What's on

14.12.2016

Representative Council meeting 6/2016 decisions

The Representative Council of the Student Union of the University of the Eastern Finland (ISYY), at its meeting (6/2016) on 9 December 2016, approved the action plan and budget for the year 2017.

In addition, the Representative Council approved the Rules of the Student Union, strategy for the years 2017–2021, and the communications strategy. Furthermore, the Representative Council decided that ISYY shall apply to become a supporting member of Seta.

Entries in the action plan for 2017, and the budget

The following projects have been entered into ISYY’s action plan for the coming year:

1. Communications
2. International affairs
3. Student healthcare, wellbeing and equality
4. OKKK 2.0
5. Savonlinna
6. Municipal elections
7. Sports and wellbeing
8. Asylum seeker related cooperation
9. Other projects
10. Implementation of strategies

In 2017, ISYY will develop communications, especially external communication, and strive to better harness communication in advocacy work. ISYY’s focus regarding international affairs will lie on developing international advocacy work, taking students into consideration in tuition fee related matters and better integration of international students to the university community.

The entry titled ‘Student healthcare, wellbeing and equality’ emphasises the efforts to develop FSHS as part of the Health, social services and regional government reform; meeting lonely students; improving the services for students with family; and equality work. In 2017, ISYY will also decide on the future of the OKKK (‘home sweet home’) project.

As far as Savonlinna is concerned, ISYY will focus on being able to provide its services on the campus until the relocation. ISYY will also strive to improve the capability to serve students at Joensuu due to this relocation; and ISYY will facilitate placing and grouping students from Savonlinna and Joensuu together.

In addition, the action plan emphasises advocacy work in the municipal elections; developing university sports; development of cooperation with asylum seekers; and beginning security stewards training at ISYY. A medium-term budget will also be laid out for the Student Union in the coming year.

ISYY’s decisions regarding the budget include investing in the OKKK project and building human resource capacity.

The strategy lays out Student Union’s values and objective

At its meeting, the Representative Council additionally approved ISYY’s revised rules, the strategy for 2017–2021, and the communications strategy.

The guiding principles, values and the objective of the Student Union are defined in its strategy. The strategy includes positions such as that, by the year 2021, the operations of the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland will be seen as significant among students and the university community.

The communications strategy approved by the Representative Council supports the policies laid out in the overall strategy.

ISYY applies to become a supporting member of Seta

Representative groups’ motion of applying to become a supporting member of Seta ry (sexual equality) was also considered at the Representative Council meeting. The motion was signed by The Green Left of Eastern Finland, Opiskelijan ISYY, Oikeat, Green List, Social Democratic Students, Keskeiset, Tombolo and Puolueettomat.

The matter of becoming Seta’s supporting member was last considered in ISYY’s Representative Council in 2011, when the matter was decided to be shelved.

This time the Representative Council decided with a clear majority that ISYY shall apply to become a supporting member of Seta.

‘I think that the decision was to be expected as the majority of the Representative Council groups were behind it. I believe that being a supporting member of Seta serves as a continuation to ISYY’s prior stances and policies. After all, it reads in our policy papers that everyone is considered equal in our university community, and that we support sexual equality and gender sensitivity,’ said Pyry Mattila, chairperson of the Student Union.

Representative Council’s decisions are executed by ISYY’s Executive Board for the year 2017, elected on 9 December 2016.

Further information:

Tahvo Kekkonen, Chairperson of the Executive Board 2017, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland, tahvoke@student.uef.fi, tel. 040 523 2441

Pyry Mattila, Chairperson of the Student Union 2017, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland, pyrym@student.uef.fi, tel. 044 576 8406

Secretary General Anna-Kristiina Mikkonen, the Student Union of the University of Eastern Finland, paasihteeri@isyy.fi, tel. 044 576 8417