new
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student movement began aiming for the restructuring of the university
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system around democratic lines. Traditionally, Dutch universities were
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public and managed by the [state](State_\(Polity\) "wikilink"). A Board
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of Curators (College van Curatoren) was responsible for upholding laws
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and regulations implemented by the government over universities,
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maintaining the quality of the teaching programmes, academic buildings,
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and university possessions. The Curatoren also administered university
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finances. Gradually the Curatoren’s role shifted to become more
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organizational rather than policy oriented.
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A group known as the Maris committee was established to create a new
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formal university structure. In 1968, the Maris committee submitted a
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proposal to eliminate the current reign of dual authority between
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Curatoren and Senate. Instead, they planned to introduce a hierarchical
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system by which professors would report to departmental deans, and the
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deans would report to a central governing board with broad power known
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as the Presidium.
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## Events
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Angry professors (who feared losing their autonomy and the impact this
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would have on research) and students (who began to fear education
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becoming more capitalist). Students occupied university campuses,
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telephone exchanges and threatened violent action in 1968 and 1969
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against the government.
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## Results
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The government |