After some hurdles I am now officially a candidate for the Employee Council or Dienstraad of SOZ/SEA. This council represents the interests and welfare of staff members and promotes, to the best of their ability, openness, transparency and consultation within SOZ/SEA.
Why do you want to join the Employee Council?
I want to make a difference. As part of my work I’ve built a very wide network within the university, and I would like all SEA employees to benefit from that in the (digital) transformational changes that are before us. I strongly believe in diversity, inclusion and sustainability, and the benefits that would bring to all employees of Leiden University.
What do you want to accomplish in the Employee Council?
While I have a wide experience in promoting staff wellness, I would like to work in particular on inclusion and sustainability within SEA. I am thinking concretely about things like:
- Thinking deep and well about all our digital events and all our communication. Is it accessible to everybody? Is there a sign language translator? Do we subtitle things? Is an English version available? Do presentations follow guidelines on font and colours? Is everybody represented at SEA? Do you count as well?
- Connecting different parts of SEA, and breaking closed circles by working on shared projects. What can we mean for each other, and how can we bring inclusion and sustainability further?
- How can we contribute to inclusion and sustainability of Leiden University as SEA in concrete ways. For instance: how can we create green spaces in and outside SEA buildings both to promote staff & student wellness and in a larger sense reduce the carbon footprint of the university.? What can we do to green other parts of our ways of working like travelling less and consuming sustainably ?
- How can we reduce work pressure and increase staff enjoyment, for instance by increasing agile workmethods & digitalisation and decreasing bureaucracy so we can be more flexible in reacting to opportunities and challenges.
Who are you and what are your experiences?
My name is Tanja de Bie, and I’ve been working with the Centre for Innovation since 2013. My portfolio includes online learning, community management, social media and digital platforms. Before moving to CFI, I worked at the Bestuursbureau at what is now SAZ, which gave me an unique insight on how Leiden University operates, as well as a very wide network in all faculties. This past crisis year I have concentrated on knowledge transfer of the tips & tricks of online learning to teachers and support staff. I have also been exploring how to better run digital events. Me and my team organize (online) workshops and other digital events. I have also helped launch the Sustainability Network in Teams by supporting LUGO with coaching, and am currently working on the peer to peer network Teaching@Science, an initiative of SEEDS, the teacher support desk of the faculty of Science. I am embedded at SEEDS for two days a week. I am also a member of the Digital Accessibility working group.
I studied history at Leiden, and later moved to healthcare management in home care, before returning to my alma mater. I have hands on experience in quality care, team coaching and care planning. I also have a (hobby) background in roleplaying games and online resource communities on that subject., which I often find useful in my work. I have a passion for gardening and green spaces, and was one of the initiators of the Mindful Garden @ Schouwburgstraat The Hague, part of the De-Mystifying Mindfulness Course of Leiden University.
You can read more about me on my personal page in this blog.
What are your values?
This is what I stand for:
- Diversity and Inclusion (gender, ethnicity, sexuality, ability)
- Sustainability (individually, but also systemic)
- Deep listening & empathy
- Collaboration & helping each other
- Positivity