University of Twente Pioneers Cum Laude Abolition for PhDs, But Experts Say Systemic Academic Inequality Remains
Enschede, Netherlands – The University of Twente has become the first Dutch university to abolish the cum laude distinction for PhD graduates, a move intended to address academic inequality. However, experts caution that this single step will not resolve broader issues of bias within the academic system.
According to research cited in the article, assessments are influenced by factors beyond academic merit, including origin, personality, social habitat, and language skills. Bol, whose last name was not provided, stated, “This research shows how challenging it is to assess quality fairly and that this puts people at a disadvantage.”
Yvonne Benschop, professor of organizational behaviour at Radboud University and chair of the National Network of Women Professors, acknowledged the decision as “a good first step, because it recognizes that academic inequality is to the detriment of women.” However, she emphasized that “inequality is systematic in all selection systems in science,” and a “broader vision” of scientific quality is needed. Benschop advocates for valuing diverse qualities in scientists, including ”collaborative capabilities, interdisciplinarity, making a broad scientific and societal impact.”
The cum laude distinction continues to be awarded at other Dutch universities and impacts researchers’ ability to secure funding. Benschop stressed the need for sector-wide adoption of the change, stating, “This should be introduced sector-wide.”
The Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) is already working to improve assessment processes, having introduced an evidence-based cv in 2019, which requires researchers to substantiate their careers with concrete contributions, such as social impact.While NWO is evolving its assessment criteria, researchers can still currently include cum laude achievements in grant applications, and the organization has not indicated whether this will change.
Universities of the Netherlands, the umbrella organization for the country’s fourteen public universities, reports no current plans for other institutions to follow twente’s lead. As of publication,the University of Twente stands alone in its decision.