The Representative Council, or repco, uses the highest decision-making power in the Student Union of Uniarts Helsinki, or TaiYo. The 15-member Representative Council is elected for two years at a time, and all members of the Student Union, i.e. all students studying for a degree at Uniarts, can vote and stand as candidates in the elections. The Representative Council meets 4-6 times a year.
What does the Representative Council decide on?
The task of the Representative Council is to decide on the key issues of the Student Union, such as:
- the amount of the membership fee.. Each student pays an annual membership fee to the Student Union, which is used to finance the Student Union's activities. The Representative Council decides how high the membership fee is – currently 85 euros per year.
- on the use of money. The Representative Council decides what the membership fee money will be used for: should operations be cut or should the Student Union organize more parties? In practice, the Representative Council annually approves the Student Union's budget, approves the financial statements and decides on granting discharge.
- student union's values Edustajisto hyväksyy TaiYon strategian ja sen osana arvot, joiden on tarkoitus heijastua kaikkeen toimintaan. Tällä hetkellä ylioppilaskunnan arvot ovat Taide, tiede ja sivistys; Kriittisyys; Ekologisuus ja Yhdenvertaisuus ja yhteisöllisyys.
- the objectives and priorities of the activities. Should the Student Union focus on organising joint events that cross academy boundaries, art policy advocacy, correcting shortcomings in university teaching or something completely different? The Representative Council decides annually on the Student Union's action plan and thus steers the Board's activities.
- election of the board and the secretary general of the student union. The daily operations of TaiYo are run by the board, which is elected by the Representative Council for one year at a time. The repco elects also the secretary general of the student union.
- the election of key student representatives. The Representative Council elects student representatives to the University Collegium and the University Board to promote students' interests at the highest levels of university administration.
What is being in the Representative Council in practice?
- Each year, the Representative Council has approximately 4-6 meetings to discuss and make decisions in matters mentioned above. In addition, as a member of the Representative Council, you can also bring up issues that you would like to change at the Uniarts or at the societal level.
- Before the meetings, the work of the Representative Council includes some familiarisation with the issues and one's own thought work.
- In addition to the meetings, voluntary training and recreational meetings are organised for the members of the Representative Council.
- The members of the Representative Council are not paid for their duties, but they are in a voluntary position of trust. The chairperson of the Representative Council, who is elected by the Representative Council from among its members, is paid a small fee for the task. (On the other hand, this is also a matter for the Representative Council to decide!)
- At the meetings of the Representative Council, snacks are provided.
What do you need to know in advance?
There are no special requirements for working in the Representative Council based on previous experience or background knowledge – so it doesn't matter if you have not been involved in the activities in any way before. Being interested in taking care of students' common affairs is enough. The Representative Council members will receive training for the position after they are elected.
Edustajiston toimintaa ohjaavia asiakirjoja
Constitution of the Student Union
Rules of Procedure of the Representative Council
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