Legal protection
This section contains regulations about objections and complaints for students and, in some cases, for third parties. The Higher Education and Research Act prescribes the establishment of an accessible facility, also referred to as a desk, where students can file complaints, objections or appeals.
Regulations concerning the Central Objections Committee for TU Delft students
The Higher Education and Research Act prescribes the establishment of an arbitration committee that deals with objections from students (other than appeals to the Examination Appeals Board (CBE), for which separate regulations have been established). This is a either a committee in accordance with the Dutch General Administrative Law Act or an objections committee. The regulations concerning the Central Objections Committee for TU Delft students regulate the organisational aspects of this committee, such as composition, appointment, support and compensation. Furthermore, the regulations contain procedural provisions in addition to the procedure described in the General Administrative Law Act. The regulations are also included as Appendix 4 of the EMR.
TU Delft Examination Appeals Board Regulations
Pursuant to Article 7.62 of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW), the Examination Appeals Board (CBE) must draw up rules of procedure. The Examination Appeals Board Regulations contain rules about the organisational aspects of this board, such as composition, appointment, support and compensation. In addition, the regulations contain a procedural provision on amicable settlement. In other respects, the procedural provisions described in the General Administrative Law Act and the Higher Education and Research Act apply.
TU Delft Student Complaints Regulations
The TU Delft Student Complaints Regulations allow students to submit complaints to the Executive Board about the way in which an administrative body of TU Delft or a person associated with the university has acted towards them or another person. The Higher Education and Research Act prescribes the establishment of a ‘complaints desk’. TU Delft also has a Student Ombudsman who deals with complaints and takes any further action required. The regulations mainly contain organisational aspects; the complaint-handling procedure is described in the General Administrative Law Act. The regulations are also included as Appendix 4 of the EMR.
TU Delft Academic Integrity Complaints Regulation
All parties involved in research at TU Delft are individually responsible for maintaining research integrity, which includes observing the general principles of professional research conduct. One means of assessing research integrity is the right of complaint if university staff members have violated the precepts of research integrity (or are suspected of having done so). The TU Delft Regulation on Complaints about Research Integrity includes rules for the purpose of achieving this right of complaint. Provision is made for the appointment of a confidential counsellor and the Research Integrity Committee (CWI), which investigates the complaints and provides recommendations to the Executive Board. The regulation has been adapted following the new Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity 2018. The regulation refers to this Code for the violations of research integrity included therein. The regulation is based on the national model, coordinated by the Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU). On the VSNU website, you can find the Netherlands Code of Conduct for Research Integrity 2018, as well as the pronouncements issued nationwide following advice from a CWI.
TU Delft Regulations for Complaints about Undesirable Behaviour
This regulation gives a person who is confronted by the undesirable behaviour of an employee or student in a work or study situation the right to speak to a confidential adviser or submit a complaint to the complaints committee for undesirable or inappropriate behaviour. The TU Delft Regulations for Complaints about Undesirable Behaviour describe the procedure that must be followed here.
TU Delft Regulations for Reporting Misconduct (Whistleblower Regulations)
In the context of good governance and an honest organisation, TU Delft considers it desirable to have regulations that set out how everyone can report irregularities confidentially. The Whistleblower Regulations set out the procedure on the basis of which a report of an irregularity or misconduct should be made. First of all, this should be reported internally, to the supervisor, but you can also contact the ‘whistleblower contact person’ (this contact person has been appointed by the Executive Board under the title ‘confidential adviser for administrative integrity’). As a last resort, a matter can be reported to the external contact point, which in the case of TU Delft is the Association of Netherlands Municipalities’ Whistleblowers Committee. The Whistleblower Regulations are the final piece of TU Delft integrity policy.