{"id":2190,"date":"2025-07-30T10:29:43","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T08:29:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/soders.nu\/?page_id=2190"},"modified":"2025-10-22T14:41:14","modified_gmt":"2025-10-22T12:41:14","slug":"intro","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/soders.nu\/en\/inflytande\/effekt\/intro\/","title":{"rendered":"Introduction to influence"},"content":{"rendered":"
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In this section<\/strong> can you read more about students' right to influence, the university's various bodies and which important documents can be good to know as a student representative.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Student Union's mission<\/h2><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Our primary mission as a student union is to work towards improving the quality of education by ensuring that students' voices are heard; among other things, by participating in and exercising student influence in the university's various committees, councils, and boards.

We also work to improve the study environment at the higher education institution, for a vibrant and inclusive student life on campus, and we provide support and advice on students' rights in various student matters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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About being a student representative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The role of student representative is a position of trust within S\u00f6derS and means exactly what it sounds like \u2013 you represent all students within your subject, programme, or the higher education institution as a whole. Your perspective as a student is valuable and needed to work together with the institution to develop and ensure a high quality of education. The importance of student representatives therefore cannot be overstated. The role of student representative is a position of trust with S\u00f6derS.

Students' right to representation is regulated in the Higher Education Act (HL Chapter 2, Section 7) and as a student representative you are a member on the same terms as all other members in the body to which you have been appointed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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On becoming a student representative<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are interested in becoming a student representative, you first need to attend an introduction given by us at S\u00f6derS. No prior knowledge is required; it is enough to have an interest and a desire to be involved in advocacy work within your education. During the introduction, we will go through basic information about what the role involves in practice, what benefits come with the role, and which networks and support are available.

We hold rollouts on an ongoing basis throughout the academic year and generally offer one rollout session per week. Here you can register for the introduction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The university college's organisation \u2013 how we influence things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The university has a number of groups, councils and bodies where all matters relating to the university\u2019s operation, education and students are discussed, agreed upon and ultimately decided.

The university has both \u201cadvisory\u201d and \u201cdecision-making\u201d bodies. The advisory bodies discuss and prepare various proposals before they are forwarded for a decision. It is then the decision-making bodies that take the actual decisions and, where necessary, make any amendments. To ensure that you, as students, have a genuine say in your education and study situation, it is important that your perspective as students is included in both the preparatory and decision-making processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The university's organisation on sh.se \u2192<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Subject and programme committee<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you are studying courses within a specific subject, you have the opportunity to sit on a subject council, whereas if you are studying a programme, you have the opportunity to sit on a programme council. However, a programme often consists of a collection of subjects and therefore you naturally also have the opportunity to sit on the subject council for the subject you are studying. In some cases, there are also combined programme and subject councils.

Subject and programme councils often make their own decisions on course literature. They also prepare course and programme plans for decision by the departmental board and the faculty board or its committees. Proposals prepared or decided upon by subject and programme councils need to have strong support amongst students. As a student representative, it is therefore important to maintain close contact with students within your subject or programme.

Both the teacher training programmes and the police training programme have their own steering groups and councils where overarching decisions regarding the programmes are made. These programmes make their own decisions regarding their course and programme syllabuses in programme councils and so-called syllabus committees. The proposals that are prepared or decided upon in programme councils, syllabus committees, councils or steering groups also need to have strong backing from the students.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Institutional Board<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The university's courses and programmes are divided into six different departments, each of which includes a board where issues concerning all courses and programmes within the specific department are dealt with.

Each departmental board in turn includes all subject and programme boards relevant to that department. The subject and programme boards often have both preparatory and decision-making responsibilities. For example, they prepare education and course syllabuses and make decisions regarding, for instance, reading lists.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Central body<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The university also has several other bodies which, for example, deal with issues relating to pedagogical development, equality, the working environment, recruitment and collaboration. Within these bodies, too, there are positions for student representatives, who are expected to contribute the student perspective and strive to represent the wider student body at the university. 

As a student representative on these bodies, you will need to have some knowledge of the body\u2019s area of work. It may be an advantage if you are studying a subject relevant to the issues dealt with by that particular body, but this is not a requirement, and you can also gain this knowledge from us at S\u00f6derS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Application form for central bodies \u2192<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

See below to read more about the various central councils that you can get involved in as a student \u2193<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Working Group for Gender Mainstreaming in Higher Education (JiHu)<\/h3><\/div><\/div>
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Would you like to get involved in promoting gender equality at the university?
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As a member of the working group on gender mainstreaming, you will be involved in drawing up proposals, monitoring targets and supporting departments in their work on gender mainstreaming. You will have the opportunity to contribute your unique student perspective to efforts to raise awareness of gender equality at the university.
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The working group\u2019s remit<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The working group proposes measures and monitors local targets for gender equality work based on the higher education institutions' governmental remit to contribute to the gender equality policy objectives.
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Composition of the working group<\/h3>\n\n\n\n