Comment, 4 September 2009
Defending the position of students at the University of Helsinki is sadly still as difficult as it was in the 1970s. University democracy was again badly trampled when the University Collegiate Body decided, despite the intense objections by student representatives, that there will be more seats at the administration of the University of Helsinki for professor representatives than for students and other members of staff. The Universities of Tampere, Turku, Lapland and Eastern Finland made a much more progressive decision in which the equivalent relation was decided according to the tripartite principle.
HYY is very disappointed that in the draft for the University’s rules and regulations the principle is respected neither in the University Collegiate Body nor in faculty councils. The University Collegiate Body represents the voice of the whole academic community when appointing the university administration. Thus the internal groups of the University must be in an equal position in the composition of the University Collegiate Body. The Education and Culture Committee also considered in its report (5/2009) that when the groups of the academic community are represented in the Collegiate as equally as possible, it strengthens the internal democracy.
“The most serious threat to university democracy seems to be that students are still treated as customers in university administration, instead of being members of the academic community”, states Pasi Hario, Chairperson of the HYY Board.
In connection with the university reform, universities particularly emphasised their role as an autonomous and democratic science community. In reality at least the structures of the University of Helsinki rather strengthen the authority of professors than advance democracy and communality.
HYY demands that the University’s new rules and regulations should be changed in order to implement the tripartite principle on all levels of university administration. The respect and strong position of professors in university administration is definitely secured and acknowledged without having to bolster it with administrative structures. For students, the implementation of the tripartite principle is the most important issue in the whole university reform.
“The constant under-representation of students in administration organs makes you wonder why the Student Union should still give its support to the current administration”, ponders Hario.
Pasi Hario
Chairperson of the Board
Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY)
Anu Aarnio
Board Member in Charge of Academic Affairs Student Union of the University of Helsinki (HYY)
Further information:
HYY Board Member in Charge of Academic Affairs Anu Aarnio, 050 543 9611, anu.aarnio@hyy.fi