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Welcome to VUB Engage

Why?

VUB Engage (former VOX.VUB) is part of a broader participatory trajectory at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels.

Specifically, this platform is intended:

  • To facilitate and encourage participation
  • To engage everyone who's active at the VUB (students and staff)
  • To join us in realising concrete and positive changes in VUB policy & operation

Following an initial test period, the VUB direction board approved the continuation of this participation platform for the current academic year, 2018-2019. In this second test period we will focus on opening up the platform for a larger audience and continue to establish how it can be implemented as an effective instrument in the VUB’s participatory trajectory.

Why participate? VUB Engage offers a low-threshold platform for you to share your ideas and opinions with other students and staff members within the VUB community and to join the discussion. In addition, it wants to support the VUB community in suiting the action to the word, and facilitating the process of turning ideas into definite results where possible.

How does it work?

On VUB Engage you can find a number of ‘projects’. Each project represents a specific initiative by VUB policy or the broader VUB community with different possible purposes:

  • Gather constructive ideas or suggestions to improve VUB policy, services, facilities and communication
  • Discuss different points of views or policy themes
  • Collaborate on creating specific solutions or results to tackle particular questions or challenges
  • Inform the VUB community, e.g. about relevant policy decisions or results that were obtained with the help of VUB Engage

These projects are made possible by willing VUB students and employees who act as moderators. How quickly they respond on ideas depends on the type of project.

Most projects follow a particular timeline, which gives you an overview of all the steps that will be taken throughout the process. For each project phase, you get information about what the objectives are and how you can help.

In some cases you will be able to contribute by responding to a survey, or share ‘ideas’. What constitutes an idea is explained per project. Sometimes, in addition to sharing ideas, you can vote on them or comment on them.

To actively participate in VUB Engage, you need to be logged in with your VUB Office 365 account.

News (update: 15-11-2018)

  • NEW: VOX.VUB continues this academic year (2018-2019) with a new name: VUB Engage
  • NEW: Here we will keep the results to which the participation platform has contributed. Feel free to add results if you know of any: (LINK)
  • The first version of the platform was officially launched on VUBrusselt, an event organized by the Student Council on February 22nd, 2018. Check out our communication at VUBtoday and on the Go Vocal blog (in Dutch). During the past academic year, it was also represented at at Difference Day.

We will update this section regularly to report our progress, so do come back to check for updates.

Background

Prior trajectory

VUB Engage continues where VOX.VUB left off. Thanks to the lessons that we learned during the trial period in the past academic year (2017-2018), the platform was revised, not only by giving it a new name, and starting new projects, but also with new or modified features such as a simplified log-in procedure.

We would like to thank all the students and staff members who contributed to VUB engage via workshops, surveys or other ways. We will continue to work on improving the platform and how it is put into practice!

Participation team

VOX.VUB is backed up by a team of people:

  • Initiators: The student council and the department for Strategy and Policy support
  • Researchers: Members of the SMIT research group conducting social-scientific research to guide the implementation of the platform
  • Developer: Go Vocal who developed the platform on which VOX.VUB is running
  • Project moderators: Willing VUB student and staff members that initiate of follow up specific projects
  • You: You are the crucial member of our team, without your contribution VOX.VUB cannot function

Would you like to start a project on VUB Engage this academic year or do you have other questions? Please contact the VUB Engage administrator via engage@vub.be.