[Seriously?] Less is more

The planned reduction in Bachelor’s degrees has started a trend: less is the new more.

With the announcement of the major revamp of the Bachelor’s programmes — also called Operation Degree Zero — the new Dean of Education Dick Knight seems to be paving the way for a big clear-out. There are suddenly lots of new initiatives for making do with less.

Rector Caroline Cruise is seizing the moment to review the number of professors with a chair. WUR has about 90 of them at present. ‘I’m not sure what the exact number is, and that in itself says it all,’ says an enthusiastic Cruise. ‘We can manage with fewer professors. They’re a dime a dozen, and too many cooks spoil the broth anyway.’

Having had success with the Bachelor’s degrees, now Knight has his eye on the 44 Master’s. ‘That is a ridiculous number for an institute that claims to be One Wageningen.’ Knight is taking his time to get it right, though. ‘First, a working group will consider the feasibility of a committee, which if approved will have the mission of setting up a Less Is More Taskforce.’

It could still be a lot lower so we need to persevere.

But is less really more? And is less better? A group of critical students are questioning the radical reduction ideology. ‘Reduction is intrinsically incompatible with diversity and inclusion,’ says activist Barry Cade. ‘Less of something is simply a cut, no more and no less than that. We mustn’t settle for less.’

But elsewhere in the country, the idea of less, less, less is catching on. The latest enrolment figures show a substantial fall in the number of students choosing Wageningen. ‘That is encouraging, but we have a way to go,’ warns Minske Halfwerk of Student Information & Recruitment. ‘The intake could still be a lot lower, so we need to persevere.’

Student accommodation provider Idealis sees big benefits in the new trend on campus. ‘We always make a promise that every student will have a room by April,’ says director Art van Bas. ‘But that can be sooner if we have fewer students. Perhaps we can even eventually reach the ideal situation where there are no room shortages at all. What’s not to like?!’

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