Academic and Student Affairs

The TYY sector on academic affairs promotes the study opportunities of students at the University of Turku. The work is done together with the subject associations and the student representatives in faculty administration.

The work of the Secretary for Academic Affairs includes assisting in questions on students’ legal rights. If a student feels that he or she has been treated unfairly, for example in the approval, recognition or grading of studies, he or she can contact the TYY Secretary for Academic Affairs Jukka Vornanen tyy-koposihteeri@utu.fi, (02) 276 9613.

Students can also contact the Secretary for Academic Affairs when exam grading is taking a long time. The University Regulations requires the person responsible for the exam to have it graded within two weeks.

The TYY Executive Board member for academic affairs is responsible for protecting the interests of academic affairs. The sector takes part in national education policy impact work through the National Union of University Students in Finland.

The TYY Committee on Student Affairs, which is open to everyone, handles study affairs and takes part in the protection of student interests that must be done in the University of Turku.

The persons in charge of the TYY Committee on Student Affairs are:

TYY Committee on Student Affairs Chair: Jukka Väisänen, jtvais@utu.fi
Executive Board member: Joni Kajander, tyy-kopo@utu.fi, (02) 276 9624
TYY Secretary for Academic Affairs: Jukka Vornanen, tyy-koposihteeri@utu.fi, (02) 276 9613

Student interests at the University of Turku

The Student Union works in cooperation with the student members of administration and the subject associations. The first and foremost objective is the development of the quality of studies and counselling. TYY also supports and trains student representatives and actors responsible for study affairs in the subject associations.

The academic affairs sector’s most important cooperative person from the university is the unit for Education Development at the University Services.

Student interests nationwide

TYY participates in the activities of the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL, Suomen Ylioppilaskuntien Liitto). SYL aims at bringing the perspectives of students up to, for example, the Ministry of Education, Council of State, Members of Parliament and the Rector’s Council of the universities. SYL organises meetings for all of the education policy actors of the student unions four times a year.

Securing the level of basic funding of the universities as well as safeguarding the legislative status of the student representatives at the student unions and in university administration, for example, are goals at the national level. Other current issues are shortening the time in which to graduate and improving the way to get there, developing the status of the Bachelor’s degree in the labour market, changing the results-based management and steering system of the universities better taking quality into consideration, Open University and extension studies and quality employment for graduates.

TYY works in close cooperation with other student unions in Turku. Furthermore, TYY regularly meets with the education policy actors of the Student Unions of Helsinki and Tampere. The TYY academic and student affairs sector also participates in various national training events concerning the development of the institution of higher education.

Procedures when exam results are delayed

Getting exam results should not be a waiting game! If and when the grading of an exam takes too long, a reminder will be sent to remind the person responsible for the exam. However, before sending one, it would be good to first remind the examiner about grading the test. If your examiner’s absent-mindedness is still going on, the alternative will be to send a reminder to him or her through TYY.

At the student’s request, the TYY Secretary for Academic Affairs will send the reminder to the examiner whose grading has been delayed (without an acceptable explanation) over the regulated two-week time frame. With the reminder, the regularity of delays will be surveyed and TYY will aim to intervene.
Contact the TYY Secretary for Academic Affairs at tyy-koposihteeri@utu.fi. Always give your subject, name of the exam, exam date and name of the examiner.

Links

•    Ministry of Education
•    Finnish Higher Education Evaluation Council 
•    Academy of Finland
•    University of Turku and Turku School of Economics consortium (in Finnish)