Latest News

• SYL opposes tuition fees for foreign students
• Student Union Council discusses plan of action and budget
• University reform roadshow makes a stop in Turku
• Audit over - quality work continues
• Student Union Council distributes honours at anniversary ceremony
• Tomi Nyström selected as acting Secretary for Education Policy
• Jussi Rauvola selected as SYL chair
• TYY in the Burning Question campaign
• Students’ needs considered in renovations of the student houses
• Chairs pondering continuation of activities

SYL OPPOSES TUITION FEES FOR FOREIGN STUDENTS

SYL is still opposing trial tuition fees for Master’s degree students that come from outside the EU/EEA area and believes that these fees should not come to pass. SYL believes that with the trial, the objectives of the higher education institutions’ internationalisation strategy will not be brought about and that tuition fees will further decrease the appeal of Finnish higher learning institutions. More important criteria of trial tuition fees should be defined and published as soon as possible.

SYL’s entire statement on the higher education institutions’ internationalisation strategy can be found on the SYL website at
http://www.syl.fi/asiakirjat/081117_lausunto_kvstrategia .
(currently in Finnish only)

STUDENT UNION COUNCIL DISCUSSES PLAN OF ACTION AND BUDGET

There was a productive discussion concerning the proposal of the TYY plan of action and budget for 2009 at the Student Union Council November meeting. On the groor TYY members to follow the voting behaviours of their own council members much better than before.

UNIVERSITY REFORM ROADSHOW MAKES A STOP IN TURKU

The Ministry of Education’s “University Reform Roadshow” made a stop in Turku on Monday, 24 November. A seminar planned for the people of Turku universities was held at Natural Sciences Building I. The Ministry of Education academic and education policy Director Anita Lehikoinen discussed the progress of the structural development in the University Act revision. The University Act will be given for parliamentary handling during January and February along with the Polytechnics Act.

The universities will approve their new strategies during the course of 
2009. The development of these new university strategies, under a new 
financial outline, will be in a significant role and they are aiming at 
doing away with the current outline, which emphasises the number of 
individual degrees.

After Lehikoinen’s speech, came Counsellor of Education Juhani Dammert who talked about the concern of the position of staff members in the university reform. Turku School of Economics Rector Tapio Reponen spoke about the university reform in Turku and TYY Executive Board Chair Laura Heinonen spoke about the merge of the student union and the students’ view concerning the reform.

AUDIT OVER – QUALITY WORK CONTINUES

The discussion seminar concerning the publication of the University of Turku quality assurance system audit results took place Wednesday, 5 November in the Educarium Auditorium (EDU1), which was full of university members. Experiences of quality were brought and the needs of continuing the work which began well was emphasised.

According to Marianne Stenius, the auditing group chair, the idea that the university staff and students are well-bound to quality work was left to the whole group and that the University of Turku quality assurance system answers questions set on behalf of all essential issues.

Stenius brought up the continuation of quality work while pondering the assessment and briefs of the group. In the future, above all, the prioritising of development work would be something to consider in quality assurance and the distribution of good practices should be supported at the university in all possible ways.

STUDENT UNION COUNCIL DISTRIBUTES HONOURS AT ANNIVERSARY CEREMONY

Because the TYY anniversary fell on Sunday, 9 November on Father’s Day this year the Student Union Council decided to hold it’s anniversary ceremony on Wednesday 12 November. The ceremony was held at the Student Village Foundation Tyysija Hall. Mats Kommonen, the chair of the awards committee, and Johanna Kärki distributed honours to deserving actors in the Student Union.

Ribbons of merit were awarded to Markus Yli-Jokipii and Lauri Luoto and award pins of honour were given to Topi Artukka, Nicolas Fleury, Laura Heinonen, Timo Honka, Tuomo Liljenbäck and Mira Ojalehto. Special award pins were given to the current Executive Board and to the Student Union Council Vice-Chair Eero Hokkanen. Student Union ribbons were awarded to the to the victorious TYY Aurasoutu rowing team, TYY Committee chairs and chairs of the Financial Board. Student Union ribbons were also awarded to Chair Antti Aspila and Secretary-General Veera Mattila of Opekas ry as well as the student members of the University of Turku Board. Honourable mention was also given to Ilkka Ketolainen by Pappagallo ry and also received a Student Union ribbon. TYY’s most 
prestigious award, the ribbon of honour, was not given out this year.

For the closing of the awards ceremony, Vice Chair Erno Lehtinen of the University of Turku gave a presentation, in which he spoke about, amidst the university changes, his own student activities during his studies.

TOMI NYSTRÖM SELECTED AS ACTING SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION POLICY

The TYY Executive Board selected Political Science student Tomi Nyström as acting Secretary for Education Policy for 2009. Nyström has worked this year as TYY Executive Board member for education policy. The current Secretary for Education Policy Minna Ahola will take a leave of absence next year for studies.

JUSSI RAUVOLA SELECTED AS SYL CHAIR

On Saturday, 22 November, the National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) selected its chair and board for 2009. 23 year old student Jussi Rauvola, from the Student Union of the Sibelius Academy, was selected as chair. The other members that have been selected for the board are Jouni Holopainen (Kuopio), Sini Jokinen (Helsinki/KY), Olli-Pekka Koljonen (Jyväskylä), Jaana Mäntylä (Tampere/TTYY), Sini Numminen (TKY) and Leena Pihlajamäki (Helsinki).

According to Rauvola, next year’s most important student union political questions are the parliamentary handling of the new University Act, the updating of the strategic and political line of SYL as well as the increase of communication within the student movement.

TYY IN THE BURNING QUESTION CAMPAIGN

TYY, along with other entities united by the Burning Question campaign, appealed to the Finnish government so that it would commit itself to define the objective of the climate panel between governments to reduce emissions.

The statement can be read in its entirety on the TYY webpages at: 
http://www.tyy.fi/note.cgi?id=981 (currently in Finnish only)

STUDENTS’ NEEDS CONSIDERED IN RENOVATIONS OF THE STUDENT HOUSES

The Student Union Council had a discussion forum on Monday, 24 November, where representatives of TYY, the Student Village Foundation of Turku (TYS) and TYY sub-organisations were present. At the beginning of the meeting, TYY Committee on Sub-Organisations Chair Marjaana Hoikkala gave a presentation on the results of the questionnaire which charted the needs of the use of space. TYS Managing Director Mikko Sedig gave an account on the foundation’s business idea, history and future challenges, after which Manager of Real Estate Ismo Aaltonen gave a more specific presentation on the coming renovation of the Student Houses.

There was a lively discussion amongst the forum participants about the prospects and challenges of the renovation. The sub-organisation representatives expressed their concerns about keeping the spaces as it has always been and the TYS representatives ensured that, in the renovation plans, they aim to go forward in accordance with the needs of the students. They, however, reminded that in today’s construction must be followed according to the regulation of building legislation.

CHAIRS PONDERING CONTINUATION OF ACTIVITIES

The last meeting of the year of sub-organisation chairs was held on Monday, 24 November. There were about 40 current and future chairs of TYY sub-organisations present. Under the direction of the TYY sub-organisation sector, participants covered up-to-date issues and already had their sights set on next year’s activities. TYY member for well-being Maija Niskala advised the chairs to take the well-being of TYY members as well as the Board in organisation activities into consideration. At the same time, she requested that for the boards of 
more organisations than before would be named a member for well-being.

The main focus of the evening was in the making sure of continuation in student organisation activities. Actors in many sub-organisations will again change in the new year and it is important that in the previous years sought after knowledge skills will proceed to the new board. The chairs got excited to share tips with each other.

One of TYY’s objectives next year will be to develop the sub-organisation training. Feedback received from the meeting of chairs will be taken into consideration in the development work for next year. The objective of this development work is education, better than before, for student organisation actors, which supports sub-organisation 
activities.