The Inholland college group, which has come under fire from education inspectors for poor standards in some subjects, is shaking up its approach by slashing courses and getting tougher on first-year students.

For example, eventually some first-year students will have to pass every subject in order to be allowed into the second year, college chairman Doekle Terpstra told news website nu.nl. At the moment students have to get 45 out of a maximum 60 points to progress to the next year of their degree.
‘I want to get rid of the idea that you can work and study,’ Terpstra said. ‘We are not allowed to select students, but they will be given comprehensive information during their intake interview.’
The college group is also planning to scrap 500 minor subjects and reduce the number of degree courses it offers. The eight economics courses, for example, will be reduced to one. ‘We want to get back to a clear, compact education which employers will recognise,’ he said.
Merger
InHolland, which describes itself as a university of applied science in English, has operations in six cities and was formed following the merger of a number of hbo colleges.
Last year, inspectors looked at five different courses and found four of them to be so poor that they risk losing accreditation. In addition, the college group came under fire for overpaying its directors.
Last academic year there was a 30% drop in new admissions.