Board member’s year at ISYY

Have you thought of applying to the ISYY Executive Board, but you don’t really know what the Board does or how much time the duties take? We have gathered a list of some general tasks that are the Board members’ responsibilities each month so that students applying to the Board would better comprehend the upcoming year. Hopefully this page also helps ISYY members to understand what the Board does for all the students.

How do you benefit from being in the board

Being in the Executive Board may take a lot of time and thus the board members are compensated for their time at the Board. Purpose of this remuneration is to enable Board members to commit actively to their responsibilities, without them needing to rely on student financial aid or other employment during their term. When applying for the Board, applicants should note that combining board responsibilities with studying or working full-time elsewhere might be challenging in terms of both scheduling and workload.

In recent years the remuneration has been 1000 €/month for the Chairperson, 800 €/month for the Vice-Chairperson and 500 €/month for a Board member. The Representative Council decides the amount for the remuneration and then the Executive Board decides among themselves how the amount is divided.

The Board members have also been granted a free SYKETTÄ membership for their Board year if they actively use the sports services and market them in social media. If the Board members need to travel somewhere, for example to represent ISYY at an event, the participation fee and travel expenses are usually paid by ISYY.

You can earn up to 3 ECTS credits by serving on the Board. In addition, you’ll gain valuable work experience throughout your term! During the year, you’ll develop your general working life skills, get opportunities to participate in various working groups and build a nationwide network of contacts. Being in the Student Union Board is also a great addition to your CV.

Duties of the Executive Board

Operation of the ISYY Board is mainly focused on weekdays from Monday to Friday during 8am–5pm (averaging around 20 hours a week). At times, the role may also involve evening and weekend duties, especially during the Student Union’s bigger traditional events, such as Vappu (May Day) celebrations, Opening of the Academic Year events, City Orienteering, Independence Day Torch Parades and Annual Celebration.

In recent years, the Board has held approximately 40 board meetings per year (meetings are held weekly, excluding holidays), and members actively participate in various working groups and sector based work in cooperation with the staff members of the Student Union.

The Board’s term runs for one calendar year, but the elected Board members begin familiarising themselves with their roles already in the preceding year.

Calendar

We have listed below the board's tasks that repeat every year on a monthly basis. This should help you to better understand the workload for each month. In addition to what is listed below, there will also be irregular tasks, such as making statements, representing ISYY at different stakeholders’ functions, and representing the Student Union nationally (sometimes even hosting the meetings for other student unions). However, the board members don’t have to handle everything themselves since the ISYY staff is there to help!

The board year also involves frequent travelling between campus cities (Joensuu and Kuopio) and to various destinations across Finland. The board members’ own sector’s activities also bring variety to each month. You can find all tasks that belong to the Executive Board from ISYY’s rules, 31§.

January

• onboarding for the the new ISYY Executive Board
• Board members’ introductions in ISYY’s social media
• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• helping with organising ISYY’s Annual Celebration and Herring Breakfast

February

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• participating in planning and organising the evening programme of ISYY’s association training
• Planning and organising the Sports Afternoon afterparties
• meeting of ISYY and UEF’s Student and Learning Services (KOPA)
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• ISYY’s Annual Celebration and Herring Breakfast preparations continue
• attending SYL’s opening seminar (location changes every year)

March

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• hosting ISYY’s booth at ISYY’s Association Days
• attending the Periphery meeting (between the periphery student unions)
• Planning and organising Smiles and Complaints Week
• participating in ISYY’s May Day celebration’s planning
• attending and helping with practicalities of ISYY’s Annual Celebration and Herring Breakfast

April

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• meeting of ISYY and UEF’s Student and Learning Services (KOPA)
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• organisation of World Book Day
• helping with Savo-Karjala Excursion’s organisation
• helping with ISYY’s May Day events and participating in them
• participating in SYL’s sector days in Helsinki (separate days for each sector)

May

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• representing ISYY at Pohjois-Karjala Pride
• participating in planning of the Wellbeing Week

June

• last Board meetings before summer break

July

• summer break, but the Board is on standby if something happens

August

• Board and staff’s two-day training days where we plan the upcoming autumn together (location changes every year)
• first Board meetings of the autumn semester
• representing ISYY at Kuopio Pride

September

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• making a social media greeting from ISYY to new UEF students
• hosting ISYY booth at UEF’s Information Market for new students
• helping with the Academic Year Opening events and City Orienteering
• meeting of ISYY and UEF’s Student and Learning Services (KOPA)
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• creating next year’s action plan together with the staff
• attending the SYL autumn seminar (the location changes every year)
• participating in planning of the Wellbeing Week, including afterparties for Sports Afternoon

October

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• participating in planning and making of the Wellbeing Week, including afterparties for Sports Afternoon
• hosting ISYY’s booth at ISYY’s Association Days
• Planning and organising Smiles and Complaints Week
• attending the Periphery meeting (between the periphery student unions)

November

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• participating in the weekly Board meeting
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• participating in your sector’s activities, such as, sector meetings, stakeholder meetings, carrying out ISYY’s action plan and communicating about your own sector’s activities
• Representative Council’s meeting and evening school which the Board also attends
  • filling the Executive Board Report regarding your sector for the Representative Council Meeting
• meeting of ISYY and UEF’s Student and Learning Services (KOPA)
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• marketing new Executive Board’s application period
• preparing for the onboarding of the following year’s board members (role-specific handbook)

December

• participating in the weekly morning school of the ISYY Board
• last Board meetings of the year
• participating in a monthly meeting with the Board and staff
• meeting of ISYY Executive Board and UEF’s rectors
• participating and helping with Independence Day’s Torch parade
• organising and participating in ISYY’s stakeholder Christmas event
• finishing ISYY’s annual report
• (onboarding with the new Executive Board)