We want students to be assured they have a positive environment and a safe basis for their studies. We hope you never experience an unsafe situation or undesirable behaviour at the UvA, but should this occur there are different individuals and institutions you can turn to. The overview below shows you the way.
Depending on the circumstances, you may want to discuss an undesirable situation with a lecturer, programme coordinator or study adviser first. If, for whatever reason, this is not possible, you can use one of the other options listed here. When you talk to someone they may also refer you to these options. Anything you report will be treated in the strictest confidence.
If you have experienced or are experiencing undesirable behaviour (such as sexual intimidation aggressive or violent behaviour, bullying and discrimination) you can contact one of the confidential advisers for undesirable behaviour. They can provide support and help look for a way to stop or de-escalate the undesirable situation. Where relevant they will refer you to professional care and assistance. They can also help you submit a claim to the Complaints Committee.
Go to information and contact details for confidential advisers for undesirable behaviour
If you experience problems (such as undesirable behaviour or conflict) with a fellow student during a lecture or tutorial, your first point of contact to discuss this is your lecturer or tutor. You can also contact a confidential adviser for undesirable behaviour or a study adviser. If necessary the study adviser can pass your report on to the director of education of your school or college. This applies equally whether your lecture or tutorial took place online or on-campus.
You can turn to a student counsellor if you areexperiencing an unsafe or personal situation that is affecting your studies. The student counsellor can provide support and can refer you to external bodies. You can also contact a student counsellor for support relating to other personal circumstances affecting your studies, for example if you have a disability, or if you want to combine studying with top-level sport.
Go to more information and contact details of student counsellors
If you are experiencing psychological problems as a result of a socially unsafe situation, the student psychologists provide the possibility to talk about this in an initial, exploratory appointment. They can also advise you and refer you to other sources of support. You can also turn to the student psychologists if you are experiencing psychological or mental issues that are affecting your studies, such as a fear of failure or study stress.
Go to more information and contact details of the student psychologists
As a student you can register with the UvA’s General Practitioners Practice. The student doctors are specialised in treating mental and physical complaints affecting students, including issues relating to social safety. You can talk to them if you are sick, feeling down or have health concerns, and also if you are experiencing undesirable behaviour on the part of a fellow student or a UvA staff member.
Go to more information and contact details of General Practitioners Practice UvA
If you have questions or complaints relating to academic integrity you can contact a confidential adviser for academic integrity. They can also inform you about the procedure for submitting a complaint to the Academic Integrity Committee.
Go to more information and contact details of confidential advisers for academic integrity
The ombudsperson is an independent figure you can contact when you encounter structural problems and injustices within the UvA. You can do so confidentially and without formalities. If the ombudsperson considers it necessary, they can mediate between parties and/or carry out an independent investigation.
Go to more information and contact details of the ombudsperson
In addition to the existing facilities listed here, the UvA has opened an independent reporting point for undesirable behaviour at CAOP. The CAOP will register all the reports it receives before passing them on to the UvA. It will also monitor the handling of reports by the UvA to make sure they are followed up.
You can find more information and contact details at www.reportingpointundesirablebehaviouruva.nl
If you want to submit a formal complaint about the conduct of a UvA staff member or institution, you can turn to the Complaints Committee. The procedure for handling complaints is laid down in the Regulations for Employee and Student Complaints Procedures at the University of Amsterdam.
Read more about submitting a complaint
In an emergency call the Central Control Room of the UvA on the central emergency number: +31 (0)20 525 2222.
In the case of an extremely unsafe situation (such as stalking or threats) also report this to the police.
Were you involved in an unsafe situation or near accident? Report it via www.uva.nl/veilig.
Please note 0800 and 0900 numbers are only accessible for people calling from within The Netherlands.
The UvA has a code of conduct that applies to everyone who works and studies at the university. This sets out how we should treat each other and what to do when undesirable behaviour occurs.
You can find more information on social safety at uva.nl/socialsafety.
Also see the full range of support and advice offered by Student Services.
Also see the social safety support guide for staff.
New regulations have recently been adopted for the ombudsperson, the confidential advisers for undesirable behaviour and the complaints procedure. These regulations go into effect on 1 November 2021. Read more about the new regulations.