17 September 2019
The framework letter marks the start of a new planning and control cycle (pdf, in Dutch). All UvA organisational units indicate what their ambitions are for the year ahead, what steps they intend to take to realise them and how much money they require. The framework letter contains a forecast of external developments and outlines the financial backdrop against which the ambitions are to be realised in order to provide a structure and guidelines to the units for drawing up their budgets for 2020. As such, the framework letter is a first step towards ensuring a balanced budget.
According to custom, the academic community was given the opportunity to take cognisance of the draft framework letter and to ask any questions on that matter. This consultation period took place between 20 May and 4 June. On 14 June, a subsequent meeting of the CvB and the GV included an explanation of the framework letter by the CvB and a response to questions from the GV. Having communicated a number of times on remaining topics from the letter, the GV consented to the 2020 Framework Letter.
The UvA faculties and units will draw up their draft budgets in the months ahead. These plans are to be combined in an UvA-wide draft budget, which will be adopted by the CvB. Based on this draft budget, the deans will enter into discussions on the definitive budget, which is scheduled to be adopted by year-end following consultation on the draft UvA budget with the GV.
Anyone interested in learning more about the UvA's financial management and policy is welcome to attend a special lecture about this topic by Executive Board member Jan Lintsen on 15 October. For more information, see the announcement of this lecture.