We took a morning bus from
The university was a short walk from our hotel and we were scheduled to be there to tour before lunch. We crossed one canal and walked a couple of blocks to arrive outside a building courtyard with one building labeled University Club. We met a sociology professor there who would be our guide for the day. He was very intelligent and knew a lot. He was a little odd but certainly likable.
From our studies on Leiden it seems to be more similar to a US institution than others that we have visited. There are 17,000 students and 4,000 faculty or staff. My college, Mississippi State, has 21,000 students and 4,600 faculty and staff.
Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and led us into the building opposite the University Club. He gave a brief history of the building. It was constructed in 1532 for governmental purposes as the university was not founded until 1575.
In 1574 the Spanish were invading the Netherlands and Leiden resisted. After a siege the Spanish eventually retreated. Prince William of Orange to reward the town offered either a college or a 10-year period of time without taxes. The town council wisely chose to found a college.
The building we were in was the 'heart' of the University from 1584 until 1930's.
We were told the annual budget of University of Leiden was 475 million Euros (583 million US). For comparison purposes the annual salary, wages and benefits at the University of Alabama is $466 Million.
One of the interesting things that we saw was the Sweat Chamber. This room was located adjacent to the doctoral defense room and students would wait in there to be called for their defense. After successful completion of their defense they would sign the wall. The wall was covered in signature with some of them being quite old. Nelson Mandela was awarded an honorary doctorate and got to sign the wall. His signature and the signature of another honorary doctorate (someone from the Orange family) were both covered in a protective plate.
University of Leiden was ruled by Senate until 1940 and we saw the senate room. It looked similar to a church you would find in the US.
We toured each of the rooms that house meeting space for faculty on doctoral defense days.
University of Leiden was ruled by Senate until 1940 and we saw the senate room. It looked similar to a church you would find in the US.
We toured each of the rooms that house meeting space for faculty on doctoral defense days.
The picture below shows the doctoral defense room. The three chairs in the middle are where the candidate, his dissertation chair, and other supporting faculty would sit.
For lunch we ate in the Faculty Club with a number of staff members from Leiden. At the table I was sitting was a staff member from housing. You may remember from previous posts that housing office only offer services to international students. I do wonder about their reasoning for not serving Dutch students and wish that I had inquired into that.
After lunch we walked in the 'student union'. There was a career counseling center there that is even more interesting to me as I reflect on my experience. The student recreation room was also in this facility and by American standards would only be acceptable in a hotel. The 'book store' here was only slightly better than what we saw at University of Ghent. This bookstore included three choices of shirts and two choices of coffee mugs.
We ended the day with a nice meal together. As a group we went around talked about things we had learned and what had made the strongest impressions on us. To some degree our comments were influenced by the area we were currently working. It was interesting to me how students select colleges and how little money was spent on recruiting. One of my fellow cohort members talked about how the university focus on the courses within the major could have significant impacts on what is considered 'educated'. With the high schools bearing the weight of core curriculum there is pressure on students to mature quickly.
We have had a great time and have had fun getting to spend even more time with wife and cohort members. I know this experience will shape the next year of course work and likely my career.
After lunch we walked in the 'student union'. There was a career counseling center there that is even more interesting to me as I reflect on my experience. The student recreation room was also in this facility and by American standards would only be acceptable in a hotel. The 'book store' here was only slightly better than what we saw at University of Ghent. This bookstore included three choices of shirts and two choices of coffee mugs.
We ended the day with a nice meal together. As a group we went around talked about things we had learned and what had made the strongest impressions on us. To some degree our comments were influenced by the area we were currently working. It was interesting to me how students select colleges and how little money was spent on recruiting. One of my fellow cohort members talked about how the university focus on the courses within the major could have significant impacts on what is considered 'educated'. With the high schools bearing the weight of core curriculum there is pressure on students to mature quickly.
We have had a great time and have had fun getting to spend even more time with wife and cohort members. I know this experience will shape the next year of course work and likely my career.
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