Educational policy sector’s spring review 2025

Spring is almost over and summer about to begin – almost five months have passed in an instant. A few months ago, I wrote a blog post on our outline for the year. I was expecting a year filled with work, and this has certainly come true, at least during the spring. We in the educational policy sector have actively met with the University’s employees and management as well as drawn attention to themes that are important to students. Among the moments I have found most meaningful are the numerous discussions with people active in academic affairs who I have had the pleasure of meeting during the spring.

Faculty tour

I wanted to start the year by meeting students from different faculties. Influencing matters at the University has required understanding of issues students from different faculties and disciplines face to allow me to voice the perspectives and wishes of our diverse members. To some extent, different faculties deal with different issues, but during the faculty tour, I noticed how certain themes keep popping up regardless of the discipline.

There is a huge gap between the University’s policies and the actual practices used at the grassroots level in all faculties, especially when it comes to issues related to students’ legal protection. Course information might not be available early enough, assessment takes longer than the deadline set for them and exam times may suddenly change. Students do not always have enough information about their rights, or the teaching staff about the University’s policies, which is why these practices that are contrary to the University’s own instructions continue to flourish at the grassroots level.

Practices related to absences were one of the main problem areas occurring across the different disciplines. Mandatory attendance may be required even if it is not pedagogically justified. Sometimes practices are so inflexible that a single absence may cause disproportionate problems for students. The increase in student places and insufficient resources in particular have, of course, also stirred up debate in every discipline. I have done my best to raise all these issues when meeting with various parties representing the University and while serving in different working groups.

Study Network and Student Representative Network

The meetings and training organised for the networks have been among the most inspiring things to take place this spring. We have organised various training events for the networks as well as held meetings for them. The networks also participated in a meeting with our vice rector in charge of teaching, Kai Nordlund, and Director of Development Anu Haapala from Teaching and Learning Services. Matters we have discussed with the networks include everyday student life, national educational policy and developing the Student Union’s communication on advocacy work. One area of our communication on advocacy work that needs developing is investing in Instagram Reels and video content. Lastly, we have launched our own advocacy work news, HYYws. The first episode is already available on HYY’s Instagram account. The ideas that people involved in academic affairs have shared with us have all been saved, and you will see more of what we have come up with later this year!

At the end of May, we also organised an appreciation picnic for everyone involved in academic affairs. We truly appreciate your efforts. People involved in academic affairs, both in organisations and in the University’s various administrative bodies do important work by highlighting student voices and changing the University to make it a better place for students.

Advocacy work at the University

Our educational policy sector influences matters in various working groups at the University. I was personally involved in the working group preparing the implementation of the results from the assessment of the University’s operating structure and management system (TOIJO), which met actively throughout the spring. The TOIJO process is at the heart of University administration, and it is especially important for the realisation of local democracy and the University community’s influencing opportunities, for instance.

We have regular meetings with Director of Development Anu Haapala from Teaching and Learning Services. In these meetings too, one of the main themes of our advocacy work this year has been communality. We at the Student Union have called for casual, informal places to meet one another. We need genuine encounters between students and University staff too. Communality also requires concrete space. We need spaces that naturally facilitate encounters: shared spaces for work and study and, for students in particular, spaces where we can simply hang out on campus. The issue with facilities and space is also one of the themes that many organisations would like to address.

During the spring, we have continued our work for paper degree certificates, defending their importance at the University. We have now found a compromise with the University: in the future, the University will give students the dean’s graduation message at the graduation party. We have tried to develop graduation practices and parties in particular so that students would want to take part in them. This way, they would get a moment of thanks and celebration that they deserve after years of hard work.  We will continue developing the graduation parties together with the University and would love to hear feedback on the new graduation practices from students!

National educational policy

In terms of national educational policy, we have participated in the work on the vision for higher education and research by the Ministry of Education and Culture. This work responds to societal changes and the changed operating environment of higher education and research. Among other things, we have participated in an online survey for interest groups, emphasising the importance of diverse Humboldtian universities, free and accessible education and predictable and sufficient basic funding.

We have watched the Finnish government’s decision-making on higher education policy closely. The magnitude of the cuts on higher education – 117.7 million euros – made in the mid-term budget session still surprised us. We are especially worried about the effects of the cuts on basic funding because basic funding is used for higher education institutions’ basic functions such as basic teaching and support services. The government’s decision to investigate granting the Open University the right to confer degrees is also a shocking initiative in the world of educational policy. If realised, this would open the route to degrees that are subject to a charge. We have participated in societal debate on the outcome of the mid-term budget session from the perspective of educational policy. During the rest of the year, we will strongly advocate against the right for the Open University to confer degrees in particular.

Conclusion

I am happy to see how many students genuinely want to bring about change and make the operating methods of the University and faculties more transparent and participatory. I understand that advocacy work does not always feel rewarding – you may sometimes only see the fruits of your labour after several years. Sometimes effective advocacy work does not even result in changes; instead, it might help us prevent a proposal that would be harmful to students. I hope that everyone involved in academic affairs or bringing about change at the University remembers that our vibrant community is made up of all of you active students. Without you, many important things would simply not be achieved.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer,

Venla Lehtinen

Member of the Board in charge of educational policy