Mirella Kleijnen, programme leader for the ITK preparations, provides insight into the key themes currently in focus: “The ITK is an opportunity for us to keep improving and to showcase our strengths.”
Mirella, the institutional audit, this sounds like a serious undertaking. Can you explain why it’s so important?
“Yes, it certainly is! The Institutional Quality Assurance Audit (ITK) is like a periodic ‘inspection’ for the whole university. It’s a way to demonstrate that not only do we provide quality education, but everything behind the scenes - from quality assurance to our educational vision - is also well-organized. Think of it as a quality mark, a ‘license to practice,’ confirming that VU Amsterdam meets the standards of the Accreditation Organization of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO).
It’s an important milestone that happens every six years, with the next audit scheduled for late 2025.”
Preparing for such an audit must take a lot of time. What does this process look like behind the scenes?
“It’s quite intensive indeed, but also a valuable challenge. Especially given the times we live in. Since I took on the role of education portfolio holder in 2019, we’ve had a few turbulent years. First came the COVID-19 crisis, which forced us to quickly adapt and rebuild our education. Now, we’re navigating a range of political and social developments that impact higher education. These are precisely the times when a university can demonstrate what it truly stands for and its commitment to quality. If there’s ever a time to prove ourselves, it’s now.
Our preparations are organized into two projects. Project A focuses on following up on recommendations from the midterm review. For this, we’ve created an action plan with concrete steps led by teams such as the Consultative Body for Portfolio Holders for Teaching (OPO), the VU Centre for Teaching & Learning (CTL), and Student and Educational Affairs (SOZ). The main strategic points have been broken down into clear, actionable steps that we’re now implementing.
Project B is more practical: it includes preparations for the audit committee’s visit in late 2025 and early 2026, such as drafting a self-assessment report. Over five days, the audit committee will conduct interviews with teachers, students, and management to see how our educational vision and quality assurance work in practice.”
"What struck me the most is the unique character of VU Amsterdam. We’re a large institution, but despite our size, there’s a strong sense of shared identity among staff and students. That’s something special.”
What are we doing well?
“One of VU Amsterdam’s strengths is the genuine attention we pay to the individual behind each student. That’s something I truly value, as it’s not a given. It’s rooted in our educational vision, ‘A Broader Mind,’ which goes beyond just passing on knowledge. You really see this reflected in the accreditations. We aim not only to educate students, but also to help them grow personally and develop as individuals. There’s a shared vision that lives among both staff and students - that at VU Amsterdam, you don’t just become ‘something’ but ‘someone.’ Colleagues tell me they also feel this. We’re a large university, but we share the same values, and that makes me proud.
Our quality assurance is also something to be proud of. Sometimes, it’s even a bit too good! Over the years, we’ve developed many processes to ensure quality. While this is essential, the balance sometimes tips, and the administrative burden becomes unnecessarily high. We’re looking at how we can simplify things and work more from a place of ownership and trust.”
What areas need improvement?
“One of the main areas for improvement is to clarify our educational vision, ‘A Broader Mind.’ This concept is widely embraced, but we want to make it even more concrete and tangible, especially within our programmes, so it’s felt in our daily practice.
Another important focus is inclusivity. We aim to further strengthen the support and facilities for students with a disability, so that VU Amsterdam is a place where everyone feels welcome and supported.”
So, soon there will be people coming by to observe how things are done here?
“Yes, that’s right. The five members of the audit committee will meet with delegations from four selected programmes. Over five days, they’ll have intensive conversations with various stakeholders: programme management, teachers, students, participation councils, faculty management, and the broader university leadership. They’re primarily interested in whether the educational vision we have at the administrative level is also coming to life in practice. While it’s a serious review, it’s a small delegation, and they’ll take a sample to assess whether everyone is aligned in pursuing the same goals and how well these goals are reflected in our education.”
And do you have confidence in a positive outcome?
“Absolutely! I have every confidence. As an organization, we’ve learned a lot and are increasingly working from a mindset of continuous improvement. These are challenging times, of course, but we’re standing strong. An audit like this helps us stay sharp and committed to ongoing improvement. It’s also an affirmation that we’re on the right path.”
Learn more about the Institutional Audit of Quality Assurance.