Before the leash comes off for a while during the Christmas recess, the last department facts of 2023.
News that makes your trousers drop? Not really.

Unless your name is Eddy Snelders.

Our wellbeing policy is more than a Happiness Week, a cosy drink or a festive New Year's Eve event. First and foremost, we want a positive working environment where everyone feels good, professionally as well as personally.

At central as well as faculty level, there are official bodies (trust persons) you can turn to.

However, following the Respectful Behaviour report earlier this year and consultations within the faculty and our department, a strong desire emerged to have such points of contact within the department as well.

These persons are not trust persons, do not have this decisiveness or responsibility, but are only an accessible point of contact and a first listening ear who can possibly refer to other (official) bodies. The set-up in the department also always remains in line with faculty and central initiatives.

Within the AAP/OAP delegation, colleagues were already nominated for this some time ago. But we also want to open this up to ATP and ZAP. Anyone in need of a talk can then contact someone from their own or another section.

Colleagues from ATP and ZAP who want to get involved in this may make it known here.

Likewise, anyone can nominate someone else. Ideally, there will then be strong matchmaking between one's own candidacy and nomination by others.
We want to give colleagues who commit themselves to this sufficient guidance. There is a DPO info session on this topic and which channels exist at Ghent University. To be clear, this is not a training to become a confidential advisor.

Title?
Fiduciary or ombudsperson are reserved for other purposes. At Voetbal Vlaanderen they speak of APIs (AanspreekPersoon Integriteit), we copy-paste this.
Or as a colleague (who wishes to remain otherwise anonymous) described it, "API for atmosphere, for atmosphere, API for atmosphere" (it's a silly Dutch thing).

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Finally, fun wellbeing side note (and especially now that you've got the above tune in your head): you can still register for our New Year's event REV-Après Ski.

New step for our core facility "Human Movement" (in collaboration with the Department of Movement and Sports Sciences): green light from the Faculty Core Facilities Committee, now to the Executive Council for ratification. Once there is a final Go, the core facility will officially start operating from 1 January, but rather from 1 March.

Next month, the core group will further work out all important modalities and agreements (pricing, reservations, billing). Targeted and clear communication will follow. Any questions: research team leader prof. Erik Witvrouw is your go to.

Thank you everyone for making such a fantastic commitment to exam supervision! It's always a big load, but all together everything goes better. Still looking for a supervision spot, possibly changing or reviewing when you had signed up? Right here.

It can always happen that you do not manage to take up supervision (available places no longer match your own work schedule), all understanding for this. As a supervisor: feel free to discuss this with all your employees, to possibly swap between them so that everyone finds a feasible balance in this.

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A heads up for those still arranging their 2024 budget: from 1 January, the rates in the UZ resto and cafeterias will be increased. All UGent employees will pay the same rate as students. Employees with dual UGent-UZ appointments will continue to pay the basic UZ employee rate.

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Eos and the Young Academy are looking for the most promising researcher in Flanders.
Candidates can apply until 20 December.

Despite bleak autumn weather, we had Spanish warmth in our department. David Morales stayed with us as a guest researcher for several months and next week is his last day. He had a great time here and therefore requested some editorial space for a nice message.

Next newsletter: in the new year. Already a good intention.
Questions, comments or suggestions for the newsletter?
Let it know via thibault.bonte@ugent.be!