In this week's plenary meeting, the University Council approved the University of Twente's 2025 budget by a majority (14 out of 18 votes).
The budget was already on the agenda of the last UC meeting in December, but the UC abstained. During that meeting, the council expressed its concerns about the budget's feasibility and asked the Executive Board (EB) to demonstrate how the set goals can be realised and which measures are taken to manage risks.
In a detailed letter, the EB explained to the UC how it ensures the organisation will stay within its financial targets. This letter was further discussed in the plenary meeting on Wednesday, 29 January.
For instance, the EB explained the approach to be taken by units that could not immediately meet the previously set financial targets. Only with an action plan outlining the steps towards a balanced budget within the foreseeable future is a temporary deviation limited.
The Executive Board also discussed how, in 2025, realisation will be actively monitored via bimonthly management reports and how the resulting findings will be translated directly into concrete adjustment actions. This will be done both at the individual unit and UT levels.
Various actions will also be deployed in the coming period, for example, to strengthen the financial function. This involves well-functioning processes, systems, and structures, as well as culture and behaviour. The transition to the UT of the future will also take further shape, in line with the route recently initiated by the Strategic Board.
