What is a student union?
A student union is an interest based organization for students at a specific university.
Student unions look after students' interests and manage their statutory rights! It may sound complicated, but in practice it is a well-developed part of the higher education institutions' quality work here in Sweden. Because who can know better than the students, what works or doesn't work in their education?
In practice, this means a few different things. But perhaps the most important is that student unions have the right to appoint student representatives who represent students in meetings with the university.
Student representatives are tasked with representing all students in councils, committees and meetings in which they participate, regardless of union membership.
Through their union, students have the right to be represented in all forums where decisions concerning them and their education are prepared1 or made.
Student representation is fundamentally about ensuring the quality of education and do take place at many different levels.
Exercising influence over your education can be as simple as filling out the course evaluation after taking a course!
"A student union must have the main purpose of monitoring and participating in the development of education and the conditions for studies at the university."
As a student, you can also choose to get involved in your education's program council2 or one of the more or less permanent projects that the university runs, just to name a few possibilities.
Education monitoring and student influence are the main tasks of all student unions, via agreements signed with the university every 3 years.
Many unions choose to also run other activities, for example running student pubs, making introductions or events that enhance the study time for students. As a student, you can choose to become a member of a student union to get access to discounts, opportunities to get involved or priority/cheaper tickets to the union's events.
In matters relating to education and quality, all students are treated equally, regardless of whether they are a member or not, as this is carried out on behalf of their university.
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1 Preparation is a type of investigation, a way of preparing a case before it goes to a decision.
2 Program councils are councils established at the University of Borås to ensure training professions and research connections.
The student union in Borås' main mission is basically education monitoring, student influence and quality assurance. We must be the voice of the students at the university and towards the environment. We work hard to ensure that the students' perspective is included when needed and exercise advocacy work at local and national level.
Student influence at the university is an important opportunity to influence education and the study situation. The right to be represented in bodies that directly or indirectly affect the student's situation is enshrined in the Higher Education Act. The influence is also important for maintaining the quality within the university's operations and is a merit as well as a good opportunity to build networks.
The students have the opportunity to be represented in all of the university's decision-making and preparatory bodies that are important for the education and the students' study situation. As a member, the student representative has the right to vote in the respective decision-making bodies.
It is the student union at the university that appoints which students are to represent in the university's central bodies, boards, committees, committees and councils. To get in touch with the student union, send an email to info@studentkareniboras.se
Members breakfast, meetings, bigger parties and the Kick-Off are study social activities that the student union arranges.
Utöver detta finns det idella studenföreningar i Borås som arbetar exklusivt med sociala aktiviteter och sammankomster för studenter vid högskolan. Vill du veta mer om dem rekommenderar vi att du kollar in deras gemensamma instagram.
@studenphesteriboras
The Student Union in Borås works with the business community in and outside the City of Borås to enrich the study time. This is done by creating relationships and contact areas with companies and actors who can contribute to student life and students' study time in Borås. It can be anything from collaborations, activities and events to discounts and offers.
The student union in Borås works with students' work environment vis-à-vis the university to ensure a sustainable work environment on campus. The student union appoints a student protection representative at each academy and appoints a main student protection representative who works towards the university overall.
The student safety representatives work with current work environment issues, planning of organizational changes, current building, interior design and equipment issues, reports on health and work environment investigations and other mapping of the university's work environment, as well as issues raised by the main safety representative, safety representative or student safety representative.
The safety representatives act through the academies' management councils, the Central Work Environment Committee (C-AMK), the Local Work Environment Committee (L-AMK) and the Study Environment Council.
To get in touch with the student representatives, contact the student union at info@studentkareniboras.se
Studentkåren i Borås är med i Sveriges Förenade Studentkårer (SFS) som är en national advocacy organization for student unions around Sweden, and represent the collective voice of approximately 350,000 students.
Through SFS, the Student Union in Borås is involved and influences, among other things increased tuition fees, construction of student housing, satutory student influence, and the lift in higher education at national level.
Much of this, such as student housing, is also worked on by the student union at the local level in Borås.
Vi jobbar för fullt för att göra din och framtida studenters studietid så bra som möjligt!
Studentkåren i Borås arbetar utifrån tre värdeord
