Apply to be a student representative in the supplementary call for applications

The Student Union of the University of Helsinki is looking for student representatives for a variety of positions. Check out the open positions in the university’s governing bodies below!

 

We are looking for student representatives in the supplementary call for applications for the following university bodies:

• Steering groups of degree programmes
• Faculty councils
• University collegium
• Samarbetsgruppen för den tvåspråkiga verksamheten på centrumcampus
• Tvex-samarbetsgruppen
• Svenska verksamhetsnämnden
• Equality and diversity committee
• Language centre’s teaching development group
• Campus library advisory boards of the university of helsinki
• The administrative committees of discipline-specific funds for meilahti campus

 

What is expected of student representatives?

You must be registered for attendance at the University of Helsinki. No special skills are required – having the desire to learn and the motivation to serve as a student representative is of primary importance. Thoroughly reading the meeting material before the meeting, asking for the opinions of – depending on the situation – either your fellow students or subject organisation on the issues on the meeting agenda and speaking up at the meeting itself are quite enough to be successful in the position. Check out the possible special criteria for each administrative body from its application form in the Halloped application system.

 

How do i apply to become a student representative?

Applications should be submitted in the Halloped application system (beta.halloped.fi/en) by 11.59 pm on 3 June 2024. In your application, please indicate the following:

• Your current degree programme and study orientation
• Check out whether the position you are applying for has any special criteria or qualities that may be considered useful and should be included in the application from the Halloped application system.

The Student Union also considers the following as advantages, and we recommend including any related information in your application:

• Motivation towards serving in the position and readiness to commit to the duties
• Connections to the students of the degree programme
• Previous experience of acting as a student representative, as a person in charge of academic affairs or in some other position related to student advocacy work

The Student Union hopes to see applications from representatives of different genders and people in different stages of their studies from diverse backgrounds. We assume that you are available for the positions of both actual member and vice member. The Student Union strives to consider different disciplines’ representation when making the selections.

 

Steering groups of degree programmes

Each degree programme at the University of Helsinki has a steering group that supports the director of the degree programme and processes the central issues related to the degree programme’s operation. The steering group of the degree programme prepares the degree programme’s curriculum. The curriculum is made for three years at a time and it determines the following issues:

• What courses are included in the degrees
• What kind of methods to complete courses are offered
• What kind of attendance requirements courses have
• What kind of learning objectives courses have

The steering group of the degree programme decides on the annual teaching schedule of the degree programme. The teaching schedule is a kind of implementation plan for the curriculum. It determines the following issues related to courses:

• Timing
• Schedule
• Teaching locations

In other words, the teaching schedule includes all the extremely important details students need to know about courses for the entire academic year. As a member of the steering group, you will thus get to influence all the things that are realised in the teaching provided in your degree programme. This is a real chance to influence matters on a practical level!

All steering groups of degree programmes have two actual and two vice student members. The steering groups also have a maximum of six teachers from the degree programme, with no vice members. The steering group is chaired by the director of the degree programme. We are now looking for student representatives for the term 1 January 2023–31 December 2024. Depending on the language of the degree programme, the working language of the steering groups of degree programmes is either Finnish, English or Swedish, but it is also possible to agree on the language used in the meetings separately.

Check the open positions on the executive boards at the end of this news or on the Halloped.fi website.

 

Faculty councils

Faculty councils are multi-member administrative bodies of the faculties. They are chaired by deans. The duties of faculty councils include developing teaching and research at the faculty, controlling quality management, deciding on issues such as degree requirements, curricula and student selection criteria and processing any far-reaching plans and other important matters of principle at the faculty.

As a member of a faculty council, you will get to influence the future direction of your faculty and discipline, make students’ voice heard and create useful networks at the same time. Vice members may usually also attend the meetings and speak in them. The faculty councils of the following faculties currently have open positions:

• Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences: 5 vice members
• Faculty of Pharmacy: 3 vice members
• Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry: 2 vice members
• Faculty of Theology: 1 vice member

 

University collegium

As a member of the University Collegium, you will get to influence the future direction of the entire University, make students’ voice heard and create useful networks at the same time. You can get credits for serving on the University Collegium, and a meeting fee is also paid for the meetings. Student representatives are selected to the University Collegium from each faculty at the University as well as the Swedish School of Social Science.

Members of the University Collegium include professors, other University staff and students from all faculties at the University.  The duties of the University Collegium include the following:

• Appointing members from outside the University community to the University Board
• Confirming the members representing the University community to the University Board
• Appointing the Chancellor of the University and the university auditors
• Confirming the University’s financial statements and annual report
• Meeting at least twice a year to discuss matters concerning the University

As a member on the University Collegium, you will get to ensure that student perspectives are taken into account when plotting the University’s future direction. According to the Universities Act, the administrative language of the University of Helsinki is Finnish, and the University Collegium consequently works mainly in Finnish. However, it is possible to use other languages in its meetings by agreement. We are looking for a vice member from the faculty of pharmacy and one vice member from the faculty of agriculture and forestry

 

Samarbetsgruppen för den tvåspråkiga verksamheten på centrumcampus

The cooperation group for bilingual affairs on the City Centre campus, or Samarbetsgruppen för den tvåspråkiga verksamheten på centrumcampus, develops and coordinates Swedish-language and bilingual activities and teaching on the campus. The group may deal with matters including students’ opportunities of taking exams bilingually and receiving cross-disciplinary teaching in Swedish. You can apply for the administrative body if you study in the Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Social Science or Swedish School of Social Science. We are looking for one member and two vice members for the term 1 January 2024–31 December 2025. The working group’s working language is Swedish.

 

Tvex-samarbetsgruppen

The cooperation group for bilingual degrees, or Tvex-samarbetsgruppen, has representation from parties involved with bilingual degrees on the Viikki, Kumpula and City Centre campuses. The group’s duties include supporting cooperation over faculty boundaries and sharing good practices. You can apply for the position if you study or have studied for a bilingual degree on the Kumpula campus. We are now looking for one actual member from the Kumpula campus for the term 1 January 2022–31 December 2024. The cooperation group’s working language is Swedish.

 

Svenska verksamhetsnämnden

The Board for the Development of Swedish Affairs and Teaching, Svenska verksamhetsnämnden, focuses on Swedish-language affairs and their promotion at the University. The board develops and gives statements on Swedish-language teaching and activities at the University as well as participates in the coordination of Swedish-language higher education at the national level. The board also develops the cooperation between the University of Helsinki and the other higher education institutions in the related alliance (Hanken School of Economics and Arcada). The operations of the board are regulated by the Universities Act. The rector or vice rector selected from among Swedish-language professors serves as the chair of the committee. We are looking for 1 vice member for the term 1 January 2024-31 December 2025

 

Equality and Diversity Committee

The Equality and Diversity Committee of the University of Helsinki promotes and develops the realisation of equality and non-discrimination at the University of Helsinki. The committee’s duties are as follows:

• Promoting the realisation of the objectives set out in the Act on Equality between Women and Men and the Non-Discrimination Act at the University as well as monitoring and reporting on the status of equality at the University
• Influencing the University community so as to strengthen pro-equality attitudes, opinions and structures in accordance with the University’s strategic policies
• Preparing an equality and non-discrimination plan in accordance with the stipulations of the Act on Equality between Women and Men and the Non-Discrimination Act

We are looking for 1 vice member for the term 1.1.2023-31.12.2024

 

Language Centre’s teaching development group

The Language Centre at the University of Helsinki organises the language and communication studies for all degree programmes. Every year, 14 000 domestic and international students from all campuses and degree programmes study at the Language Centre.

The teaching development group of the Language Centre features both staff and student members. The group promotes and supports the planning, implementation and evaluation of teaching at the Language Centre. It plans and organises the Language Centre’s pedagogical training events and seminars. Discussion topics in the group include current issues related to teaching and particularly language studies at the Language Centre and the University of Helsinki. The development group’s working language is Finnish. We are looking for 2 vice members for the term 1 January 2024- 31 December 2025

 

Campus library advisory boards of the University of Helsinki

Apply to the advisory board of your campus library to influence the services of your own library! All four of the University’s campus libraries have their own advisory board. The boards are tasked with acting as a cooperation forum for the library’s users and participating in issues such as the strategic development of library services and the planning of collection acquisitions. We are looking for 3 actual members from Meilahti campus and 2 actual members from Viikki campus for the period 1.4.2024-31.3.2026

 

The administrative committees of discipline-specific funds for meilahti campus

The administrative committees are tasked with declaring the grants, prizes, scholarships and any other kinds of financial support awarded out of the money donated into the funds open for applications as well as with making the decisions on awarding them. The committees are campus-specific, which means that the discipline-specific funds of each campus are administered by their own committee.

These positions allow you to learn about fund management, the processing of applications and decision-making processes. You will gain experience of negotiation, meeting procedures and administration. Later, you can ask HYY for a certificate of having served in the position! The meeting language of the administrative committees is Finnish. The next representative period is 1 January 2024 – 31 December 2025. We are looking for one actual member for the administrative committee of Meilahti campus.

 

More information:

Specialist in educational policy

Riku-Petteri Kyllönen

riku-petteri.kyllonen@hyy.fi

050 325 5202

 

 

DEGREE PROGRAMMES WITH OPEN POSITIONS IN THEIR STEERING GROUPS:

FACULTY OF BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

Bachelor’s programme in Biology: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology: 1 vice member

Master’s programme in Genetics and Molecular Bioscience: 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Molecular Biosciences: 2 vice members

Master’s programme in Neuroscience: 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Environmental Change and Global Sustainability 2 actual member, 2 vice members

 

Bachelor’s Programme in Environmental Sciences: 1 vice member

 

 

FACULTY OF PHARMACY

Bachelor’s Programme in Pharmacy: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Pharmacy: 2 vice members

 

FACULTY OF ARTS

Master’s Programme in Area and Cultural Studies: 2 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in English Studies: 1 vice member

Bachelor’s Programme in History: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in History: 1 vice members

Master’s Programme in Linguistic Diversity and Digital Humanities: 1 actual member, 2 vice member

Bachelor’s Programme in Languages: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Languages: 1 actual members, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Literary Studies: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Cultural Studies: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Intercultural Encounters: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Cultural Heritage: 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Translation and Interpreting:  2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Scandinavian Languages and Literature:  2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Gender Studies: 1 vice members

Master’s Programme in Finnish and Finno-Ugrian Languages and Cultures:  2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Art Studies: 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Art Studies: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

 

FACULTY OF EDUCATIONAL SCIENCES

Master’s Programme in Education: 1 vice member

Master’s programme in changing education 1 vice member.

 

FACULTY OF MEDICINE

Bachelor’s and master’s programmes in logopedics: 2 vice member

 

FACULTY OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY

Master’s Programme in Food Economy and Consumption: 1 vice member

Master’s programme in Food Science 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Agricultural, Environmental and Resource Economics: 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Agricultural Sciences: 2 vice members

Master’s programme in Agricultural Sciences:  1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Forest Sciences: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Microbiology and Microbial Biotechnology: 2 vice members

 

Bachelor’s Programme in Environmental and Food Economics: 1 actual members, 2 vice members

 

 

FACULTY OF SCIENCE

Master’s Programme in Data Science: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Geology and Geophysics: 1 vice members

Master’s Programme in Atmospheric Sciences: 2 vice members

Master’s programme in Urban studies and planning:  2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Chemistry and Molecular Sciences: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Chemistry: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Life Science Informatics: 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Science: 1 vice member

Bachelor’s Programme in Geography: 1 vice members

Master’s Programme in Geography: 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Mathematic Sciences: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Mathematics and Statistics: 1 vice member

Bachelor’s Programme for Teachers of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme for Teachers of Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Materials Research: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Theoretical and Computational Methods: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Computer Science: 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Computer Science: 1 vice members

 

FACULTY OF LAW

Master’s Programme in Global Governance Law: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in International Business Law: 2 vice members

 

FACULTY OF THEOLOGY

Master’s Programme in Theology and Religious Studies: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

 

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

Master’s Programme in European and Nordic studies:  1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Philosophy: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Global Politics and Communication: 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in contemporary societies: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Politics, Media and Communication: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Social and Health Research and Management: 2 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Social Research: 1 vice member

Master’s Programme in Social Research: 1 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Economics: 1 vice members

Bachelor’s Programme in Society and Change: 1 actual member, 2 vice members

Master’s Programme in Society and Change: 2 vice members

Swedish-language Master’s Programme in Social Sciences (samhällsvetenskaper): 1 actual member, 2 vice members