What is the Student Union?
Linnaeus union represents all approx. 33000 students at Linnaeus University and work to make their studies and study time as good as possible. As a student union, we are the students' voice in both the university management and towards society. Everyone can turn to us if they need advice and support or have been treated incorrectly by the university.
To our members, we also work actively with membership benefits such as discounts, events, membership activities, business contacts and housing issues. Our members are the workforce of the future, and we give them a good start!
The Linnaeus Union has a normal year about 6,000 members, which makes us one of the largest student unions in Sweden.
Medlemmarna utövar sin makt indirekt genom att rösta i kårvalet där de utser styrelseledamöter för kommande verksamhetsåret. De är även med och påverkar direkt genom att vara med på medlemsmötena
The highest decision-making body in the Linnaeus Union is the member meeting. Here, the members make decisions about the major overall issues concerning the student union's activities. All members are welcome to participate, submit proposals and vote.
The members' meeting is held four times a year. Date, time and place are announced on our Facebook pages and here at linnek.se.
The Election Committee handles the student union election and receives all applications and nominations to the union board. The Election Committee ensures that there are candidates for all positions and conducts interviews with the candidates for the remunerated assignments.
The election committee is appointed at the members' meeting. The work is carried out mainly in the spring when it's time for student union election, but it also happens that vacancies arise during the year and then it's the task of the nomination committee to produce candidates for them. You need to be or become a member of the Student Union to be on the election committee.
The election committee gets a fee, as well as new experiences, something to include in their resume, and a larger personal network.
Det finns sex stycken deltidsposter i Linnéstudenternas styrelse. Tre på varje ort. Dessa poster kräver inte att ta studieuppehåll utan sköts vid sidan av studierna.
Part-time board members attend board meetings and are expected to participate and represent the Student Union in various projects throughout the year. Part-time board members receive a small monthly fee.
The presidium consists of full-time paid students who have either taken a study break to get involved in the Linnaeus Union or chosen to do so after completing their studies.
The presidium consists of a president and four vice-presidents and they are elected by direct election by the members of the union once a year. Part-time paid board members are also elected in the union election, but carry out their assignments alongside their studies instead of full-time.
In addition to the presidium and the board, the Linnaeus Union has employees who are responsible for the day-to-day operation.
Våra kontor i Växjö och Kalmar har det operativa ansvaret för områden såsom Buddy-programmet, bostadsfrågor, rättssäkerhet, administration, medlemsregistrering, ekonomi, eventplanering och strategiskt informationsarbete.
Student politics
Our student politics permeates all our work and aims for students to have as good a study time as possible, both during and outside the studies. It is about all students having the right to be treated on equal terms and receiving the education they are entitled to. Here is a summary of the most important issues. If you want to read all about what we demand in different matters, you can read our opinion document.
Our demands
- That the university should have a well-functioning quality review system as a complement to the national review systems.
- That the students should be active and involved in the quality review work.
- That all programmes should be of the same high quality, regardless of whether it is offered on campus or as a distance programme.
- That teachers and post-grads must have a high level of pedagogical competence and have completed a pedagogical education.
- That a formal higher education pedagogical education or experience should be prioritized and meritorious when hiring teachers.
- That the university should strive for a varied gender distribution and diversity in the teaching staff.
- That students who study full-time must have at least 15 hours of teacher contact per week, and the equivalent for part-time studies.
- That students should have the right to feedback on submissions and examinations, within 15 days.
- That the university should work for integration between exchange students and Swedish students.
- To actively work to ensure that students have access to exchange studies.
- That the diplomas must be internationally available.
- That any preparatory exams in connection with exchange studies shall be free of charge.
- That everyone who has cheated is treated equally.
- That the university follows up on the student who cheated and investigates why and in case of potential problems helps the student as far as possible.
- That the university handles matters concerning cheating urgently.
- That the staff at the university must report to the disciplinary committee in case of suspicion of cheating.
- That the university should have a sustainability perspective within their activities.
- That the university should have existing routines on how to handle digital sharing
- That based on course evaluation and course plans, all courses must be evaluated and followed up to form the basis for further development of the education.
- That the course evaluations should take place anonymously.
- That the previous course evaluation for the current course is available to students to shop at the latest at the start of the course.
- That all course coordinators must undergo training in course evaluation.
- That all course evaluations must be available in connection with the course syllabus.
- That course evaluations must be done in all courses, and that everyone who takes a course must be given the opportunity to complete the course evaluation.
- That students shall have the right to have examinations and grades re-examined by an independent examiner.
- That there should be clear binding grading criteria.
- That the students' influence must be guaranteed by the university.
- That the higher education institution has a responsibility to inform the student union about which student representative assignments there are available.
- That the students must be represented in all decision-making and preparatory bodies.
- That student representatives should have clear information about who they can contact in questions about their assignment.
- That there must be at least one student safety representative per faculty.
- That the university should take responsibility for the students' physical and psychosocial work environment.
- That students and staff should be given the opportunity to participate in work environment evaluations on equal terms.
- That equality and diversity should characterize all activities at the entire university.
- Att alla studenter ska ha lika villkor för att kunna genomföra sin utbildning.
- That no student should be discriminated during their education at the university.
- That the university should actively work with equality.
- That the university´s buildings and lecture rooms are accessible for students with disabvilities
- That students who due to disability need guidance, an interpreter or similar help should be able to get this.
- That there should be easily accessible and free help for those students who for various reasons need support during their studies.
- That the university must continue working with, and improve methods for broader recruitment
- That the university clearly communicates where students should turn to if they need advice and support.
- That the student welfare office is allocated the resources needed to guarantee students' well-being.
- That the staffing of the student welfare office is proportional to the demand required.
- That there are student-based gathering places for study social purposes.
- That drug-free activities are a matter of course in the student social environment.
- That a well-functioning student life presupposes good opportunities for students to get involved and organize.
- That the climate in the study places should be open, welcoming and inclusive in order to promote cooperation between the associations and the student union.
- That the Student Union should facilitate contact and cooperation between student associations and the university
- That students must be offered a student housing within one month from the start of the semester.
- That the municipalities in the study locations are responsible for ensuring that the number of student housing is proportional to demand and needs.
- That a comprehensive and well-functioning housing guarantee must be available in all study locations.
- That the rent for a student housing shall not amount to more than one third of the study grant.
- That all student housing must offer a reasonable standard of living.
- That the rules regarding the study grant and its design should be generous and show consideration for students' different life situations.
- That there should be a fair balance between the grant and loan part of the study grant.
- That the study grant should give all students a reasonable living situation by covering the students' actual expenses.
- That students should have equal social rights and protection as employes.
- That all studies must be pension, unemployment insurance and sickness benefit qualifying.
- That the work environment at the university as a place of study and home must maintain a good standard.
- That postgrad students should be able to influence the choice of main- and assistant supervisor.
- That a postgrad student who wants to change supervisors should have a real opportunity to do so.
- That all supervisors must have completed a supervisor training.
- That postgrad students whose studies are financed with scholarships or educational grants must be entitled to the same social insurance systems as employes.
- That all PhD candidates should have the possibility to finish their studies within the agreed timeframe and that prolongation should be offered when there are problems with supervision or work circumstances
Do you have questions about the student union?
