19.9.2022

Apply to the steering group of your degree programme!

What kind of teaching is organised in your degree programme? Are the courses organised in a logical order, and do they properly account for different kinds of completion methods? If you have ever thought about these issues, this is your chance! Apply to become a student representative in the steering group of your degree programme for the term 1 January 2023–31 December 2024 to further improve your degree programme!

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

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 an 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 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.

WHAT IS EXPECTED OF YOU AS A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE?

You will be working for the common good of all students, as you will serve as the students’ voice in the steering group. There are only two actual requirements: you must be registered for attendance at the University of Helsinki and you must have a justified connection to the degree programme whose steering group you are applying for.

No special skills are required – having the desire and motivation to learn about and commit to the work of the degree programme is the most important thing. Meetings are organised on a monthly basis during office hours, and they last around 1–2 hours. Reading the meeting material in advance will also take a varying amount of time. Above all, the position is an excellent place to learn new things!

You should also remember that you will never be left alone. In the steering group, you will be cooperating with the other student representatives, as there will be four of you in the group: two actual members and two vice members. HYY will also provide the student representatives of steering groups with training on 8 December, and you can always contact us through the specialist in charge of student representatives, for instance.

HOW DO I APPLY TO BECOME A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE?

Applications should be submitted in the Halloped application system (beta.halloped.fi/en) by 16 October 2022. In your application, please indicate your current degree programme and study orientation as well as your student number. (The student number is only used to verify your attendance status. The information will be deleted after it has been verified.) You will also need to describe your justified connection to the degree programme, especially if you are not studying in the degree programme connected with the steering group you are applying for at the time of applying.

The Student Union 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
  • Understanding of current issues and challenges in the degree programme in question and ideas for developing the programme
  • Connections to the students of the degree programme in question and readiness to communicate to them about the work of the steering group
  • Previous experience of acting as a student representative in administration, as a person in charge of academic affairs or in some other position related to student advocacy work

Selection committees consisting of students of the faculty will prepare the selection proposals on the student representatives to be selected to the steering groups of the degree programmes. HYY’s Board will confirm the proposals based on this work, with the dean of each faculty making the official appointment decision on the student representatives based on this.

The selection committees will thus process the applications and may organise interviews or request further information from the applicants at their discretion. Potential requests for further information and invitations for interviews will be sent according to the schedule below. Interview times have also been reserved for the selection committees in case they decide to hold the interviews. Do not worry, though, you can apply for the position even if the potential interview time does not suit you!

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.

Further information on acting in the steering groups of degree programmes and on the call for applications, please contact:

 

Selection coordinator

Timo Kalliokoski

timo.kalliokoski@hyy.fi

050 4775561

 

Specialist in educational policy

Marianna Suokas

marianna.suokas@hyy.fi

050 325 5202

 

INTERVIEW SCHEDULES

If the interviews are held, they will be organised after 5 pm on the date stated below. The date in parentheses indicates the time by which we will inform you whether the interviews will be organised.

Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences: 7 November (1 November)

Faculty of Veterinary Medicine: 22 November (16 November)

Faculty of Pharmacy: 22 November (16 November)

Faculty of Arts: 21 November (15 November)

Faculty of Educational Sciences: 8 November (2 November)

Faculty of Medicine: 8 November (2 November)

Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry: 10 November (4 November)

Faculty of Science: 21 November (15 November)

Faculty of Law: 7 November (1 November)

Faculty of Theology: 23 November (18 November)

Faculty of Social Sciences: 10 November (4 November)