Regulations governing Top Talents 2022

Table of contents

• Chapter 1: introductiory provisions
• Chapter 2: Top talent in sports
• Chapter 3: Top talent in the arts
• Chapter 4: Final provisions
• Explanation of the decision-making process

Chapter 1: introductory provisions

Article 1 Basis

These Regulations are based on Article 7.34(1)(d) of the Higher Education and Research Act (WHW; Wet op het hoger onderwijs en wetenschappelijk onderzoek).

Article 2 Purpose

1. The purpose of these Regulations is to offer top talent in sport and in the arts studying at Radboud University special facilities so that these students are better able to combine an education with practising sport or developing their talents in sports or in the arts.
2. The facilities are laid down in these Regulations. These Regulations also lay down the (procedural) rules with regard to recognition as a top talent.

Article 3 Scope

These Regulations apply to students enrolled in an accredited initial study programme at Radboud University.

Article 4 Definitions

1. The terms used in these Regulations that also occur in the WHW have the same meaning offered by the WHW, unless stated otherwise in paragraph 2.

2. The following definitions apply:
a. Top Talent coordinator: an employee of Radboud University designated by the Executive Board who is responsible for supporting top talent in sport and in the arts enrolled at the university and who acts as a permanent point of contact for the faculties. The Top Talent coordinator is the top-level sports coordinator as referred to in the Flexible Education and Top-Level Sport (FLOT); Flexibel Onderwijs en Topsport) action plan.
b. Topsport Gelderland: an organisation founded on the initiative of HAN Sport and Exercise and subsidised by NOC*NSF and the province of Gelderland, which aims to provide support in a broad sense to top-level sporting talent in Gelderland.

Chapter 2 Top talent in sport

Article 5 Scope of Chapter 2

This chapter applies to top talent in sport.

Chapter 6 Recognition of top talent in sport
1. Any student who wishes to make use of the facilities described in this section must have been recognised by the Executive Board as a top talent in sport.
2. The Executive Board recognises a student as a top talent in sport if the student:
a. has been recognised by the NOC*NSF and/or the relevant sports association as a A, B or HP athlete;
b. has been recognised by the NOC*NSF and/or the relevant sports association as an International Talent (IT), National Talent (NT) or Promising (Bel) athlete;
c. has been awarded Regional Status by Topsport Gelderland; or
d. has a foreign nationality and does not have one of the above-mentioned statuses but demonstrably practises their sport at a level comparable to one of these statuses in their country of origin.

Article 7 Recognition procedure

1. A request to be recognised as a top talent in sport is submitted by the student.
2. The student submits a request for recognition to the Top Talent coordinator.
3. For students as referred to in Article 6.2(c), the Top Talent coordinator holds an intake interview with the student prior to making a decision. The intake interview only takes place once Topsport Gelderland has drawn up a recommendation as to whether the student falls into one of the categories referred to in Article 6.
4. The Executive Board decides on requests for recognition.

Article 8 Period of validity of recognition

1. Recognition as a top talent in sport is valid for one academic year and can be extended.
2. Every year, the Top Talent coordinator asks the student whether they wish to extend their recognition as a top talent. If a student does not respond to the request for extension, their status as a top talent expires, and the student is no longer entitled to claim the facilities described in this section. 

Article 9 Facilities for top talent in sport 

Students who are recognised as top talent in sport can make use of the following facilities under the conditions described below:

a. the services of the Top Talent coordinator;
b. the flexible learning possibilities described by the Executive Board and granted at the level of the study programme as mentioned on www.ru.nl/flexibelstuderen;
c. facilities to be determined by the Executive Board that are tailored to the specific situation of the student in question, including in any case special sports facilities.

Chapter 3: Top talent in the arts

Article 10 Scope of Chapter 3

This chapter applies to top talent in the arts.

Article 11 Recognition of top talent in the arts

1. Any student who wishes to make use of the facilities described in this section must have been recognised by the Executive Board as a top talent in the arts.
2. On request, the Executive Board recognises a student as a top talent in the arts if the student:
a. can demonstrate to be exceptionally talented in the field of art; and
b. can demonstrate that they are among the best in the country in their discipline. 

Article 12 Recognition procedure

1. A request to be recognised as a top talent in the arts is submitted by the student.
2. The student submits a request for recognition to the Top Talent coordinator.
3. Prior to the decision, the Top Talent coordinator holds an intake interview with the student.
4. The Executive Board decides on requests for recognition.

Article 13 Period of validity of recognition

1. Recognition as a top talent in the arts is valid for one academic year and can be extended.
2. Every year, the Top Talent coordinator asks the student whether they wish to extend their recognition as a top talent. If a student does not respond to the request for extension, their status as a top talent expires, and the student is no longer entitled to claim the facilities described in this section. 

Article 14 Facilities for top talent in the arts

Students who are recognised as top talent in the arts can make use of the following facilities under the conditions described below:

a. the services of the Top Talent coordinator;
b. the flexible learning possibilities described by the Executive Board and granted at the level of the study programme as mentioned on www.ru.nl/flexibelstuderen;
c. facilities to be determined by the Executive Board that are tailored to the specific situation of the student.

Chapter 4: Final Provisions

Article 15 Authorisations and decisions

For the implementation of the provisions in these Regulations, the Executive Board has granted, through a separate decision, the following authorisations:

Article 16 Disputes and legal protection

A stakeholder as referred to in Article 7.59a of the WHW may submit a complaint as referred to in Article 7.59a of the WHW and an appeal or objection as referred to in Chapter 7, Title 4 of the WHW to the accessible faculty of Radboud University against decisions taken pursuant to these Regulations. 

Article 17 Safety net clause

1. In all cases not covered fully or partially by these Regulations, the Executive Board will decide. 
2. In case of conflict between these Regulations and the applicable statutory provisions, the provisions in the WHW take precedence.

Article 18 Entry into force

These Regulations enter into force on 1 May 2022, repealing the 2012 Regulations governing Top Talent in Sport and in the Arts adopted by the Executive Board on 19 November 2012. 

Article 19 Reference and publication

1. These Regulations can be cited as the ‘Regulations governing Top Talent 2022’.
2. The Executive Board shall ensure the appropriate publication of these Regulations as well as any interim amendments.

Article 20 Adoption

These Regulations were adopted by the Executive Board on 26 April 2022.

Explanation of the decision-making process

Introduction

On 19 November 2012, the Executive Board adopted regulations governing top talent in sport and in the arts for the very first time. These Regulations were drawn up to set out/provide a framework for the special (additional) facilities offered to top talent, in addition to, among others, the possibilities for financial support on the basis of the Profiling Fund. The aim of the additional support and facilities provided on the basis of the Regulations governing top talent is to make it easier for students to combine a university education with practising top-level sport or developing their talents in the arts. The facilities for top talent are regarded as student facilities (in the sense of Article 7.34 of the WHW). By providing these facilities, in addition to financial support from the Profiling Fund, Radboud University explicitly positions itself as a university that supports and facilitates top talent.

Background to the proposal

Radboud University has a long-standing partnership with the Centre for Elite Sports and Education (Centrum voor Topsport en Onderwijs, CTO) in Papendal. The Regulations governing top talent are also included as an (informative) appendix to the cooperation agreement between Radboud University and CTO Papendal. In view of the expiry of the term of the cooperation agreement, in 2021 it was agreed to renew and extend the cooperation until August 2024, the end of the next Olympic cycle. The amending of the cooperation agreement also provided an opportunity to improve and update the Regulations governing top talent.

Outline of the proposal

The most important changes to the Regulations: 

• The facilities for top talent are now explicitly positioned as student facilities, supplementing the financial facilities for top talents from Radboud University’s Profiling Fund and other – more general – student facilities. The procedural rules for granting facilities to top talent have been tightened up and improved; for example, a guidance agreement is no longer drawn up, but an intake interview is held with the student, after which advice is issued regarding the required flexibility and a feasible study load.
• The coordinator’s working method has been made more transparent. The coordinator’s services are now also available to top talent in the arts.
• A distinction is no longer made between athletes with a NOC*NSF status and athletes with a Topsport Gelderland status.
• The Regulations for top talent in sport now more explicitly refer to the Flexible Education and Top-level Sport (FLOT) cooperation platform – the platform set up by NOC*NSF and the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, to which Radboud University has been affiliated since the spring of 2016. Partly as a result of a suggestion made by the University Student Council, the provisions on the so-called quid pro quo have been scrapped.
• Introductory and final provisions have been added to the Regulations, including the basis and scope provisions. The Regulations have also been adapted to the new house style and are more in line with Radboud University’s qualitative standards for institutional regulations.

Advice and consultation

During the process of formulating the amendments to these Regulations, the relevant policy staff members and other staff members at the Academic Affairs (AA) department were consulted, including the Top Talent coordinator. The amendments to the Regulations were also discussed with a delegation of the University Student Council (USC) on 25 June 2021 and on 7 December 2021.

Participational bodies

Based on a precedent from 2012, the Executive Board previously decided to request the approval of the University Student Council for the decision to adopt these Regulations. 

However, given the position of the facilities for top talent as student facilities, there is officially only participation in those parts of the Regulations that relate to the policy regarding these facilities (Article 3.5.1 of the USR-FSR Regulations in conjunction with Article 7.34 of the WHW).

Entry into force and transitional arrangements

The Regulations enter into force on 1 May 2022. The Executive Board has not deemed it necessary to make transitional arrangements for current requests.

Implementation of the regulations and authorisations

In order to implement these Regulations, three authorisations (with the right of substitution), to be granted through a separate decision, are proposed to the Academic Affairs director. These concern: 

• The appointment of a Top Talent coordinator
• Taking decisions regarding the recognition of students as top talent, and the determination of
• tailored facilities for top talent.