"Student participation in decision-making influences teaching"
Vice-Dean Janna Pitkänen says that student feedback is used to develop the content and methods of teaching. She believes that interaction strengthens inclusivity and makes students feel they belong to the academic community.
The Academic Affairs Council has issued new recommendations for supporting student involvement (pdf). The purpose of the recommendations is to ensure student participation and engagement in education development, which is crucial for the success of the University of Helsinki.
The University is keen to engage students in its various decision-making bodies. However, recruiting enough student representatives has occasionally proved difficult, particularly for degree programme steering groups.
The Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry has worked hard to buck the trend.
“It’s important that students participate in administrative bodies, but they have many other roles too, acting as tutors and teaching assistants and joining visits to general upper secondary schools. Our key priority is to interact and collaborate with students,” says Vice-Dean Janna Pietikäinen, who is also a Teachers’ Academy fellow.
Pietikäinen notes that the Faculty too gains from the collaboration, as students help it move in new directions.
“Students suggest ways of developing the content and methods of teaching, and we listen to them and develop our teaching accordingly. For example, our new study module in entrepreneurship and innovation is very much based on student requests.”
Good communication and collaboration helps in obtaining direct student feedback, to supplement official evaluations.
“We’ve received ideas for developing, for example, our marketing aimed at applicants. We also organise dean’s breakfasts to discuss Faculty issues in a relaxed environment. They’ve been very popular.”
Inclusivity enhances wellbeing
Pietikäinen mentions another important dimension: the wellbeing of students increases if they feel part of the academic community.
Riku-Petteri Kyllönen agrees. He is a specialist in higher education policy at the University’s Student Union (HYY) and oversees the election of student representatives.
“The best way to make student voices heard at the University is to involve them in decision-making. Participation makes you feel that you’re an equal member and an integral part of the academic community.”
“Students too benefit from involvement in decision-making bodies: they learn about meeting protocols and work in an organisation. They also establish networks that may be useful later on. All these skills are essential in the workplace,” Kyllönen notes.
He believes that one of the major strengths and resources of the Finnish higher education system is the involvement of students in decision-making. Similar student involvement is far from evident internationally.
Previous student representatives help in orientation
Student orientation is the responsibility of both HYY and the University. The former reviews, for example, the University’s administrative structure and explores how student representatives should keep in contact with the students and organisations they represent.
Janna Pietikäinen considers the orientation programme a good tool.
“We always welcome new student representatives and explain how important their work is. We present meeting protocols and the Faculty’s decision-making practices. The meeting agenda always includes an item titled ‘Student news’ to ensure matters relevant to students are not forgotten. As steering groups include both student members and teachers with longer experience, students may see the groups as hierarchical. It’s important to support students in orientation and steering group work so they see themselves as experts in learning and fully competent group members.”
To facilitate a smooth orientation process, Pietikäinen suggests engaging previous student representatives. They have experience and expertise and are usually happy to share what they have learned, for example, by leading or supporting orientation groups.
A small fee as motivation – new practices under development
HYY uses its own channels to communicate extensively on application processes. It also collaborates with the University, aiming to do so even more closely in the future. Student organisations too are urged to encourage students to stand for election to administrative bodies.
Kyllönen believes a more personal recruitment process might help increase candidate numbers.
“If a degree programme director notes a student’s interest in influencing decisions, they could talk about it directly with the student to encourage involvement.”
Student members receive a small fee as compensation for their work on the Board, the Collegium or a faculty council. The current fees and associated practices have long remained unchanged, but a reform is now being prepared.
“Students are under pressure to graduate more quickly, which makes it more difficult to work while studying. The meagre income of many students means a fee is one way to motivate them,” says Kyllönen.
Become a student representative!
Would you like to impact the direction of teaching at the university? Do you have suggestions on how to improve the content and methods of teaching, for example? Get involved in decision-making at the university!
- Students participate in decision-making in the University’s administrative bodies, such as the Board, the Collegium, degree programme steering groups, faculty councils, doctoral education steering groups, the Equality and Diversity Committee, and the decision-making bodies of independent institutes.
- By participating in the administrative bodies, you will have an impact as part of the academic community. You will acquire useful workplace skills such as organisation, networking, and meeting skills.
- You will be trained for your role by reviewing, for example, the University’s administrative structure and exploring how student representatives should keep in contact with the students and organisations they represent.
- Student representatives serve a term of two years. Each administrative body has its own meeting schedule, with variation in workloads too.
- The bodies have a total of almost 700 elected student representatives, including deputies. Degree programme steering groups have the highest number of student representatives: two members and two deputies.
- The main application rounds take place each autumn, with the election of members to, for example, degree programme steering groups. Separate application processes are organised year-round. Read more about the ongoing application to independent institutes and apply by 3 March.
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Photo: Veikko Somerpuro