The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
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The Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland
30.10.2025
The University of Eastern Finland has planned to organise the orientation earlier in August. ISYY's Executive Board collected opinions about bringing the orientation forward from student associations through the Councils of Chairpersons. Based on this feedback, ISYY's Executive Board formed this opinion. The opinion has been forwarded to the UEF Education Management Group, which is preparing the possible change in orientation.
We do not support changing the orientation we have now based on collected comments from tutors and student associations. The current orientation in September has proven to be a functional and sufficient arrangement.
The foundation is weak. The university has not presented any reasonable justification for why it is promoting the early orientation. Students feel that they have not been heard and involved in the decision-making. It is not clear who would actually benefit from the early orientation. The university's desire to change the orientation has come as a surprise to all student activists. There has been no such desire from new students and tutors. The change seems to be based on a gut feeling, not a real need.
It is practically impossible to organise. Tutors and board members of student associations will very likely still be on summer jobs in August. Many work outside of Kuopio or Joensuu during the summer. Currently, tutors contact new students even before the orientation. In addition, student associations organise familiarization events before the orientation. Therefore, organising it earlier would also significantly affect the activities of student associations and tutors. Postponing tutor training to August creates challenges and would affect the readiness of tutors and their coping skills.
Summer jobs and livelihoods are under threat. Students are working summer jobs because students will not receive student grant and housing supplement in August. Organising the orientation earlier would force many to choose between a job and orientation. Organising the orientation earlier is not only difficult for new students, but also for tutors and student association activists.
Tutor recruitment would suffer. The change could reduce the number of applicants for tutoring, as tutoring would mean a shorter summer vacation. In some fields, this will be challenging, as some fields already have a shortage of tutors. Bringing the orientation forward may require tutors to prepare earlier for the upcoming autumn, which will not encourage students to apply for tutoring.
Practical problems could increase. New problems would arise with student grants, housing supplements, student union membership fees and IDs if orientation starts in August, before studies officially begin. Student grants will also not be available before September unless studies are started in mid-August. Due to the early orientation, students will have to move to campus cities as early as August - if they get an apartment by then. It is important to note that a large proportion of students live in private rented accommodation, so the information collected from student housing foundations on students' moves to campus cities is not sufficient.
Changing the length of the semester is not reasonable. Christmas is an important working time for many students. Extending the fall semester to December is also not necessary, as many departments do not use the semester weeks effectively until the end even today. It would therefore be more efficient to consider using the current semesters more efficiently rather than organising the orientation earlier.
We hope that the university will listen to students and base its decisions on real need, not sentiment. We also ask why change an arrangement that already works?
“We, the students, make the university a university, so please listen to our opinion also in the decision that affects all students so significantly. Without us, there is no university.”
– Student’s comment in ISYYs feedback form.
Emilia Kivikoski, Executive Board Member, Social Policy, Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland (ISYY), emilia.kivikoski(at)isyy.fi