Apply to HYY’s Board for 2025

It is soon time to once again appoint a new Board for the Student Union!

HYY’s Board is in charge of managing the Student Union during its term. The Board’s term is one year. HYY’s Representative Council appoints the former of the Board (practically the chair of the Board) as well as other members of the Board in its meeting on 26 November 2024. 

Serving on HYY’s Board is a full-time position of trust, with members of the Board receiving monthly remuneration. The Representative Council decides on the Board’s remuneration in connection with approving the budget. 

Working on the Board

The Board meets several times a week to discuss and decide on the Student Union’s policies and direction.

The Board’s main duties include

• managing the Student Union
• executing the Representative Council’s decisions
• representing the Student Union towards the University and other interest groups
• deciding on the Student Union’s recruitments
• appointing student representatives to the University’s administrative bodies

HYY’s Board also acts as the general meeting of Ylva, the company managing the Student Union’s business operations.

The Board is liable to the Representative Council for all its actions. Members of the Board each have one or several sectors that they are in charge of on the Board.

The duties of members of the Board consist of the Board’s collective duties and duties on each member’s own sector, conducted in cooperation with the Student Union’s personnel. In practice, around half of the working hours is spent on collective duties and half on work on the members’ own sectors according to their areas of responsibility. The Board is also a key resource for HYY’s event organisation. In 2024, the Board had 10 event days that required the full work contribution of the entire Board.

Applying for the board

We are organising an info session for everyone interested in applying to the Board on 22 October at HYY’s Central Office. During the event, which is open to everyone interested in becoming a member of the Board, we will provide more information on acting on the Board.

After the Representative Council has appointed the Board on 26 November, the new Board will begin its orientation. The orientation begins with an info session on the different sectors available on the Board, held on 27 November. This provides the new members of the Board with an opportunity to learn more about the different duties available for them on the Board. Further orientation will be provided on two dates in December (see the schedule at the end of the article). Being able to attend all orientation sessions is not a requirement for serving on the Board, but we hope that as many members as possible will be able to attend all orientation sessions. The Board’s work officially begins with the Board’s traditional trip to a cottage organised in January 2025.

Key dates

• 22 October at 6–8 pm Info session for everyone interested in becoming a member of the Board
• Early November Board negotiations
• 23 November Representative Council meeting and appointment of the Board
• 27 November at 2–5 pm Sectoral info for the new Board
• 3 December at 10 am–4 pm Orientation for the new Board
• 10 December at 10 am–4 pm Orientation for the new Board
  • Opportunity to come follow the Representative Council meeting together with the current Board, TBA
• 11 December at 10am–4 pm Exchanging silent information
  • SYL’s glogg party in the evening, TBA
• 2–3 January 2025 HYY’s Board’s year begins with the Board’s traditional trip to a cottage

FAQ

Is it possible to progress in studies during the year on the Board?

It is possible to progress in your studies to some extent while working on the Board or during the summer, for instance. When planning your studies, you should account for the work on the Board taking up as much time as a full-time job. The Board also has some fixed weekly meetings, such as a weekly morning session and weekly meetings with each member’s own specialist partner, that you cannot miss. However, it is possible to arrange some routines for the working week at the beginning of the year, which means that it may be possible to participate in a lecture course from a scheduling perspective. When making plans for the year, however, you should always remember to take your own coping into account, as well.

Is it possible to have other work during the year on the Board?

You should approach the year on the Board as full-time work. The Board also has a fair amount of various additional engagements where participation is either necessary or at least highly desirable. However, it is possible to have, for instance, a summer job during the year on the Board, should you wish to. Remember, though, that HYY’s Board is paid remuneration for the entire year, including the duration of the summer vacation. When considering potential other work, you should also take your own coping into account.

Is it a problem if I am not an expert in any field to begin with?

Members of HYY’s Board are students and as such have expertise on being a student, which is the most important thing. You will learn a great deal about the substance matters of your own sector as well as the affairs of other sectors during your year on the Board. Keep in mind that HYY’s field of operations is vast, and no-one can fully master it. The expertise of members of the Board will increase rapidly during the course of the year, and skills acquired during the year on the Board will be valuable afterwards, too. 

What kind of skills does serving on the Board require?

Experience of processing large quantities of information is useful on the Board, as the Board may process numerous different matters related to the Student Union’s operations during a single week. Due to the wide-ranging duties of the members of the Board, being able to prioritise tasks and manage your own work are also important skills. However, you will also improve in these matters while acting on the Board!

Requirements for working on the Board are teamwork skills, respect for others and a willingness to cooperate. The Board consists of members from different groups and backgrounds, and you must be able to cooperate and make compromises in order to reach decisions.

How much work is there per week?

Depending on the week, there is usually an average of 37.5 hours of work per week. Some weeks may be significantly longer and others much lighter. HYY’s Board works from Monday to Friday. The occasionally long weeks of the Board are partly compensated for by a long summer vacation.

How are the areas of responsibility distributed within the Board?

In addition to the Board’s collective duties, members of the Board also conduct their work in different teams together with the specialists. These teams are advocacy work, services and communication. Within the teams, the work is divided among the following sectors: educational policy, social policy (which is further divided into city, health, housing, subsistence and equality), international affairs, new students, tutors, organisations, chairing the Financial Committee, volunteers, events, Ylva, environment, bilingualism and development cooperation.

Each member of the Board has one or two areas of responsibility that they work on during their year on the Board. The division of responsibilities within the current Board can be seen on HYY’s website.

Is it possible to go on exchange during the year on the Board? What if I graduate during the year?

No, going on exchange is not possible. Members of the Board must also be registered for attendance at the University of Helsinki, which means that graduating during the year on the Board automatically leads to a resignation from the Board. It is also worth remembering that serving on the Board is a full-time position and requires the members to live in the Capital Region.

Is it a problem if I am not much of an extrovert or a natural mingler?

No. The Board’s work entails some representation duties, but you will receive training and support for that, too. The Board represents HYY collectively at some formal events, while depending on their sector, individual members of the Board also have their own events and occasions they need to attend in an official capacity. We recommend discussing your hopes and fears with the chair of the Board right at the beginning of the year so that they are aware of the kinds of things you are interested in. 

How do I apply to become a member of the Board?

In practice, applying to become a member of the Board is done through the various groups represented on HYY’s Representative Council. The groups nominate their candidates to the Board, and the Board is then formed from among these candidates. Usually, the candidates are members of the Representative Council, but this is not required. The groups may nominate any member of HYY to the Board as long as the person is registered for attendance at the University of Helsinki at the time of their appointment. Information on the different Representative Council groups is available on HYY’s website.