Introduction of Personal Development Weeks at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment

In 2024-2025 the renewed bachelor programme at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment will be implemented. The bachelor renewal is led by bachelor coordinator Leo van den Burg and director of education MaartenJan Hoekstra, An important element of this renewal is the introduction of the ‘Personal Development weeks’ (POW). 

By introducing the Personal Development Weeks (POW), students - and teachers - at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment are given more space for rest and reflection. In this article, colleagues Nina and Milou and students Sophie and Bodil give their view on this educational innovation. What kind of designer do I actually want to become? What do I stand for? What is my style? How do I deal with feedback? These are big questions that affect your development as a designer and that you won't have answered in a second. Thanks to the introduction of the Personal Development Weeks in the renewed bachelor programme, more space and rest will be built in to deal with this kind of questions. 

More time for reflection and personal development

Milou Reincke (Education Advice Team Leader at Education and Student Affairs; Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment): "The POW is developed for and by students and is therefore based on what students care about." Nina Bohm (PhD Researcher Transdisciplinary Education at Management in the Built Environment; Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment): "Students and teachers work on a challenging curriculum and have busy lives. They need a moment to pause." Milou: "That's why I am very happy that it has been decided to build in two moments per academic year for a break, where there is time for rest and reflection. And where there is extra attention to personal development."

When we ask Sophie de Kruijf (student chair of the Board of Studies (OC) and Stylos Commissioner for Education and Orientation; Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) and Bodil Bary (observer of the Faculty Student Council (FSC) and Stylos Commissioner for Education and Welfare; ; Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment) which development in the renewed bachelor programme they are most looking forward to, they explicitly mention the POW, next to the actualised themes and sustainability. Sophie: "Reflection is very important to me. What do I stand for? Who am I as a designer? What do I want to add? The current curriculum does not pay enough attention to that yet.." Bodil: "I am an advocate of more room in the curriculum, so I can learn skills that I normally don't have time for, but that are needed to complete the bachelor's degree well. For example, learning how to best create a portfolio."

The POW in more details 

All four agree that for the POW to be a success, it must actually bring students rest in the curriculum. The POW is therefore seen as time for self-study and includes two components. Nina: "On the one hand, through a few small assignments, students will formulate a development question to look back on the teaching of the past quarter and to look forward to the next: what did you learn and what did go well, and what would you like to learn or improve?" Milou: "On the other hand, voluntary activities will be organised by the faculty, study advisors, and students to support personal development." In the coming months, the assignments and activities in the POW will be tested and developed. The first POW will be launched in November 2024 at the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment. 

What is the status of the Bachelor renewal project?  

Before the Christmas break, the learning trajectory teams have incorporated the feedback into the new modules. The contents of the new curriculum were included in the proposed curriculum decision. In January, we started phase 3; the phase where the modules and teaching materials will be worked out and where teachers will be prepared for the renewed programme. The renewed bachelor will be introduced in September 2024.