Dear colleagues,
In this special version of my Letter, I would like to pay tribute to one of our colleagues. A colleague who has worked here for a long time, a colleague who will leave CES and the UT this week after almost 35 years. Most of you will know whom I am talking about, it is our Manager SAL: Hans Punt!
For most of us, Hans has been a stable factor, he was already here when we started at the UT. The thing is also that while I am writing this, I am very much aware that many of you will have known Hans much longer than my measly three years. So I will be hard pressed to bring up funny anecdotes from the past (and I need to save some for his farewell party). But, I can say that I have enjoyed working with Hans in the past three years. From our first meeting during my application process in the Vleugel, meters apart as we were in the middle of the pandemic, until his last Management Team meeting last Thursday, Hans was interested, constructive, curious and always, always friendly! Well prepared for our work meetings, always with a cup of tea ready for my arrival. His network in the university is as big as his institutional memory, yet he never falls into the trap of saying ‘we have tried this already, it didn’t work so let’s not do that again’. As said, constructive and interested. What has struck me from the beginning is how dedicated Hans is to his teams, and how he stands up for them and is proud of his people! Another thing, in those three years I have not seen him angry, perhaps a little agitated if really pushed, but that was it! In addition to the work things we needed to talk about, it was also lovely to see how proud he is of his family, his wife, his children and especially his grandchildren. I remember him telling me with a huge radiant smile that his youngest grandchild had been born two years ago, talking about how he enjoyed playing with the older grandkids, a proud opa!
So, is there nothing bad about this man at all? Well, I have done some digging, starting with a Google search. Turns out there are quite a few namesakes, but not much ‘ juice’ about our own Hans Punt! I did find an article in U-today from October 1998 (!), in which he is described as ‘the most powerful man on campus’ and where the author then continues to describe how he hand delivers the student registration numbers! Those were the days… Next, three PowerPoints from HO Link about logistics and registration processes and that is about it!
Well, there is one peculiarity that you may have noticed while reading this: Hans has a great fondness for exclamation marks! In his emails, in policy documents, and even in WhatsApp messages: Hans likes to make his point with an exclamation mark! Or even two when it is really important!!
Hans, on behalf of CES and the UT I would like to thank you for your years working at the UT. You have contributed so much, and worked so hard in the continuous improvement of educational support, administration and logistics. You will be missed, but I am sure that I speak for all at CES, when I wish you a happy, healthy retirement! We will continue what you have started, and we will continue with the same dedication you have shown all these years, we will try to be as kind as you are, but that might be a challenge. Next Monday we will think of you in the MT weekstart, knowing that you will be thinking of us too, and then will go back to your coffee, or running shoes, that is also possible.
Thank you Hans, and stay in touch!
