Apply to become a student member of the board of the University of Helsinki!

The Student Union of the University of Helsinki is looking for two student representatives to the highest decision-making body of the University, the Board of the University. The Board is responsible for the strategic management of the University and makes decisions on significant issues that concern the entire University (see below in more detail). As a member of the Board, you will get to influence the University’s major policies, get experience of acting in the Board of the largest University in Finland and create useful networks.

The term of the student members of the Board is two years, from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2023. To be eligible to apply to the Board, a person must be entitled to undertake a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, licentiate or doctoral degree, the degree of specialist, specialist in dentistry or specialist in veterinary medicine, or the degree of special education or special kindergarten teacher degree at the University of Helsinki. The elected individuals must register for attendance by 31 August 2021, and they may not be in an employment relationship with the University that is considered full time under the University’s election regulation. More detailed stipulations on eligibility can be found in the University’s election regulation, section 9, and the Student Union’s Regulation on the Selection of Student Representatives, section 4.

In the selection, we appreciate broad vision for developing the University and for higher education policy, knowledge of university management and finances, and understanding of themes related to studying at the University of Helsinki as well as of taking students’ views into account while working in the Board. Experience of university administration is considered an advantage. We also consider good interaction and argumentation skills as well as the ability to understand complex issues as advantages. The members are expected to be motivated and to commit themselves to the work in the Board. The administrative language of the University of Helsinki is Finnish as per the Universities Act and, for this reason, the Board operates in Finnish.

CVs and well-justified Finnish-language applications with a length of around one A4 sheet should be addressed to the Representative Council of the Student Union and delivered to the Student Union’s Central Office (at Mannerheimintie 5 B, 2nd floor, 00100 HELSINKI) or by email to hallinto@hyy.fi by noon on 6 April 2021. The Central Selection Committee invites some of the applicants to an interview by 14 April 2021. The interview is held on 21 April 2021. The Representative Council of the Student Union selects two student members for the Board in its meeting on 3 June 2021. For further information on the position and the selection process, please contact Specialist Topias Tolonen, 0504774543, topias.tolonen(at)hyy.fi.

According to the Universities Act, the Board of the University must promote the interests of the university with care. The duties of the Board of the University of Helsinki include the following:

• Determining the main objectives of the University’s operations and finances, the strategy and the steering principles
• Deciding on the operating and financial plans and the budget of the University and preparing a financial statement
• Being accountable for the management and use of the assets of the University, unless the Board has devolved the power to the rector
• Arranging the supervision of the accounting and asset management
• Approving agreements of major importance or fundamental consequence for the University and issuing opinions on important matters of principle concerning the University
• Approving the target agreement with the Ministry of Education and Culture on behalf of the University
• Electing the rector or rectors and deciding on the division of work among them and dismissing the rector from their office if there is a legitimate and justified reason for it in consideration of the nature of the office
• Approving the University’s rules of procedure and other corresponding rules pertaining to general organisation and deciding on the operational structure of the University
• Submitting a proposal to the Ministry of Education and Culture concerning any change in the educational responsibilities of the University
• Deciding on the number of students to be admitted to the University