General Information
About us
Dutch for non-Dutch courses
General Information
The Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam offers a big choice in courses, lectures and workshops for adults. We have evening classes, daytime and weekend courses.
For all our courses a basic knowledge of Dutch is required, with the exception of the beginners courses in Dutch for non-Dutch speakers and most English courses.
If there appears to be a great demand for courses in English in our arts, culture and creativity sections, we will try to organise them. Please let us know your wishes via
secretariaat
The Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam is partner of the Expatcenter Amsterdam
Executive Committee
Chair: Björn Stenvers, B.A.
Treasurer: Arthur Goedkoop
Members:
Laïla Abid,
Joanna Ch. Blaisse,
Saar van Blaaderen,
Farzaneh Nijhuis-Moazzeni
Advisory Committee
Chair: Renée E. Kistemaker
Members:
S.Gervaise Coebergh,
Marlous Willemsen,
Michiel Buchel,
Hans van Velzen,
Frits Spangenberg
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Address and openinghours
Secretariat and Reception desk
Rapenburgerstraat 73
1011 VK Amsterdam
Tel. (020) 626 16 26
fax (020) 624 21 93
Ing bank account: 34910
ABN AMRO: 83 30 26 534
KvK nummer: 40 53 32 24
e-mailadres:
secretariaat@vua-ams.nl
Reception desk open:
Monday through Friday 10-16 hours.
Reception desk closed:
9 April ( Easter Monday)
30 April (Koninginnedag)
17 and 18 May (Ascension Day)
28 May (Whit Monday)
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Public Holidays
Christmas/New Year: 24 December - 8 January 2012
Spring: 27 Februari - 4 March
Easter: 6 - 9 April
May: 30 April - 6 May
Ascension Day: 17 and 18 May
Whitsun: 27 and 28 May
No lessons are given within these dates.
We reschedule lessons due to illness of the teacher at the end of the course.
Please be warned that the course may be extended by one or two weeks before planning other activities.
In some cases there might be classes on 27 February and/or Friday 6 April. Your teacher will let you know
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Enrolment
Anybody 18 years or older is welcome to enrol for one or more of our courses. However, your enrolment is only definite once we have received the course fee.
How to enrol:
- at the reception desk
If you enrol at the reception, you should pay your course fee in cash or preferably by debit (PIN) card. We regret that the costs involved do not allow us to accept credit cards.
- in writing
You can download the registrationform
to your computer and then print it. You have to fill in the form. Please do not miss out any of the details, and indicate how you intend to pay. Then mail the form tot the secretariat.
You also can enrol by filling in the form at the back of the programme book and send it to the secretariat.
Click
here for the address.
- via internet
At this website you can fill in and send the e-form.
We will keep a place reserved for you for ten days after we receive your enrolment form.
Please make sure we receive your payment within this period, payable to Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam, ING account 34910 or ABN AMRO account 833026534.
If we do not receive payment within ten days, we regret that we will have to cancel your reservation.
What shall I do when I have made a wrong enrolment?
Please contact the
secretariaat and we will help you to enrol in the right course.
Enrolment card (cursuskaart)
Once we have received your payment, you receive a card as proof of enrolment. You should always carry this enrolment card when attending your lessons.
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Refund course fee
If you wish to cancel your enrolment, you must return your card in the mail at least eight days before the course starts. We will then refund your course fee, less an administration charge of € 13,50. No refund will be possible after this day.
We do not refund course fees for activities costing € 20,- or less.
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Trial lessons
We regret that we cannot allow you to attend a lesson as a free trial. If you want to join one of the Dutch for non-Dutch courses, please call us to make an appointment for an intake interview.
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Intake interviews for language courses
If you want to join one of the language courses, please first come and talk to one of our teachers at an intake session, free of charge. We want to be sure you join the right course for your fluency level. If you are thinking of joining one of the other English, French or Spanish courses, you are also very welcome to come and ask a teacher for advice. Click here.... for more information!
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Language textbooks
The course fee does not include the cost of books or other materials. We request all students to have the books with them on the first lesson. Textbooks for all the language courses are on sale during the Open Day on Saturday 3 September, 12-16 hours. They are also on sale at various bookshops in the city.
All intake interviews take place at Rapenburgerstraat 73.
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Open Day
We will be holding our Open Day on Saturday 3 September, 12-16 hours. You are welcome to come and talk to our teachers about their courses. If you want to join a language course, our language teachers will be available to give you advice. The reception desk will be open all afternoon for you to enroll.
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Waiting list
If the course of your choice is fully booked, we can place you on a waiting list.
If an enrolment is cancelled, we will let you know.
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Cancellation and alterations
We review the number of enrolments one week before the start of the course. Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam may cancel or postpone a course if there are not enough enrolments. Make sure you have completed your enrolment at least seven days before the course begins!
If we have to cancel your course, we will notify you, and offer an alternative course or refund your course fee.
The name of the teacher is provisional. A different teacher may be assigned to your course without notice.
The programme book gives the maximum number of enrolments for each course. However, Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam may deviate from this number in incidental cases.
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Complaints
Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam has a complaints procedure. If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of the organisation and the courses, please file your complaint in writing, providing your name and address, so that we can acknowledge it and respond appropriately. We cannot respond to telephone calls or anonymous complaints.
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Privacy
Stichting Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam retains your personal details, as provided by you, in its RS/VuA student database. Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam uses the details for enrolling you for your course or courses. We also use the details to inform you of any news about your course, and to send you the next programme book.
The law on the protection of personal data prescribes the manner in which your data is processed, and the persons who may process the data or otherwise access the database. Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam privacy regulations are in accordance with the provisions of this law.
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Liability
Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam is not liable for any damage to people and/or properties, nor for any theft or loss of personal belongings which could be connected in any manner whatsoever to activities organised by Volksuniversiteit Amsterdam, regardless of how the damage or loss was incurred.
Enrolment and payment of the course fee confirms your agreement with the above conditions of enrolment.
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Public transport to the course locations
Apollolaan 4 (Apollohal) tram 24
Bilderdijkstraat / Hoek Kwakersplein (rest. Alverna tram 3, 12, 13, 14, 17
Buiksloterweg 3/5 (Café De Pont) pont achter C.S.
De Boelelaan 1110 (Café Brasserie Marion, t.o. VU Ziekenhuis) tram 16, 24, bus 142, 170, 172)
Dam (Paleis en Nieuwe kerk) tram 1, 2, 4, 5. 9, 13, 14, 17, 24, 25
Herenmarkt 93 (West-Indisch Huis) op loopafstand van C.S.
Hobbemastraat 18 (Cobra Café) tram 2, 5
Jan van Galenstraat 31(Marcanti college) tram 3, bus 18
Kadijksplein (Entrepotdok) bus 22
Kattenburgerplein (t.o. Scheepvaartmuseum) bus 22
Keizersgracht 18 (Doe Zelf School) bus 18, 22, op loopafstand van C.S.
Keizersgracht 324 (Felix Meritis) tram 1, 2, 5
Krugerplein (bij de fontein) tram 3, bus 37
Leidseplein 26 (Stadsschouwburg) tram, 1, 2, 5, 7, 10
Marnixstraat 427 (Toneelgroep Amsterdam) tram 1, 2, 5, 7, 10,
bus 170, 172
Marnixstraat (Haarlemmerpoort) tram 3
Mauritskade 59 (Amstellyceum) tram 7, 9, 10, 14, 29
Muiderpoort (nabij Tropenmuseum) tram 7, 9, 14
Muzenplein (aan het water) tram 12, 25
Nieuwe Amstelstraat 1 (Joods Historisch Museum) metro,
sneltram, tram 9, 14
Oosterdokskade 143 (Openbare Bibliotheek) op loopafstand van C.S.
Piet Heinkade 3 (Bimhuis) tram 26
Pieter Aertszstraat 119-C (vakschool Edelsmeden) tram 4
Plantage Kerklaan 38-40 (Artis) tram 9, 14, 29
Prins Hendrikkade 108-114 (Scheepvaarthuis) op loopafstand van C.S.
Rapenburgerstraat 73 (Volksuniversiteit) metro, sneltram halte Waterlooplein uitgang Stadhuis), tram 9, 14, 29, bus 22
Singel 425 (Universiteitsbibliotheek) tram 1, 2, 5
Spuistraat 12 (Dominicuskerk) op loopafstand van C.S.
St Luciensteeg (Amsterdams Historisch Museum) tram 1, 2, 5
Vijzelstraat 32 (De Bazel) tram 16, 24, 25
IJmuiden (Kennemerboulevard) bus 82 vanaf busstation Marnixstraat en vervolgens stadsbus 4
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Special Facilities and Access to Buildings
Main building Volksuniversiteit, Rapenburgerstraat 73
- All floors accessible by lift
- No obstacles present
- Toilet for handicapped persons on ground floor
- Lecture hall has audio ring for persons with impaired hearing
- Parking spaces reserved for handicapped persons at normal parking charge
- Spacious charged parking garage opposite Volksuniversiteit building
Amstellyceum, Mauritskade 59
- 25 parking spaces available within school precinct at no charge
Marcanti college, Jan van Galenstraat 31
- Lift to all floors
- Toilet facilities for handicapped persons available
We regret that other buildings in use by the Volksuniversiteit have no special facilities.
For your own safety, we request you always to take good note of the signage for evacuation routes at your course location to ensure a speedy exit in emergencies.
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Map with overview of all course locations in Amsterdam
Grotere kaart weergeven
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Map of immediate surroundings of Rapenburgstraat 73
Grotere kaart weergeven
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Map of immediate surroundings of Mauritskade 59
Grotere kaart weergeven
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Map of immediate surroundings of Jan van Galenstraat
Jan van Galenstraat weergeven op een grotere kaart
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Espanol 