‘My dream was to work in higher vocational education'

It all started when Boomkamp saw a vacancy for a shared job in 1988, enabling him to work in both intermediate vocational education (MBO) and higher vocational education (HBO). "After completing my HBO-studies, I was able to start teaching at a HEAO (Institute for Business Administration and Economics). What appealed to me was the vocationally-oriented aspect in combination with higher education, and it still does. It was my dream to be working in the field of higher vocational education and I made it come true." Other dreams followed, which also came true; dreams for the university that we have managed to realise. One of those dreams was the technology profile. But also the Master's programmes and research in higher vocational education that combined professional practice and a high level of professional competence. "The institution that we have become, is much more than the HBO-institution of the past. The Master's programmes that we had around the turn of the century belonged to the universities. We were allowed to offer these programmes at HBO-level. An important step was taken at a later stage. The Master's programmes are now accredited by ourselves; they are now our programmes and not those of another university. Through the involvement of professors and lecturer researchers, research has now become an integral part of all years of the degree programmes. By strengthening the Bachelor's programmes with research, it also becomes possible to develop subsequent Master's programmes."

A dream that did not come true was achieving a top-three position in the national student satisfaction ranking. "That is something I do indeed regret. That was a dream or goal, whichever way you put it. But I am satisfied with what we have achieved together." Boomkamp also thinks that the term 'HBO' is outdated and he would not mind if the term was used less often. "It exudes the atmosphere of the previous millennium. The term knowledge institution or University of Applied Sciences fits Saxion better and should be used more often. It reflects our social mission so much better. But the dream may still come true in the future."

Personal development

Because of the qualities attributed to him by others, i.e. his decisiveness, Boomkamp was appointed to the Executive Board at the time. "I have had to learn to slow down a bit sometimes, because people may not yet be ready for some decisions. This is very important. Sometimes, you take decisions and notice that you are too far ahead of the game, and sometimes a decision may come too late. But taking decisions is important. The decision regarding the technology profile is a case in point. We first gathered internal and external support and then made the choice. And once you have made a decision, you have to keep explaining it, because that ensures that it becomes successful."

When he joined the Board, Boomkamp set himself the goal that he wanted to be visible both internally and externally. "I think that I succeeded. Not everyone will see it this way, but what I have tried to do is stay attuned to the wishes and concerns of the students and be involved with the lecturers, degree programmes and the examination boards. Not to check up on them, but to discuss where we should be headed as a university of applied sciences. Does this enable me to have better discussions with the heads of their schools? I think so."

"Saxion has taught me to constantly develop myself. I have learned to address an audience of more than a thousand people, and from a policy point of view I have gained full insight into the finances of the organisation. I was a teacher, I taught a subject. I did not know much about management and finance. But I had the guts to take the step and was not afraid to learn from it. This is also something I want to pass on to other people: accept your insecurity, and be prepared to learn from others, from the process and from the outside world. Saxion offered me this opportunity..."

And he in turn was able to inspire a Nursing student he met. "We were walking together and we had a good conversation about her development and future. A few years later, I received an email from her. She told me that our conversation had made her discover her own strengths, and despite an illness she had made a fantastic future for herself. The most rewarding thing in my work in education is to see students develop themselves as a person and as a professional. The story of this particular student and her touching e-mail will stick in my mind forever." 

While his predecessors had to deal with cases of fraud in higher vocational education and the aftermath of the merger, the chairman of the board was able to fully concentrate on educational content in recent years and thus enhance the quality of education. "We were never brought into disrepute. We are known for being reliable, meticulous. You do not always have to follow the rules, but it is important to be responsible and to comply with the social mission, which is partly determined by politics. But we have certainly been through dire straits. For example when we have had to intervene in the organisation. Interventions that affect people, but have to be carried through to improve matters... "

Another hurdle that had to be taken during his term of office was putting the finances in order. "There were times when we were short of resources, but in comparison with our peer institutions we have been able to do relatively much. We have kept on growing. So I do not think we went through a financial crisis. As a knowledge institution, one of your tasks is to spend your money efficiently."

Position of the student

What Boomkamp finds more important, is that students have been given a more prominent role at Saxion over the years. "A good example of this is student participation. On two occasions, we have had a student chairing the Participation Council. I think that is important. And the last time we discussed the university's strategic plan with them, they participated more actively in the debate. This is important for Saxion. But we can still do better, and we should all encourage that."

Boomkamp keeps coming back to the student. "My favourite place at the university is the balcony in the central hall [the corridor in front of the boardrooms on the first floor in the main building in Enschede, ed.]. The hustle and bustle of students and staff is fantastic, I can watch that for hours. Rob Snel, former CEO of Grolsch and former member of Saxion's Supervisory Board once said to me: 'The way you look at those students, that's how I look at my beer bottles.'"

A glorious future for Saxion

And now it is time to say farewell to Saxion. "It feels strange, but I think the choice I made less than a year ago is the right one. Saxion has a good reputation. Of course there is room for improvement, but the university has taken a very strong position in the Dutch educational landscape. Not only in terms of ranking, but also in terms of the choice for technology, the many wonderful programmes and professorships, and the international profile. This distinguishes Saxion from its fellow institutions. We have thus escaped the grey mediocrity. The new coalition agreement fits Saxion like a glove. There is a large focus on technology, both in healthcare and in security. It may, for example, lead to new centres of expertise. The future will tell."

Boomkamp has one final piece of advice for all Saxion students and staff: "There are too many students who decide to leave the region not knowing how many interesting companies can be found here. So look around you. Connect to the local and regional environment, companies and developments, whether you are a director, lecturer or student. Work together and keep an open eye to new developments."