Will we get paid soon?

Within the 9 departments of the Faculty of Social Sciences, the majority of all student representative positions are remuneration. All other non-student members of these bodies are paid for the time and energy required to carry out the work, while student representatives miss lectures, seminars and exams without compensation.

It is students who improve the quality of education and student life by representing the views of their fellow students in the rooms where decisions are taken or prepared. For example, it was students who made sure that all lectures and seminars involve a 15-minute break every hour. It was students who made sure that we could sit and make our voices heard in the consistory, the university board. It is students who make a big difference - not only to their fellow students today, but also to the students who set foot on campus for many years to come.

Today, there are no student representatives in all positions, which means that many chairs echo empty in rooms where decisions are made that directly affect us. At the Faculty of Educational Sciences, the decision to remunerate student representatives in all bodies was taken about two years ago. It is time for the Faculty of Social Sciences to follow suit. At the Faculty Board meeting on February 6, the Faculty decided, together with the Faculty's departments, to explore the possibilities of developing a common policy regarding remuneration at departmental level, which is currently not regulated. This is a step in the right direction and a win on an issue that has been met with resistance for a long time, but it is a work that needs to continue for change to happen. Giving students the remuneration they deserve is not only fair - it is a fundamental condition for maintaining student influence.

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