7 July 2025

In our most recent column, Where do we stand now?, we provided an overview of the steps we are taking to reduce our faculty’s financial deficit. We emphasised that these efforts will only lead to sustainable financial improvement if adjustments are made in number of staff. At this stage, there is no clarity about a potential reorganisation. We want to make it very clear that there are currently no concrete reorganisation plans – we are still in the exploratory phase.

Given the need for clarity on how a potential reorganisation might unfold, information sessions have recently been held at the institutes and the Faculty Office. For some institutes and for colleagues in The Hague, these sessions are still to come. One of the most frequently asked questions during these sessions concerned the timeline. With this message, we aim to provide an initial indication.

Conclusion of the exploratory phase

A reorganisation follows a careful procedure, as outlined in Leiden University's Reorganisation Code. We are currently in the first phase: the exploratory phase. During this phase, we are assessing the impact of the measures taken so far on reducing the financial deficit, and whether there are alternative solutions to restore the faculty’s financial health. We aim to conclude the exploratory phase by 1 November 2025, with a preliminary conclusion on whether a reorganisation is necessary. This preliminary conclusion will then be shared with the Faculty Council, which will be invited to provide its advice. Only after this step can the Faculty Board make a final decision on whether to initiate a reorganisation procedure. We expect that such a decision could be made no earlier than December 2025 or January 2026.

Next steps

If we find ourselves compelled to initiate a reorganisation procedure, a number of steps must be taken before implementation can begin. These steps are described in detail in the Reorganisation Code. The scope of the organisational change will determine the further process and timeline. The expected planning of these next steps will be included in the report to be published on 1 November.

We realise that this message does not remove concerns about the future of the faculty or the potential impact on staff. Given the complexity of the situation and the need for due care, it is unfortunately not yet possible to provide definitive answers. However, we do want to offer as much clarity as possible about the timeline and to confirm that no decisions have yet been made – and therefore no personnel changes are currently expected.

If you have questions about the faculty’s situation or about a possible reorganisation, you are welcome to submit them via perspectief2028@hum.leidenuniv.nl. We will do our best to provide you with a clear and timely response.

With kind regards,

The Faculty Board,

Henk te Velde
Saskia Goedhard
Jeroen Touwen
Jos Schaeken
Nova Verkerk

• perspectief 2028