Overview of UM Rules and Regulations

In his book “Stupid White Man” Michael Moore tells the story of a college friend of his who, as a high school kid, managed to get an extra day off by relying on some outdated but still existing law “probably passed to help some farm kid take his prize hog [pig] to the fair without being penalized at school”. While an extra day off is less exiting now than it might have been during high school life, the general message Moore wants to convey is clear and applies equally to the UM context: “The key thing is to learn what all the rules are, and what your rights are by law and by school district [i.e. university] policy”.

Knowing your rights and knowing about the support you can get from the university to achieve your goals is an important step in making your empowerment happen. Reading the strategic plan of the university or the Regulation on Financial Support for UM Students might not seem that exiting in the first place, but if you read it with the question “What’s in it for me /us” makes a crucial difference. In the following sections you find an overview of the most important rights and regulations in the context of empowerment. Already existing student organisations will find the sections on the Subsidies for student organisations, as well as the regulation on administrative activities most interesting. Individuals who are e.g. student member of the UM Council or other political or administrative bodies of the UM should, of course read all sections as they are the ones that can influence the regulations. For personal benefit the regulation on administrative activities is most interesting. Other individuals and initiatives that are not a legal entity or starting student organisations will find the Promotion Fund and the Internationalisation Fund most helpful.

As a little disclaimer - there are far more right /interesting provisions contained in the regulations than can be discussed here.

Why not invite your friends or colleagues to "Strategic Plan Reading Session"? Or initiate a minicourse on it as explained in the DeCal Section here? You'll be surprised what's in there... See for yourself: http://www.unimaas.nl/default.asp?template=werkveld.htm&id=I066WTT70226TMMUIXL5&taal=nl

All regulations can be downloaded from www.unimaas.nl or a hard copy can be requested from the Information Desk of Student Services http://www.ssc.unimaas.nl/student/default.asp?menuid=x0000x0552x2068x0972&lang=uk respectively the Faculty Internationalisation Offices as far as the Internationalisation Fund is concerned. Most regulations are available both in English and Dutch except where indicated differently.

Lists of relevant legislative articles & comprehendible summaries:
Student Charter
Regulation Financial Support Students UM
Regulation for Administrative Activities
Promotion Fund UM
Internationalisation Funds
Subsidies for Student Organisations