160 Dialogue participants
It’s happening! A new way of discussing and deciding together is coming to VU Amsterdam. Building on the practice of citizens’ assemblies, the Sustainability University Assembly (SUA) will see a diverse group of 160 students and staff members – selected at random – entering into dialogue about the future of their university.
Two rounds of lottery
Members of the VU community will find out in the first week of March whether they have been selected at random. Those who have can register for the Assembly on this website from the beginning of March. Next, it’s another round of lottery, this time with criteria for diversity. In early April everyone who registered will hear if they are invited to participate.
One question
The starting point for the dialogue is the following question: ‘How do we become a sustainable university?’. Participants are encouraged to take a broad view and include VU Amsterdam’s role in society in their responses to this question.
Five events
From 15 April onwards, the participants will meet five times. In their meetings they will be able to bring their own ideas to the table, hear fellow VU people’s ideas, and a mix of perspectives and information from outside the room. Step by step, the Assembly will develop proposals for a sustainable VU. At the end of the Assembly, they will decide together which of those proposals are adopted into the SUA Agreement, which will be presented to the university’s decision-makers.