Policy Document of the Student Union of Tampere University Approved on 20 November 2018 in the Meeting of the Council of Representatives
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Policy Document of the Student Union of Tampere University Approved on 20 November 2018 in the meeting of the Council of Representatives. Only the Finnish-language version is authentic. Tampereen ylioppilaskunta • Rakennustalon L-siipi 3. kerros, Tampereen yliopiston Hervannan kampus Korkeakoulunkatu 5, 33720 Tampere • [email protected] Contents Introduction 3 Equality 3 University and the University community 4 Administration and management 4 Studying, learning, and support for learning 7 Associations 11 Facilities 12 Sports 13 Sustainable development 13 City and society 14 Education system 14 Livelihood 16 Health and well-being 17 City advocacy and housing 18 Tampereen ylioppilaskunta • Rakennustalon L-siipi 3. kerros, Tampereen yliopiston Hervannan kampus Korkeakoulunkatu 5, 33720 Tampere • [email protected] Introduction The Student Union of Tampere University (TREY) acts as a link between its members, pro- moting their societal, social, and intellectual aspirations as well as their aspirations regar- ding education and the students' status in the society. The Student Union also works as a service, advocacy and interest organization for the students of Tampere University and su- pervises the students’ rights within the University and in the society. This Policy Document aims to communicate TREY’s political objectives and policies to both members and interest groups. In the daily activities of the Student Union, this Policy Document provides the em- ployees with guidelines regarding the supervision of students’ interests and the expression of opinions. The decisions regarding TREY’s policies are made by the Council of Representatives. The content of the Policy Document is reviewed on a regular basis and updated by a decision of the Council of Representatives. The Student Union evaluates this policy document against the Council’s objectives and the developments in the operational environment. While the strategy defines the Student Union’s values, and the Plan of Action further regulates its an- nual targets, this Policy Document covers TREY’s general objectives for the supervision of students’ interests. Equality • Equality is a guiding principle in all Student Union activities. All students, regardless of their age, nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, sexuality, health, ability, conviction, family situation, or socio-economic background, are equal members of the Student Union and the University community. All students feel equally welcome in their acti- vities. None of the above-mentioned factors prevent them from applying for studies, complicate their activities at the University or in student organizations, or put them at a disadvantage in studies, study-related services, or decision-making. Discrimi- nation and harassment are not tolerated in student activities, and these issues are dealt with. • The Student Union reserves the right to refuse to cooperate with third parties that violate the Student Union’s principles of equal treatment. • The students’ different life situations are not a hindrance to their education. Tampereen ylioppilaskunta • Rakennustalon L-siipi 3. kerros, Tampereen yliopiston Hervannan kampus Korkeakoulunkatu 5, 33720 Tampere • [email protected] • Internationalization is in the interest of the entire community. International students are seen as equal members of the Student Union, and their participation in the acti- vities of the University community is supported. The services of the Student Union and its partners can also be accessed in English. Communication is bilingual, and its quality is on the same level in both languages. • When asking for a person’s gender, gender diversity is taken into account, and the person is given the possibility to state their gender. Changes to personal data in the University systems can be simply done at the person’s own request. University and the university community Administration and management Multi-discipline university • Science, research, and education form the basis of the new higher education commu- nity. Research and teaching, and the development of both, go hand in hand. The Uni- versity’s assets are extensive competency-based, student-centred learning, cross- disciplinarity, and academic freedom. • Tampere University is a multi-discipline university. It recognizes the value of the dif- ferent cultures of the disciplines and accepts them into the science and education community. The characteristics of different disciplines are taken into account in de- cision-making, funding, and contents. • The financing model rewards the quality of teaching, research, and societal influence. It ensures a sufficient core funding for the execution of basic tasks on all fields and encourages cross-disciplinary cooperation. The financing model also guides the or- ganization of lifelong learning, ensuring that its resources are not taken from degree students. • Alongside with multidisciplinarity, the diversity of the University community’s mem- bers results in a variety of different perspectives, which is important for scientific progress. The University should encourage people from all kinds of backgrounds to participate in the activities of the science and education community. Decision-making and preparation • The administrative structure of the University serves the development of teaching and research. It supports flexible cross-faculty study opportunities and encourages Tampereen ylioppilaskunta • Rakennustalon L-siipi 3. kerros, Tampereen yliopiston Hervannan kampus Korkeakoulunkatu 5, 33720 Tampere • [email protected] cross-disciplinary cooperation. The administrative structure helps people to attach to the new University and their own communities. • Subsidiarity is implemented in the administration so that the decisions on matters related to education and research, i.e. matters within academic autonomy, are gene- rally made as close to the concrete operational level as possible. University-wide instructions can also be given on academic matters. These instructions are prepared in cooperation with the councils of the faculties and the Academic Board. • Decisions are made in an open manner, and the entire community is publicly infor- med about matters under preparation. All documents are made electronically available to all community members. The University and faculties organize open events for the University community to discuss and work on current issues. • All University bodies with multiple members, with the exception of the University Board, must have a tripartite representation. The members of the University Board are appointed, with the Equality Act in mind, according to the qualification and sui- tability requirements of the Universities Act and the Academic Board. Quotas or ca- tegorical exclusions are not applied when appointing members for the University Board. When the composition of the Board is decided, the members’ expertise in mat- ters related to students and education is taken into consideration. • Students are equal members of the University community. Student representatives are appropriately supported during their term and fully trained for their tasks by the Student Union. • Different groups of the University community are involved in preparing and making decisions on all matters that concern them on all administrative levels. The members of an administrative body are selected by a relevant group of the University commu- nity. • International students and staff members can act as representatives in the University administration. For international students and staff, the threshold for participating in the activities of different administrative bodies is low. English is accepted as a wor- king language for meetings and administration alongside with Finnish. University bodies and the administrative structure • The University Board consults the Academic Board on all important issues that con- cern the entire University, for example, on decisions regarding the strategy, impor- tant operational and financial objectives, and other long term principles.The Tampereen ylioppilaskunta • Rakennustalon L-siipi 3. kerros, Tampereen yliopiston Hervannan kampus Korkeakoulunkatu 5, 33720 Tampere • [email protected] University Board appoints the rector and the deans with the help of preparatory ap- pointment committees where students and staff are represented. • The chair and the majority of the members of the preparatory board appointment committee come from the University community. • The provost or a member of the Academic Board can act as a chair of the Academic Board. • The decisions on the faculties’ objective programmes, staff plan, budget, and impor- tant operational and financial objectives are made by faculty councils. The dean is assisted by a steering committee where students and staff are represented. Faculty councils have degree programme planning groups and curriculum groups with stu- dent and staff representation. • The new Tampere University and the Tampere University of Applied Sciences have a joint administrative body, as specified in their rules, whose tasks have been defi- ned in cooperation between Tampere University, the Tampere University of Ap- plied Sciences, the Student Union of Tampere University, and the Students’ Union of Tampere University of Applied Sciences. Fee-based education and the scholarship system • The primary task of Tampere University is to produce high-quality degree educa- tion and research. The University also invests in the promotion of lifelong learning. Commercial