TU Delft may reserve study places for female students in the Bachelor’s programme in Aerospace Engineering. The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights has approved the plan. The university may allocate up to 30 percent of places to women. Female applicants must still complete the full selection procedure, just like male applicants.
The Board calls this type of preferential policy exceptional. It must also meet strict conditions. TU Delft asked the Board to assess the plan under equal treatment legislation. In such cases, the Board must decide whether the measure is allowed.
The Board says the policy meets the legal requirements. The measure may exclude some male applicants, but the objective is legitimate. The disadvantage for women is also clear. TU Delft reports a “structural underrepresentation of women in the bachelor’s programme, which puts pressure on the study climate and leads to gender stereotyping.”
The Executive Board notes that the intake of female students has stayed around 20 percent in recent years. The potential pool is higher. The university says this imbalance also affects the gender ratio among academic staff. A more equal distribution requires a steady flow of new students. The Board agrees that the policy can help reduce this gap.
The university may introduce the measure because it plans to communicate it clearly and transparently to prospective students.
@ANP | News Brainport
