UTSU’s REPORTS

Developing UTSU

The Board’s meetings with all the student councils

In August and September, the student union board met with nearly all the student councils, except the psychology institute’s and Tartu observatory’s. There we introduced the extra opportunities for representing outside the student council, reminded with whom and in what form they should communicate when representing the students and agreed upon mutual expectations and the form of communications.

UTSU presents

The event series “UTSU presents”, which was started in the fall, includes the students once a month in the form of a talk night or a social get-together. From the low participation percentage of the fall semester’s talk nights concerning the educational policy campaign on learning outcomes, we conclude that we need to find topics that cater more to the student body. The event at EscapeTartu had the most participants. 

Workshop

The fall workshop that took place on the 19th-20th of September at the Sokka resort had approx. 70 participants. Positive feedback was given to the beautiful location, substantial topics (mental health, digital development, environment, targeting, international students and updating the policy guidelines) and the evening programme, which also included saunas. You can read the feedback here.  

The Student Parliament meetings

There were three Student Parliament meetings in the fall semester (in September, October and November) and one e-vote to elect a new member to the Student Parliament. The bigger decisions were the founding documents’ reform, approving the 2021 budget and confirming the wages and work loads of the student union board members. You can read more about these in the Student Parliament’s report.

Work group meetings

The PhD students work group met four times during the fall semester and, among other things, discussed topics like the results of the PhD students’ feedback survey and the quality of supervising. The meetings were bilingual and open to the entire student body. The continuing collaboration with the study department will culminate in the spring semester, with presenting the change proposals to the legal acts concerning PhD studies. There was a continuous input gathering at the work group’s Teams channel on the topics of the vice rector for research. 

The international students’ work group met four times during the fall semester. The topics of discussion included study quality and equal treatment. Additionally, collaborating with other student organizations that bring together international students was also considered.

The study quality work group met seven times in total and made it possible for the student union office to operationally give feedback to the materials of the Rector’s office and the study committee, but also to start new processes, such as the good practice of studying and changing the statute of the teaching staff of the year. 

The UTSU development work group met five times in the fall semester. The discussions were centered on organizing events and composing a development plan. Despite the events that have taken place, low motivation and participation is apparent.

The digital development work group is a bit different from the other work groups. It was convened in collaboration with the UT head of digital development and is currently mainly focused on the student’s desktop project. Three meetings via Teams have resulted in a strong input to the project’s description and future fate.

Digital UTSU

At the beginning of the academic year, we moved from Google to the cloud space offered by Microsoft and with the end of the fall semester, we will open access for all the student representatives to the UTSU Moodle course, which contains all the necessary guide materials for their work.

Project-based internship

For the first time, the student representatives got the opportunity to earn 6 ECTS for their activities through the project-based internship created in collaboration with FutuLab, which was supervised by Trine Tamm. The internship’s goal is to give a better overview on how to plan your activities and carry them out. 25 representatives joined, including the chairperson of the student union. But fewer people made it through the internship than were  originally signed up for it, which is why we conclude that the Board, the ones carrying out the subject, and the representatives had different expectations that require better coordination.

The Christmas party

There were approx. 50 participants at the 17th of December virtual Christmas party. We played virtual games (Among Us, Scribble) and presented the recognitions to the best. UTSU also made a video to announce the recognitions, which you can watch here. /tunnustus/ 

A present at Tõllakuur was awaiting all the representatives during the Christmas period, which, as of the 28th of January, 101 representatives have retrieved. The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive and thereby we find that this action is definitely necessary, considering the principles of recognizing and thanking the representatives for their volunteer work. 

Coming up

1. The Board’s meetings with all the Student Councils (March)
2. The celebration of the 101st anniversary of the creation of the Student Union on the 15th of May
3. Composing the new development plan

Communications with the university

The feedback to the university’s strategy drafts (financial strategy, spatial development strategy, and the principles of Estonian and internationalization). 

According to the University of Tartu development plan for 2020-2025, the university composed three supplementary strategic documents in the fall semester: the principles of Estonian and internationalization, financial strategy and the spatial development strategy. 

Our main proposal to supplement the principles of Estonian and internationalization was that all representatives, who are not proficient in Estonian, should be guaranteed the substantial capability to participate in the work of their council and that the responsibility for creating this opportunity must lie on the head of the structure unit. This was formally taken into account with the term “parallel translation” and it was promised to use more technical solutions for it. 

We had two bigger proposals for the financial strategy: to clearly state the places for investments into the study quality (additional funding for the work of study consultants and teaching-related training, building up collegial feedback, and creating a comprehensive feedback and quality management system) and to the student body (e.g., supporting student organizations). These proposals were not taken into account. 

At the discussions for the spatial development strategy, our proposals to develop Maarjamõisa into a better environment for both the students and the staff, also from a social point of view, to give the student organizations the right to use the study buildings, and to guarantee the university’s environmentally sustainable development, were taken into account.

Senate brief

Every month, we meet with the student representatives who belong in the University of Tartu Senate’s composition and brief them on the coming agenda. 

Two of the student union’s proposals have officially been adopted by the changes to the legal acts that made it to the Senate. The first of these concerns the statute of the curriculum and states that from now on, the programme council student representatives can only be appointed if it’s been coordinated with the structure unit’s student council. The second concerns the terms and procedures for reimbursing the costs of level studies and according to this, the right to be released from paying tuition will be expanded from the coming academic year, to also include all students with reduced capability to work, who are studying on an Estonian curriculum full-time. 

Study quality and arrangements

Every Friday, there is a meeting between the Vice Deans for Academic Affairs of the four faculties, the Vice Rector for Academic Affairs and the Student Union’s Vice-Chairperson of Educational Policy. This meeting is the main communications channel for opening topics related to study quality and arrangements, which during the fall semester were, among others, e-learning, performance financing curricula and the work of the disputes committee. These meetings are supplemented by the monthly discussion mornings of the programme directors, where the students are represented by the policy advisor. 

The students’ protest movement in the School of Law

This semester, the main battle of the School of Law has been against turning the block-mode master’s studies into paid studies, against which the students gathered over 300 signatures in a few hours. The student union board helped both the students and their representatives with advice. Also, the student union chairperson participated in the 9th of November meeting between the students and the university representatives. The opposition from the School of Law’s Council and the Senate’s student representatives ended up as a minority. The student activists from the School of Law are preparing for a legal battle in the courts.

National university 101 (RÜ 101) and the UTSU 100 book presentation

The dance performance “Oh, otsigem…” was created in collaboration between UTSU and Raul Markus Vaiksoo and was supposed to be performed on the stage of Vanemuine, was a part of the grandiose celebrations of the national university’s 101st anniversary. The event that was shrunk down into an online format due to the pandemic, was filmed at ERM’s Black Box and reached the audience via UTTV. 

The UTSU 100 celebrations were also overshadowed by the pandemic, but the book that summarized the history and appeared as an important sign, was presented via UTTV, along with the university’s updated ring, pin, and university cap.  

Common projects – developing study areas, school in motion, and the student app.

At the end of the year, the student union started to revision the study areas. A brainstorm led to the idea to have the student union present applications to the university’s development fund, thanks to the call of the Vice Rector of Academic Affairs. Existing and still unused areas in four study buildings were picked out for updating – Lossi 36, Jakobi 2, Vanemuise 46, and Ravila 19a. The collaboration with the estates’ office allowed us to add sketches to the project, for which we are requesting financing of 120 000 euros. The decision will  be made at the end of February or at the beginning of March.

In addition to the study and recreation areas project, we also wish to create an image of the University of Tartu as a school that encourages people to move. In collaboration with the marketing and communications department, personnel development center, movement laboratory, and the institute of sports sciences and physiotherapy, we are submitting an application to the development fund to create a video with 60 movement exercises. The videos are planned to be one minute in length and they can be applied both in lectures and more broadly in the university’s marketing.

In collaboration with the IT department and the study department, we have created an application for creating a student desktop, which would fuse the currently different platforms (SIS and Moodle, e-mail if possible). In addition to the web platform, there is a plan to create a smartphone app by 2022, which would fulfill the same function.

The mental health action plan for the university

During the last year, UTSU has worked on creating a mental health and well-being action plan to accompany the UT development plan 2025. We forwarded the action plan to the UT management on the 23rd of January 2021. Included in the creation of this action plan were the student representatives, student organizations, personnel development center and FutuLab.

A mandatory training on education for starting teaching staff

The teaching staff’s continuous in-service training, which enables them to develop their knowledge about teaching, is considered important by the student union. At the beginning of the academic year, we introduced a proposal in the Rector’s office to make it mandatory for starting teaching staff to pass a teaching training. The proposal received the approval of the Rector’s office and the Academic Affairs Committee and has been set in the operational programme of the development plan. 

A busy year in the Academic Committee

Due to the routine obligation of attesting academic personnel, the fall semester had a record 41 professors at the attestation. The students were represented at every meeting and based on the qualitative feedback of the subjects, curricula, and students, the suggestions to develop their teaching were passed on.

Coming up

1. Collaboration with the quality advisor
   Since the fall semester, the university has employed the quality advisor Maiki Udam, who is responsible for carrying out the development plan’s sections on study quality, preparing for the institutional accreditation and creating a common quality system. The student union board has met the quality advisor and presented the change proposals to improve the current system. The collaboration will continue in the spring semester in the context of the Senate’s committee, where the students are represented by Rait Bessonov. The goal of the committee’s work is to create a university-wide system of quality assurance. 
2. The Study Regulations reform
   During the last academic year’s spring semester, a Study Regulations work group was created, which was composed of the student union’s vice-chairperson of educational policy and the legal advisor. Due to the changes in the legal acts, a large part of the work on the Study Regulations was shifted into 2021.
   The Study Regulations will go to be changed in the Senate at the end of April. The primary feedback of the student union is expected in February, and we will format our proposals for the official coordination in March. 
3. Revision of the guidelines for equal treatment
   Last year, the student union brought up the need to change the guidelines for equal treatment since according to the current procedural code it is not possible to avoid the conflict of interest of those in dual roles. During the spring semester, the respective committee was formed, which has the student union’s vice-chairperson of educational policy as a member from the student body, but due to the situation of the pandemic, the committee has not been convened. The head of the committee, the Academic Secretary, has promised that the revision of the guidelines will be finished by the end of the spring semester. 

Communicating with the student body

Participation in the student fair

On the 9th of September, UTSU participated in the traditional Ole Rohkem student fair, where we introduced the composition, structure, and activities of UTSU as an advocacy organization. The former policy advisor Marge Vaikjärv and the UT student union’s chairperson Karl Lembit Laane carried out a game on the connections between learning outcomes, the interests of the students, and the needs of the society.

An educational policy campaign on learning outcomes

As a part of the campaign that ran throughout the fall semester, the former policy advisor Marge Vaikjärv organized three discussion evenings and published five articles in collaboration with the UT magazine. Although we increased our visibility among the students through the magazine, the participation in the discussion evenings was low. We will learn from the latter for the next time.

The UT student union chairperson’s addresses:

During the fall semester, the student union’s chairperson made seven public or half-public addresses:

1. At the semester’s opening event in front of the UT main building on the 31st of August [21:39],
2. At the demonstration organized by the Federation of Estonian Student Unions in front of Riigikogu on the 14th of September,
3. At the panel discussion at the seminar on including private funding to the university on the 12th of October [1:09:00],
4. In the video address for the international students’ day on the 17th of November,
5. At the UTSU 100 book launch on the 30th of November [19:05] and
6. In the speech for the student body, in connection with the national university’s 101st anniversary’s canceled procession on the 1st of December.

The cross-cutting issues were the financing of higher education, the access to higher education for all who are academically capable, and calls to organize and stand for one’s rights.

The Boards’ development fund

In November, the student union Board created a development fund, which supports the students’ initiatives to change the university into a better place for studying and being. So far, the institute of Estonian and general linguistics has used the fund to get a microwave and the institute of education got board games. Still in progress are getting reusable dishes to the institute of ecology and earth sciences and a water kettle and a microwave to the institute of sports sciences and physiotherapy.

Communications

The visual side of UTSU has had its ups and downs, but now it’s just smooth sailing – we have found the colour combinations and elements that of the existing options speak to us the most. We are a bit anxious in light of the soon-to-be updated UT style book.

Keeping in mind the content-rich articles, spreading messages is the area for development. During the fall semester, in addition to the articles published within the framework of the educational policy campaign, UT magazine also published an article that explained the essence and activities of UTSU. There is an ambition to supplement the homepage with articles that would shed light upon important projects that we could reference on social media. We have also sent out numerous informative bits that introduce UTSU to the other organizations’ collaboration sections.

Coming up

1. The educational policy campaign on the university’s openness and inclusivity.
2. Elections for the student representatives on all levels and the preparations related to it.
3. Hopefully, moving on with the three previously mentioned UT development fund’s projects.

Communications with external partners

Estonian Federation of Student Unions (EÜL)

Participation at the general meeting on the 21st – 22nd of November 2020

According to the change in the founding documents that entered into force in November, one member of the student union Board is a part of the UTSU representatives at the EÜL’s general meeting – from the current composition it is Karl Lembit Laane.

Participating in the general meeting with a personal mandate was the vice-chairperson Trine Tamm. UTSU’s representatives were also the former student union chairperson Allan Aksiim (now the policy advisor for EÜL), former members of the Social Sciences Faculty Student Council Rainer Urmas Maine and Ismail Mirzojev, the current member of the Social Sciences Faculty Student Council Birgit Helen Tarien and a master’s student in cultural management Kertu Süld.

The two-day general meeting’s agenda had the change proposals for the founding documents, listening to reports, approving the new development plan, action plan, budget, pricing for the ISIC-cards and accepting the Tartu Health Care College into the EÜL. The UTSU faction phrased the most change proposals.

Our proposals were related to a regular and more clearly regulated monitoring, creating a replacement order in the elections of the EÜL council members, directing at least 51% of the output of EÜL’s entrepreneurship to advocacy activities, a more clear time frame for composing the budget and taking the management of regional student organizations (e.g., The Round Table of the Student Unions of the Higher Education Institutions of Tartu) as the responsibility of the EÜL. Every proposal, except the last one, was adopted.

Feedback to the EÜL’s public policy guidelines

For the purpose of giving feedback, UTSU’s Board worked through approx. 35 pages of the EÜL’s public policy guidelines. In June, we made the proposal to rethink the format for presenting the policy guidelines. After the formal changes were dropped, we also made substantive proposals in August, which haven’t been taken into account.

Meeting with their head of marketing in order to discuss collaboration

On the 8th of December, the student union board, UTSU’s marketing and communications specialist, and EÜL’s head of marketing Gerlin Gil discussed the possible collaborative spots between TÜÜE and ISIC. As a result, we see the collaboration mainly in the fall, where university is started by new students, for whom it is important to be in touch with the available discounts. As a second and bigger thought, we could try to unite the activities of the university in motion and ISIC’s actions/games/campaigns that invite people to move more.

ÜKSA (the Student Body Foundation)

Participation in the collaboration seminar of the student body and universities.

The Student Body Foundation arranged a collaboration seminar for the student body and the universities on the 12th of November. Our student union was represented by Trine Tamm and Karl Lembit Laane, whose main goal was to design a common sentiment that it would be possible for the student organizations to use the university’s study buildings without having to pay a fee and that the University of Tartu would consider creating a separate “Student House” for the student organizations. ÜKSA composed their own summary of the event and will continue to communicate with the universities on these topics. 

The Student Body Foundation’s council

On the 26th of January, Trine Tamm was elected to be the UT student union’s representative in the Student Body Foundation’s council. During the fall semester, the ÜKSA council had two meetings, where, among other things, they discussed the communications strategy and elected a new executive director.

U4Society

On the 17th of November, the U4S yearly conference took place, where the UT students were represented by the student union’s vice-chairperson Trine Tamm. Taking into account the new consortium, where all five of the U4Society universities participate, the network was standing in front of a difficult decision on how to carry on in the light of limited resources. At the meeting, it was decided to keep U4S as a network but to carry out only a minimal programme during the following three years. The students first and foremost stood up for the continuation of the leadership training, and a respective address was written on it to the U4S rectors. 

Enlight

At the end of 2019, a consortium of eight universities called Enlight started a collaboration. In the summer of 2020, it received a positive financing decision from the financing measure of European Universities for carrying out a three-year project. In order to find the methods that are appropriate and work in the covid crisis conditions, multiple meetings were held in the fall semester. The project is focused on, among other things, learning mobility, digital collaboration, and empowering the students and teaching staff. The University of Tartu is represented at the Enlight student network by the vice-chairperson Trine Tamm. 

Coming up

1. EÜL’s general meeting in the middle of May
2. Collaboration with EÜL on the topics of the conditions for granting the need-based special allowance and preventing gendered and sexual harassment. 
3. Collaboration with ÜKSA on the process of the next academic year’s freshmen’s goodie bags.
4. Events of the Enlight project throughout the spring semester, starting from March, the theme for 2021 is inclusivity.

No previous reports.