It was barely two months after Timo Kos had started as member of the Executive Board when the Netherlands and education at Saxion, was turned upside down by the coronavirus outbreak. It was not the only challenge he had to face these past five years at Saxion. Long-running processes such as improving the Smart Solutions Semester, were interspersed with crises such as the theft of exam questions. “What characterises my time on the board is that for many complex matters I needed staying power, while at the same time I often had to respond quickly when something needed urgent action,” says Timo Kos at his farewell.
He had already done an introductory interview in Enschede at the end of February 2020. However, an article about his first weeks at Saxion never happened. It was all hands on deck when the corona crisis broke a few days later. For Timo too, who was appointed as third member of the Saxion Executive Board at the start of 2020. An addition, alongside the soon to be former president Anka Mulder and the then vice-president Ineke van Oldeniel. There was instant synergy within the Executive Board during that first period when Saxion, as a result of lockdowns and additional measures, largely switched to online education for a lengthy spell. Timo Kos: “It made a difference that I already knew Anka and Ineke. Anka from the TU/Delft and Ineke from her time at CFI (precursor to implementing body DUO, ed.). It’s good when you understand each other and work so well together as a compact team of three executives. You notice this, especially during a crisis. Then you need to have complete confidence in one another.”
New in three ways
On 1 March 2025, Timo Kos will become Vice-president of the Executive Board at Leiden University. He will be parting company with Saxion after more than 5 years on the board. “Back then, my position at Saxion was new to me in three ways,” he reflects. “It was my first position on an executive board, in a region I didn’t know well at the time, and I also came from university education. I knew applied university education (HBO) through assignments I had done in the past, but in this role HBO was new to me. I had intended to start working calmly and thoroughly, so I could get to know Saxion well. That’s how it should be, I believe, before you start managing full-on. It is easy to say, in a general sense: we are turning right or left. However, you can only do that if you know how an organisation works and reacts to those kind of movements.”
Student success
To start with Timo was given two specific portfolio tasks by the Supervisory Board, namely the key areas of ‘education’ and ‘Deventer’. Firstly to contribute to maintaining a vital region by finding solutions to combat decreasing student numbers as a result of demographic decline. Additionally, to contribute as Saxion, to improving the city of Deventer’s profile. “This fitted with a number of strategic lines in the 2019 approved, Strategic Plan 2020-2024, and the slightly earlier adopted educational philosophy. The expansion of our educational portfolio was a later addition to this, including among other things full-time associate degrees. I also wanted more priority to be given to the matter of student success, in relation to our educational philosophy. Originally there was no link there. However, in my first year the long-term strategy and plans were immediately overtaken by current events, something of course, I couldn’t have foreseen when I started at Saxion.” Not just corona, but also the matter of stolen exam questions and several other acute issues at specific schools, as it turned out.
It is easy to say, in a general sense: we are turning right or left. However, you can only do that if you know how an organisation works and reacts to those kind of movements.
Online education, exam question theft and cutbacks
Some of these issues directly affected his portfolio, meaning he was ultimately responsible, tells Timo. “For example, the online education that had to be set up, with the help of so many colleagues during corona. The last crisis was caused by the announced cutbacks in education by Cabinet Schoof. Fortunately, some of the cutbacks have since been reversed, partly due to active lobbying by many colleagues. More important is the fact I’m proud that, despite these crises, we have managed to keep sight of the strategic long-term goals. Switching between two tracks, with two speeds. This has kept Saxion in a good position, despite these challenging times.”
Educational Philosophy
Looking back on the long-running cases that have required his attention in recent years, Timo names the Saxion Educational Philosophy (previously Saxion Educational Model), Smart Solutions Semester and student success. “I was quite quick in implementing a few changes to matters that caught my attention. The educational philosophy was based on a rather complicated educational model. It was not yet clear to everyone why we had chosen it and what we wanted to achieve with it. This is why I wanted to create a stronger link between the educational philosophy and what students experienced, student success and professional satisfaction. High-quality education should not only provide more attractive and interesting education, but should also have an impact. This is why we returned to the essence of the educational philosophy as set out initially.”
Smart Solutions Semester
Adjustments to the Smart Solutions Semester, where students from different programmes work together for six months on assignments for the professional field, were also implemented during his time on the board. “The criticism students had a couple of years ago, was justified. The matching of students with assignments often didn’t go well, so students ended up working on projects that didn’t or only mildly interested them. That is not good for enjoying your studies. We were then able to improve this quite quickly with a new matching procedure. However, Smart Solutions needed further adjustments, ones that would take longer to implement, such as the supervision, assessment method and study load, to name but a few. Such a long implementation period is troublesome as many changes would only become visible after a year or two. In the meantime you still get stories of how students and lecturers are not satisfied. That it is not good enough. These are complex forms of education that are extremely valuable, when done well. But even there, improvements are now visible. I’m glad to say that I get to hear this from students, lecturers and programme committees. In the evaluations we are given on average, either a satisfactory or a more than satisfactory.”
The last crisis was caused by the announced cutbacks in education by Cabinet Schoof. Fortunately, some of the cutbacks have since been reversed, partly due to active lobbying by many colleagues.
Interdisciplinary education
Timo tells how he is also proud of the interdisciplinary education at Saxion. He says that he doesn’t know a single applied university or university that provides interdisciplinary education at such a high level as Saxion. “I think a lot of people don’t appreciate this. What Saxion is doing here is truly unique. We had Arizona State University visiting the School of Education. Arizona State University has been the most innovative university in the United States for eight years running. Our guests couldn’t believe the scale at which we organise our interdisciplinary education. Perhaps, we rather see a glass that is half empty, because we are sometimes still struggling with the implementation of the concept. But really the glass is more than half full. It is fantastic that Saxion manages to deliver high quality interdisciplinary education on such a scale. We’ve been working really hard on this for years. In doing so, we have also made a huge leap in quality. However, it remains a dynamic process. There are continuously new clients, lecturers and students. You need to continue to listen and improve systematically. It is never done and dusted. That is part and parcel of it.”
Student well-being
And then came the efforts concerning student success, where Timo wanted to create a stronger link with the educational philosophy. Recent years have also seen student well-being added to the study success component. “Social developments have made this a broader theme, as a result of corona. That period along with its aftermath, has put enormous pressure on student well-being. I’m referring here to social-emotional problems in relation to studies: panic, exam stress, fear of failure. Truly devastating. And it also leads to unnecessary drop out. We’ve really tried hard to do something about this by reorganising the whole care system at Saxion in a better way. However, it remains a complex problem to solve completely. You can’t simply say: we have organised A, B and C and the job is done. In any event, we have given it a huge amount of attention. It is improving visibly, but at the same time this is difficult to quantify. The effects of corona are now ebbing away. I see that we are taking major steps in reducing the drop-out rate among first-years. Not only through our Education and Student Support Department, but also through research groups that possess the necessary scientific and practical insights. I hope that Saxion keeps looking over the fence nationally, to see how other programmes are performing and what their best practices are in this respect. We can learn from this and help improve ourselves. This way we don’t have to keep on re-inventing the wheel. There is a tendency to do that at times. It is even in Saxion’s DNA to some extent.”
Timo Kos: "It is fantastic that Saxion manages to deliver high quality interdisciplinary education on such a scale."
Huge steps
There is a lot to be proud of, what we have achieved together with colleagues, according to Timo. “We have strengthened our educational portfolio in Deventer and Apeldoorn. A great first step was the granting of public funding by the Minister for Education, Culture and Science, for our Interior Design Programme. Originally, this was offered privately through Saxion Next. This was the first time nationally, in twenty years, that an arts domain programme had succeeded in this. Unique. It is also good to see just how well the programme is doing. There is an associate degree in the pipeline and maybe even a master’s. It is also great for Deventer’s profile. And if you’re talking about Deventer… We, as applied university, have reached more than 120 student projects per year, with and for the city. For example, concerning spatial development challenges in city campus De Kien. These are truly huge steps. I hear from the municipal executive that Saxion is visible and active everywhere; in and around the city on current social themes.”
City partner
Saxion has become more than a partner to the city and the businesses and institutions in the surrounding region, Timo believes. “That was already the case in Enschede and Twente, and in Deventer and the Stedendriehoek we have grown in this. We are doing projects at City Campus De Kien, at the Gasfabriekterrein, at the Centre for Security and Digitalisation and at the Zwitsal Campus in Apeldoorn. I’ve put a lot of energy into that, as far as I’m concerned.” However, there is no single moment from the last five years that stands out, according to Timo. “It is the long-running processes in particular, sometimes tough tasks, that we have been able to improve. That’s what I’m most proud of, as these were the most difficult. You can walk away, thinking ‘let it be’, but by getting stuck in, you can make the difference between offering solutions or just going with the flow.”
At home in Deventer
It will take a bit of getting used to, letting Saxion go. Does that also apply to the Deventer region? “At the time it was taken for granted that I would move to this region for Saxion. At the start we didn’t have a house here and I still spent a couple of days a week staying in a hotel in Deventer. Then corona broke out, and of course I had to work from home, remotely, from Amsterdam. Finally, during corona, with all the restrictions in place, we moved with our family to a rental home in Deventer. A while later, we ended up at our current place in the city centre. All the lockdowns delayed us in making a real connection with the city, but we have certainly succeeded in doing that now. Through my work, but also through the work and voluntary work of my wife. Our son found his feet at a new high school, with a good group of friends, but is now studying in Amsterdam.” He thinks Deventer and the rest of the Eastern Netherland is great, says Timo: “We are still very happy here and will continue to live in Deventer in the coming years, with a weekday base in Leiden. Closer to the new job. I feel very settled here. Partly due to my work at Saxion, I’ve met so many people and visited lots of regional events, from the FBK games to the Military in Boekelo and from ‘Deventer op Stelten’ to ‘klootschieten’ on the Holterberg. I’ve done all of this and feel completely at home in these super surroundings.”
It is the long-running processes in particular, sometimes tough tasks, that we have been able to improve. That’s what I’m most proud of, as these were the most difficult.
Looking to the future
What would he like to pass on to our applied university before his departure? “That Saxion can achieve an unbelievable amount if we keep the right focus and truly work together. If you look at resolving crises, then we are very good at that. Such matters demand a lot from an organisation in a short timeframe. At the same time Saxion has staying power, when it comes to improving and solving the tougher tasks. I also hope that Saxion keeps its ambition to be one of the best applied universities in the Netherlands, and in doing so continues to invest in its connections with the outside world. We are doing this well in the region, but this is also important in a national and international perspective. Furthermore, I hope we can continue to grow our part-time education that we set up and organised many years ago, and continue to give it the attention it needs to make it a success. Also taking new steps, and in doing so making a crucial contribution to the vitality of the region.
I wish Saxion first and foremost that everyone, students and staff, continue to feel seen here. That is important to everyone. I remember my personal encounters most of all. Such as with the students who set up QUEER. Or the good discussions we had with KOSS board members about student life in Deventer. With lecturers, members of examination boards and programme committees that approached me. These are all moments you take with you. I really hope that Saxion can hold own to its character of being a personal applied university.”
Photography: Thomas Busschers
Translation: Graeme Cunningham
