Output
This output was first presented at an on-campus event the group organised on April 22nd 2026.
Dit item was onthuld op een evenement op de campus georganiseerd door de groep op 22 april 2026.
 Concept for insitutional polling system. Our thoughts on how an insitutional polling system could work and about aspects to consider. April 2026

This document is under construction. Expect to see more details here in the near future as we deliberate on practical implementation. You can get involved in the process by sending your suggestions or doubts. Get in touch.

Specifically, we envision an official petition system with thresholds that trigger accountability from the institution. Members of staff could create a 'call for deliberation'. This call would be internally visible to TU employees, and employees could endorse it through their TU Delft login credentials.5,6 Such a system would provide a secure way to be heard on broadly relevant topics within the university. Existing committee and reporting systems require large time commitments and enable only a limited number of people to work toward change. A collective participatory process would make it possible for everyone to make themselves heard or amplify the voices of others.

A democratized system without any clear, binding commitments does not provide a direct way to hold the institution accountable. Members of staff - especially those who have lost their trust in the institution - are unlikely to engage with even the best system if they think its outcome can be ignored.

To ensure that staff can trust the institution to hear their concerns and deliberation, the proposed system should come with clear voting-based triggers. As concrete examples, we propose three thresholds: the first would require the institution to facilitate meetings or lectures on the topic; the second would prompt a university-wide email poll open to all TU Delft employees; the third would require a formal response from the institution within 60 days regarding the feasibility of the proposal.

One might argue that the existing consultation bodies already provide a path to achieving similar effects. Yet, as with reporting social safety incidents, the lack of transparency and barriers to participation in matters related to institutional governance leave significant room for improvement. The proposed system would be a clear step towards a more democratic, transparent and participatory institution.

 Veiligheid, Integriteit en Verplichtingen April 2026 Een Nederlandse vertaling is nog niet beschikbaar voor dit item.