There are a number of important documents that institutions and students must comply with. These are the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW), the Student Charter and the Education and Examination Regulations (OER). On this page, we provide a brief explanation of these documents.
Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW)
The legal position of students in higher education (universities of applied sciences and research universities) is regulated by the Higher Education and Scientific Research Act (WHW). Once you are enrolled as a student in a programme, you have a number of rights. An important part of these rights is regulated in Article 7.34 of the WHW
- You are entitled to participate in all education, but you do not automatically have the right to participate in all examinations. Conditions may apply.
- You are entitled to use the buildings and facilities of the educational institution.
- You are also entitled to study guidance; and
- The educational institution may not terminate a programme prematurely; students who have already started the programme may complete it. The BSA may be an exception to this.
Student Charter
The Student Charter is a compilation of the rights and obligations of students. When enrolling in a programme, you will be referred to where the institution’s Student Charter can be found. It consists of a section for the entire educational institution and a programme-specific section. What does the Student Charter contain?
The Education and Examination Regulations (OER)
When you start a programme, you should always receive the Education and Examination Regulations (OER). Each programme has its own OER, which contains rules and practical information about your programme. It is useful to read the OER carefully so that you do not encounter any surprises later on. The rules in the OER may not infringe on the aforementioned rights of students in the WHW and the Student Charter.
The OER contains information about, among other things:
- The rules regarding fraud and irregularities;
- The content of the programme and the associated examinations;
- The form of the examinations;
- The deadlines for announcing grades;
- Rules regarding study guidance;
- Binding study advice, for more information click here;
- The expiry of credits;
- Granting exemptions; and
- Objection and appeal procedures.
If you have any questions about your programme, it is best to first take a look at the teaching and examination regulations (OER). Every programme is required to have an OER, which can often be found on the intranet or website of your programme.