VUB rector gives an overview of cross-border behaviour: “Insufficient support offered” (Brussels)
Caroline Pauwels, the rector of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, has distracted herself from the people of the transgressive behavior in an email to her and students. In the same email, the VUB announced several new actions to better handle such situations in the future.
Source† BELGA
The transgressive behavior towards a VUB professor only came to light after a long procedure lasting almost a year. Although the procedure was followed correctly and the professor involved was fired, the students and staff of the Brussels university still had a bad feeling.
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“As a university, but also as a rector and as a person, you have to dare that it is not good enough. I want to be rector, the institution took comparisons against the boundary-crossing behavior that has been left out in the cold for too long,” says Rector Pauwels in the email. “Some amplify their distress and other words that may have lessened the distress were not uttered. The procedures used by the VUB and the outcome provided insufficient support to those who needed it,” she continues.
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The VUB is going to improve its reporting point and functioning, because as a progressive university it wants to do better. Based on current experience, it proposes some actions to the advisory and management bodies. The code of ethics and the interpersonal relations will be clarified, there will be training courses on cross-border behaviour, the reporting center will become more transparent, the disciplinary procedure will be investigated and proactive communication will take place.