A report commissioned by the Ministry of Education and Culture from Licentiate of Laws Juha Viertola on the automatic membership in student unions has been completed. The conclusion of the report is that the activities of the student unions and the performance of their statutory duties are best secured by maintaining today’s automatic and compulsory membership model in student unions.
The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) wishes to thank Viertola for his diligent work and agrees with the conclusion of the report.
“The result of the report is clear. We must now respect the report’s conclusions and the constitutional autonomy of Finnish universities, and give student unions the space they need to do their work,” says Secretary General Roope Tukia form SYL.
In his report, Viertola compared the duties and administrative positions of student unions in Finnish universities and universities of applied sciences, where no such automated membership model exists.
“The fundamental difference between the duties of student unions in universities and universities of applied sciences is that, in universities, the mission of a student union is closely linked to the statutory mission of its university, while no such connection is present between a student union and its university of applied sciences. There are also differences in the statutory duties of universities and universities of applied sciences. This indirectly creates a fundamental difference between the status and duties of student unions in universities and universities of applied sciences,” the report explains.
According to the Universities Act, the student union of a university is a community governed by public law that carries out the duties assigned to it by law. The student union constitutes a part of the autonomy of its university, as guaranteed by the Finnish Constitution.
“The report describes the status of student unions as a key part of Finnish society and the autonomy of universities in great detail. Student unions have helped strengthen Finnish democracy for over a century,” Tukia concludes.
SYL and the student unions are proud to continue their work for Finland, democracy, and university students.
The report on student union membership can be found on the website of the Ministry of Education and Culture (available in Finnish).
Further information:
Roope Tukia
Secretary General, SYL
+358 45 135 4314
roope.tukia@syl.fi
