Confidential Advisors

Our faculty has four confidential advisers: Jeannette Smit, Anne Ruth Mackor, Stephanie Hoenders and Maaike Kooijman. They would like to introduce themselves.

Jeannette Smit

I am Jeannette Smit, assistant professor in the Legal History department and coordinator of one of the Dutch master programs. In addition, I serve as a confidential advisor for PhD candidates. In this role, I provide a listening ear and support for a wide range of issues or concerns. These may include tensions in collaboration with colleagues or supervisors, or matters related to social safety, such as bullying, discrimination and inappropriate behavior. I am also available for other concerns, offering guidance and, if necessary, referring you to other professionals.

Everything you share with me remains strictly confidential. My goal is to create a safe and open environment where you can speak freely, without judgment or pressure. To facilitate this, conversations usually take place outside the faculty. Together, we can work towards solutions or the appropriate next steps.

Together with Hylke Jellema, I also organize start-up groups for PhD candidates in their first year. During these sessions, we address common challenges and provide a space to share experiences.

For the sake of clarity: certain matters fall outside my role as a confidential advisor. For questions regarding financial arrangements or facilities, such as equipment and workspaces, it is best to contact the Graduate School.

You can reach me via email at a.j.h.smit rug.nl or by phone at +31 6 31 98 24 39.

Anne Ruth Mackor

I am the confidential scientific integrity counselor for all faculty employees. With scientific integrity you can think of questions about co-authorship, plagiarism, manipulation or falsification of data, or violation of interests or privacy of participants in empirical research. You are welcome to come in for advice, but also if you suspect a violation of integrity. Naturally, all conversations are completely confidential. Only if you request this yourself or if you give your explicit permission, will I take further action if necessary.

I am affiliated with the faculty as professor of philosophy of law. I am also chair of the Faculty Committee on Science Review and Ethics (CWB) and of the Law Research Ethics Review Subcommittee (CETOR). In all of these positions, I am concerned with professional and scientific integrity. As a professor, I am particularly concerned with the integrity of the judiciary, including in my NWO research project 'Preventing miscarriages of Justice'. At CWB, scientific integrity in general is the focus, while at CETOR the emphasis is on the integrity of empirical research.

Room number: 1217-0383
Phone number: 06-31982657

Confidential advisers for students

Are you experiencing (or have you experienced) inappropriate behaviour? Do you want to share your story? Are you in need of a listening ear? Do you want to discuss what you could do?

As a student at our Faculty, you can turn to Stephanie Hoenders and Maaike Kooijman, who within our study advice team fulfil the role of confidential adviser.

You are welcome to contact them if you have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour. For example, in case of sexually transgressive behaviour, (sexual) harassment, bullying, discrimination, violence, aggression or any other form of inappropriate behaviour. You’re also welcome if you have been a bystander of (alleged) undesirable behaviour. We can then together discuss what steps to take.

You can contact Stephanie Hoenders directly by email s.e.l.hoenders rug.nl. International students can contact Maaike Kooijman (m.kooijman rug.nl).