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The University in Belgian Politics since the Contestation of 1968

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 March 2014

Extract

BEFORE 1969 THE BELGIAN GOVERNMENT AND THE MAJOR POLITICAL parties used all sorts of determinants: linguistic, tribal, philosophical, legal, and administrative to elaborate norms – objective or not – for the allocation of university finance on the basis of the absolute rule of parity. For the Belgian universities, the reforms of 1969, the logical result of the ‘politicization’ movement of 1968, meant the introduction into the previous system of institutions and procedures such as constituent assemblies , elections, playing at politics, taking at least a minimal part in the general management and establishing techniques for the sharing of resources.

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Articles
Copyright
Copyright © Government and Opposition Ltd 1972

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References

1 Duclos, Pierre, ‘La politification: trois exposés’ in Politique, 04‐June 1961, PP. 23–7Google Scholar.

2 Arrété royal ‐ 17 January 1957, Moniteur Belge, 19 January 1957.

3 In Ln Libre Belgique, I and 2 January 1968.

4 ‘The Belgian Bishops affirm their will to maintain and not to permit any questioning by any member of the university of the institutional and functional unity of the Alma Mater as well as of its fundamental geographical unity which situates it in Louvain.’

‘There is no question of establishing either at once or by stages a new university, French or Flemish, nor should the endowments be divided nor should the University of Louvain by dismantled in any way.’

5 In ‘Science politique et t$ACches de prévision’, Res Publica, No. 1, 1965, PP. 3–14.

6 For further information on this cleavage, see my article: ‘La question universitaire en Belgique: phénomè ne de politification’ in Année politique, 1968, Belgian Institute of Political Science.

7 ‘L'idée de dépolitisation’, in Ladéolitisation, mytbe ou realité? Cabiers de la fondation nationale des sciences politiques, No. 120, A. Colin, Paris, 1962, p. 36.

8 ‘Les attitudes politiques en democratie’, collection of the Centre de théorie politique, Brussels Institute of Sociology, U.L.B., 1968.

9 To understand the history of this problem, see chapter 111, ‘La création des organes de la politique scientifique nationale’, ‘La décision politique en Belgique: Le pouvoir et les grouped, edited by J. Meynaud, J. Ladrière, F. Perin in Cabiers de la Fondation nationale des sciences politiques, No. 138, A. Colin, Paris, 1965.

10 Here is the resolution: ‘The administrative council will be composed of representatives elected from the teaching body, the faculties and the school, the heads of departments, assistants, research fellows, students, former students, administrative, technical and working staff and circles representing the social, political and economic life of the country: the latter will number at most eight, the others at least twenty‐four. All mandates will be subject to a time limit. The rector and the faculty boards will be elected by the teaching body, which is made up of ordinary and extraordinary professors, and associate professors, who lecture in the faculties and schools. In each faculty or school, there will be a council, to be composed of equal numbers of the members of the teaching body and students. It will be obliged to pronounce on all intended modifications in the programme and organisation of teaching and examinations as well as at least once a year, on each of the existing courses.’

11 Chamber of Representatives ‐ Session 1968/1969 ‐ 16 January 1969, Vol. 4, V 1968–1969, NO. 2.

12 In fact, the government was committing itself for the remainder of its term. For the text of the convention see the press of 20–22 October 1967.