Students' union
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A students' union, student government, student senate, students' association, or guild of students is a student organization present in many colleges and universities. In the latter, said organization is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social and organizational activities of the student body.
Many students' unions are run by students for students, independent of the educational facility. The purpose of these organizations is to represent students both within the institution and externally, including on local and national issues. They are also responsible for providing a variety of services to students. Students can get involved in its management through numerous and varied committees, councils and general meetings, or become one of its elected officers.
Many students' unions are highly politicised bodies, and often serve as a training ground for aspiring politicians. Campaigning and debate is often very vigorous, with the youthful enthusiasm of the various partisans, a student media that is itself often partisan, inexperienced, and under no financial pressure to slant coverage to please a broad readership, and a general lack of serious consequences for decision all encouraging political gamesmanship. Other unions however are less politicised. Students' Unions generally have similar aims irrespective of the extent of politicization, and focus on providing facilities, support and services to students as well as political goals.
Students' unions often officially recognize and allocate an annual budget to other organizations on campus. In some institutions, postgraduate students are within the general students' unions, whereas in others they have their own Postgraduate Representative Body. In some cases graduate students to lack formal representation in student government.
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[edit] Australia
In Australia, all universities have one or more student organizations. As of July 2006, membership and union fees are voluntary by law.
Australian student unions typically provide such services as eateries, small retail outlets (e.g., newsagencies), student media (e.g., campus newspapers), advocacy, and support for a variety of social, arts, political, recreational, special interest and sporting clubs and societies. Most also operate specialized support services for female, LGBT, international and indigenous students. Many have expressed concerns over the introduction of voluntary student unionism (VSU).
The National Union of Students of Australia represents most student unions at a national level. With VSU becoming law, its future is in doubt.
[edit] Canada
In Canada, membership in a college or university students' union is mandatory. Included in Canadian students' tuition fees is anywhere from an additional $10-$300 fee to pay for the services of the union. The money raised from dues is often used to support a staff and office. Student elections usually happen around March as the student bodies elect their unions' executives. Student voter turnout for student elections varies widely depending on the part of the country, and the size of the institution. The largest student union in Canada is the Alma Mater Society (AMS), at the University of British Columbia, with around 45,000 members.
Canadian student unions are not-for-profit organizations and often provide numerous services not only to their own students, but to the educational institution and community at large. Running things like newspapers, radio stations, various consumer businesses, clubs, societies and cultural groups, concerts, bars, various entertainment, athletic programs, financial support, scholarships, medical and dental plans are quite common throughout Canadian schools. Student unions are also well known for their political involvement.
Most student governments are charged by their student body to protect their best interests at the university, municipal, provincial and federal government levels. Generally, student unions in Canada are members of either the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations or the Canadian Federation of Students, the two federal lobby groups representing post-secondary students. One exception is the Province of Quebec, which has its own federations, the largest youth group in Quebec, called Quebec Federation of University Students (Fédération étudiante universitaire du Québec or FEUQ). CEGEP students are represented by the Fédération étudiante collégiale du Québec or FECQ, while the Association pour une solidarité syndicale étudiante or ASSE is a more radical organisation grouping students from both levels of education.
[edit] Denmark
In Denmark the higher education system comprises two parallel sectors: universities and university colleges of applied sciences (e.g. nursing and engineering schools or teachers' colleges). Universities are characterised by scientific research and the highest education based thereon. University colleges of applied sciences are oriented towards working life and base their operations on the high vocational skill requirements set by it. These vocational institutions offer 3-4 year 'professional bachelor degrees'. Besides that there are a number of art schools. Universities belong under the Ministry of Science, University Colleges belong under the Ministry of Education, and the Art Schools belong under the Ministry of Culture. There are 12 universities at the moment, but in 2006 there is a major merger process going on to make fewer, bigger institutions. The student unions at universities (and some of the art schools' student unions) are generally members of the National Union of Students in Denmark which represents these students on the national level.
Every university has a student union (In Danish, Studenterråd). Membership is not mandatory. The student unions are funded by the university and the Ministry of Science on the basis of the percentage of votes received every year at the university election. The student union is autonomous, its internal life organized by its by-laws. The student unions are responsible for all representation of the students and elect the student members of different administrative organs. They usually coordinate and finance the activities of smaller, more specialized student organizations. For the financing of their activities, some student unions exact a membership fee and/or engage in different businesses.
In the Ministry of Culture institutions there are also local student organisations. In the Ministry of Education institutions, The student activities are very much related to a student division of the Labor Union in the different areas. For instance, the teachers' students are organised in the national labor union for teachers and so forth.
Upper-Seconday schools The Upper-Seconday schools(In Danish, Gymnasier), It is in Denmark a law that there has to be a studentscouncill at the Upper-Secondary schools. The studentscouncils are organized in the organisation DGS. 1sh of January 2008 120 of the 145 gymnasier where paying members.
[edit] Finland
In Finland the higher education system comprises two parallel sectors: universities and universities of applied sciences (polytechnics). Universities are characterised by scientific research and the highest education based thereon. Universities of applied sciences are oriented towards working life and base their operations on the high vocational skill requirements set by it.
[edit] Universities - ylioppilaskunta
Every university has a student union (In Finnish, ylioppilaskunta). Membership is mandatory by law for all students studying for Master's or Bachelor's degree. Visiting (non-degree) students are ineligible to join a student union [1]. The student unions are based on a parliamentary model, the general assembly (varying from 20 to 60 members) elected every second year using an open list election. The student union is autonomous, its internal life organised by its by-laws. The student unions are considered a part of Finnish administration, however, and their decisions can be appealed against to the Ministry of Education, although this is extremely rare. In such case, the claimant must prove that the decision has violated the law or by-laws.
The student unions are responsible for all representation of the students and elect the student members of different administrative organs, including the board of the university. According to the law, there must be student representation in every administrative body of the university. The student unions are also responsible for the health care of the students and usually coordinate and finance the activities of smaller, more specialized student organizations. For the financing of their activities, the student unions exact a membership fee and engage in different businesses. Differences in the scale of such businesses are mirrored in the fees exacted by the student unions. Generally, the older universities have wealthier student unions. For example, at Helsinki University of Technology, the student union owns and governs the dormitory village on the campus and rents some of their properties to the university itself, while The Student Union of the University of Helsinki owns several buildings in the very centre of the Helsinki city and has assets of more than 0.5 billion euros.
The university student unions organise extra curriculum activities, such as parties, sports events and access to sports facilities. They own a large number of cafeteria chains and even a multinational travel agency. Nearly all student unions publish one or more magazines, and some larger student unions offer nursing services for mothers while they go to the lectures. They are also a very active political power, commenting anything from municipal plans to national abortion laws. Student unions have organised demonstrations with up to 100,000 demonstrators and also run campaigns to affect the national and local politics during the elections. The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) pushed meal support into legistlation in the 1970s, which nowadays provides all higher education students meals costing only €2.35, not depending in the chain where one eats at. SYL also was able to negotiotiate even up to -50% discount on public transportation for the students.
The Helsinki university student union status was written into laws by the Russian emperor Alexander II in 1868. And some of the university organisations' status is still nowadays effective with the 1800's laws. Later on, during the civil war of Finland, the student unions held significant role in flourishing the Finnish culture, and the Finnish national anthem was first sung by the university students. Many of the Finnish presidents and high-ranking politicians have started their career in universities' student union politics.
The student unions are members of the The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) [1], which represents the university students on the national and the international levels (a member of ESIB). SYL also takes part in the national law making process in topics related to the universities, students economical issues and the education. Part of the student unions are politically active, while in others, nations and subject association groups are dominant in the general assembly. Some of the student unions are active in municipal, global and local political questions, whereas some of the student unions see the protection of their students economical situation and educational rights as their only mission.
[edit] Polytechnics / Universities of Applied Sciences
Every university of applied sciences also has a student union, and its status is guaranteed by law (according to the law it is a public corporation like ylioppilaskunta). The student unions are much younger in this sector because the dual model system that makes the higher education in Finland came in 1996. Membership in opiskelijakunta differs from ylioppilaskunta, because the membership is not mandatory and every student can decide if he or she wants to join the student union.
In Finland, the student union is autonomous, its internal life organized by its by-laws which are confirmed by the rector. The student unions are based on a parliamentary model, the general assembly elected every year. The student union represents all students and is responsible in electing the student members of different administrative organs. The student union finances its operations mainly with membership fees, financial support from the university and small business operations.
The student unions are members of the organization The National Union of Finnish Polytechnic Students (SAMOK) [2]. SAMOK represents students on both the national and international level (a member of ESIB). Student unions in Finland are not politically active and the candidate lists for general assembly elections are not divided into political parties such as usually the case in universities.
[edit] Secondary schools / Junior highs student council
Some junior high schools have an elected student body, which keeps in contact with the rector and the staff. The Junior high students have a national central student organisation Suomen lukiolaisten liitto.
[edit] Conscription army - Reserve Officer School
The Finnish conscription army conscripts, whom have been recruited as the aspiring officers-in-reserve form a Reserve Officer School student council. As a curiosity, it is being a democratically governed and is an autonomous organization of conscripts within a military structure.
[edit] France
The French higher education system is centrally organized, so that local university bodies have restricted decision-making power. As a consequence, student unions are generally established at national level with local sections in most universities. The largest national student unions have a strong political identity and their actions are generally restricted to the defense of their vision of higher education rather than the particular interests of the student body of a single university. Union membership is regarded as an essentially political decision, without any particular advantage for students. The strength of unions can be best measured by their effectiveness in national protests rather than by membership figures. The most important student unions in France are: the left-leaning Union nationale des étudiants de France (National Students Union of France, UNEF) , the conservative Union Nationale Inter-Universitaire (National Inter-Universitary Union, UNI), the pro-European Confédération étudiante [3] (Student Confederation), and the Fédération des associations générales étudiantes [4] (Federation of General Students Associations, FAGE) regrouping different disciplinary associations.
In the Grandes écoles, the premium league in the French higher education system, students are generally members of the official Student Offices (Bureau des Elèves) in charge of the organization of social activities and sports events. The constitutions of these societies, which work in close partnership with the school administration, usually prevent union members from running for executive positions in order to keep the school independent from political groups that would eventually harm to the school prestige.
[edit] Greece
In Greece every university department has its corresponding Student Union (in Greek: Σύλλογος Φοιτητών) and all students belonging to the department have the right to register as members. The main objective of a student union is to solve students' problems that can either be related to academic life or have a general political and social nature. Furthermore, Student Unions organize and support numerous activities such as political debates, demonstrations, university occupations, educational lectures, cultural and artistic events, conferences and so on.
The structure of a Student Union is rather simple and comprises two bodies: The General Assembly and the Board of Directors. The General Assembly consists of all student-members of the Union. It takes place on a regular basis and is the only decision-making body. During the General Assembly, many topics of student interest are discussed and the decisions are taken after open vote. The Board of Directors makes sure that the decisions of the General Assembly will be materialized. Moreover, the members of the Board of Directors, among which is the Union's President, participate in various university administrative bodies as representatives of all students in the Union.
Every year in early spring the Student Elections take place nationwide, during which students vote for their representatives.
All Student Unions in Greece are members of the "National Student Union of Greece" (ΕΦΕΕ - Εθνική Φοιτητική Ένωση Ελλάδας).
[edit] Ireland
Most of Ireland's universities and colleges[2]have students' unions which were established to represent the students in the context of internal college issues and on wider student related issues and also a means of solidarity with other movements globally. An on going campaign of virtually every students' union in Ireland is to prevent the reintroduction of tuition fees which were abolished in 1995. Most of the students' unions are affiliated with the Union of Students in Ireland. The students' unions are operated in accordance with the rules set down in their constitution which invariable enumerates a strong democratic and inclusive procedure for the governance on the union.
[edit] India
India has developed a complex tradition of student politics dating from the era of Congress Party domination. Student unions are organised both within universities, like the Student Council of IISc and across universities, but affiliated with political parties, as in the case of NSUI, ABVP, SFI, etc. The latter compete in elections to control posts in the former. Examples of activist unions include the Delhi University Students Union.
[edit] Japan
In Japan, the student body is called 学生自治会 (gakusei-jichi-kai). In Japanese, the word 学生自治会 (gakusei-jichi-kai) means students' self-government-organizations. The student body in Japan promotes extracurricular activities. Usually, a cultural association, 文化会 (bunka-kai), and a sports association, 体育会 (taiiku-kai), are included within a student body as autonomous organizations. A student belongs to one or more students' organizations, and he or she does extracurricular activities through these students' organizations. However, the extracurricular activities of universities and colleges have been declining since the 1990s.
[edit] Malaysia
Malaysia has 20 public institutions of higher learnings. Each of them has one Student Representative Council (Malay: Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar or MPP) which is the ultimate legislative body among the students. The MPP holds the highest administrative authority in the Student Union of each university. A general election is held every year, usually in September, to elect representatives to the Student Representative Council. The percentage of voter turn-outs are usually high (70% to 95%) largely due to enforcements from the universities' governance which at the same time acts as the Election Committee.
Every year, the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education would set meetings and arrange programmes with all MPP. Nevertheless, each MPP has their own autonomous right to govern their own student body. The size of the MPP differs from each university, from as little as 12 person to as many as 48 person. Notable Student Representative Councils are the MPP of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and the MPP of Universiti Putra Malaysia. (note: There are no sabbatical officers in the Malaysian Students' Union system. All members of MPP are part-time officers)
[edit] Netherlands
There are several students' unions in The Netherlands which act as labor unions for students. The largest ones are VSSD in Delft and ASVA Studentenunie in Amsterdam. These students' unions are all members of LSVb, the national students' union. There's also a similar organization called ISO, which consists of several formal participation organizations, as well as ASVA Studentenunie and VSSD. Both ISO and LSVb are members of ESIB.
There is also a Student Union at Twente University. It was founded in 1999, succeeding the 'Raad voor de Campusvoorzieningen' and the 'Campuscollege'. This Student Union is largely funded by the university and responsible for most activities not related to education, such as sports and culture. It is also an umbrella organization for close to 100 student organizations at the university. The board is not elected: any student can apply for a one-year term. Selection is performed by a subcommittee of the 'Raad van Toezicht'. The board consists of six members, all full time.
[edit] New Zealand
Students associations have a strong history in New Zealand of involvement in political causes, notably the Halt All Racist Tours campaign during the 1981 Springbok Tour. All universities, and most polytechnics and colleges of education have a students association. Since the economic reforms of the 1990s and the introduction of user pays in tertiary education, students associations and the national body have shifted their focus to challenging inequities in the student loan scheme and high levels of student debt. Part-time work along side the introduction of internal assessment and the change of semester structure has been attributed to the declining involvement in extracurricular activities and a shift in focus of the student movement from mass protest to lobbying.
Previous to 1998 membership of Students' Associations was compulsory at all public Tertiary Education providers (universities, polytechnics and colleges of education). In 1997 the right-wing National party proposed the Voluntary Student Membership amendment to the Education act which would have made membership of Students' Associations voluntary at all Tertiary Education Providers.
However the National Party relied on support from the centrist New Zealand First party to pass legislation. The New Zealand First party preferred that Tertiary Students themselves choose whether their provider should be voluntary or complusary and pushed through a compromise to the amendment that allowed for a Compulsory Vs Voluntary referendum to be held at every public Tertiary Education Provider. The amendment also allowed for subsequent referendums which could not be held until at least two years had passed since the previous referendum and only if a petition was signed by 10% of the student populace.
The first wave of referendums were held in 1999, in which several Polytechnics and two Universities (the University of Waikato and the University of Auckland) elected to become voluntary. In 2002 a second referendum was held at the University of Waikato and students choose to return to compulsory student membership. Similar referendums at Auckland University in 2001, 2003 and 2005 have all elected to retain voluntary student membership.
Most of New Zealand Tertiary students' associations are confederated under the New Zealand Union of Students' Associations.
[edit] Norway
In Norway, every university is instructed and required by law to have a Student Union elected by the pupils/students at the school. The goal for every Student Union is to improve their school environment through encouraging social, cultural and other extracurricular events that is happening in the local community. The student unions in Norway is governed by a Board of Directors which is elected directly from the Student Council.
[edit] Portugal
In Portugal, every university, polytechnic institute and any other higher education schools has their own students' unions. Union organizations are generally aimed to organize and promote extracurricular activities such as sports and culture events, parties, and academic festivities. At the same time, they also act as "labour unions for students" promoting and defending the student's points of view and rights, and dealing with the teaching institutions and the State's education agencies policies. The oldest and biggest students' union of Portugal is the Associação Académica de Coimbra (founded in 1887) which belongs to the students of the University of Coimbra.
[edit] Sweden
At Swedish universities, students' unions are responsible for representing the students in evaluation of the education and decision-making within the universities. The union normally holds about one-third of the votes within every decision making body and thus holds a great deal of power.
Membership is mandatory by law. Students pay a membership fee usually between €20 and €40. The unions are usually governed by a general assembly comprising of elected representatives. Students' unions generally provide counselling services to its members and publishes their own magazines or newspapers. Large universities often have several students' unions, where the smaller students' unions only provide basic services. Larger students' unions often own and run their own facilities at the university such as shops, restaurants and night clubs. Which students' union a student belongs to is decided by the course of study, and competing for members is as such not possible. Many students' unions, but not all, are affiliated with the Swedish National Union of Students.
- See also: Nations at Swedish universities
[edit] United Kingdom
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In universities in Great Britain students' unions are constituted under Section 2 of the Education Act 1994. The ultimate purpose of students' unions is to democratically represent the interests of their members. Students who resign their membership may still use Union social facilities provided (often the main or only such facilities available) since they are for the benefit of the students of the institution, not just Union members.
Although "students' union" is by far the most common name adopted by these organisations in the UK, seven (including Exeter, Aston, Liverpool and Birmingham) are named Guilds of students while the term student association is also used at some institutions, particularly in Scotland, where the ancient universities used to have a pair of segregated student unions for men and women and/or had separate "unions" for social activities and "students' representative councils" for representational matters (an arrangement that still exists at the University of Glasgow). When these were amalgamated the term student association was introduced.
The vast majority of UK students' unions are affiliated with the National Union of Students (NUS). In addition to lobbying, campaigning, debating and carrying out other representative activities, most students' unions facilitate "student activities" (societies, volunteering opportunities, and sport) peer led support (through advice centres, helplines, job shops and more), and social venues to bring their members together. Most unions receive some funding through an annual allocation, also called the block grant, from their educational institution. Many unions supplement this income from commercial sales from their venues, shops, and marketing revenue.
The oldest students' union in Britain is St Andrews, founded in 1864. The oldest in England is believed by many to be King's College London Union Society, founded in 1889. Britain's oldest students' union building, which is also the world's oldest students' union building, is the purpose-built Teviot Row House at the University of Edinburgh, built in 1889. The oldest in England is believed to be the Imperial College Union building in Beit Quad built between 1910-11 and designed by Sir Aston Webb. The two largest students' union buildings in the United Kingdom are at the University of Bristol and the University of Sheffield.
[edit] Influence
Although the Conservative government under John Major attempted to severely reduce the influence of students' unions in Britain, the NUS and individual students' unions managed to successfully lobby against the moves to restrict their political activities. The then Education Secretary, John Patten aimed to end the 'closed shop' and ensure students would have to join their union (opt-in) rather than automatically becoming a member. As many unions receive funding based upon membership levels this threatened their ability to achieve their core business. In 2004, lobbying by the NUS against a bill to introduce variable student fees in English and Welsh universities contributed towards the Labour government's majority being slashed to just five in the Commons vote on the bill. However, the passing of this bill as the Higher Education Act 2004 has led to some observers suggesting that students' unions in the UK have been "broken"[citation needed].
[edit] Law relating to students' unions
The role of students' unions is enshrined in the Education Act 1994 which requires educational institutions to have a Code of Practice and publicise the ability to opt-out from membership without forfeiting access to the majority of union services. The Act also requires that Unions have a written constitution and that elections to major union offices are held by a secret ballot of the membership. The Act states that if a petition signed by a minimum number of students (the threshold cannot exceed 5%) is lodged then a referendum must be held on whether or not to end one of the union's affiliations. Students' unions are exempt charities. Students' Union funds from their allocated block grant are subject to ultra vires law and can not be spent on any campaign on issues other than those that affect the students they represent in their capacity as students.
[edit] Scotland
The oldest students' union in Scotland is in St Andrews founded in 1864 and the world's oldest students' union building is the purpose-built Teviot Row House at the University of Edinburgh, built in 1889. Under the Universities (Scotland) Act 1889, Students' Representative Councils were set up at the ancient universities of Scotland. All students are eligible to elect members to the SRC unless they opt out under the Education Act 1994, and the President of the SRC is often a member of the University Court, the governing body of a Scottish Ancient. Where separate students' unions still exist (for example at the University of Glasgow), they operate as private members' clubs. At other universities, the SRC and the former union or unions have been combined into a single students' association.
[edit] Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, students' unions operate in a similar way to those in Britain, except that they cannot exclusively be members of NUS. At the height of the Troubles in 1972, a bilateral agreement between the National Union of Students UK and the Union of Students in Ireland, decided that all student unions within Northern Ireland would hold membership of both organisations, through a new group called NUS-USI. The move was an attempt to promote student unity despite the sectarian divide and the arrangement is still in place.
[edit] Officers
In a British students' union a sabbatical officer is a full-time paid officer elected by the students from their membership. The sabbatical officers are generally trustees of the students' union. Many students' unions also have unpaid officers who continue as students during their term of office. Some of these non-sabbatical officers may sit on the Executive Committee of the Union, or on the Union Council.
British Students' Unions commonly include variants on the following offices:
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[edit] United States
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In the United States, these groups are often known as student government or "Associated Students." In the U.S., the phrase "student union" often refers to a "student activity center" (also known as a "student center" or "student commons"), a building containing a "union" of many dining halls, game rooms, lounges, student offices, and other spaces for student activities. At institutions with large graduate, medical school, and individual "college" populations, there are often student governments that serve those specific constituencies.
The largest students' union/center building is at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma,[3] however, it is unusual in the United States in that it combines the US terms of "student union" (meaning a "student activity center") and a "student government".
Universities that call their legislative councils "Student Assembly" include Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, Dartmouth College, Cornell University, the College of William and Mary, and the State University of New York (SUNY).
[edit] Officers
- President (chief executive officer)
- Vice President (sometimes also serves as chair of the council)
- Secretary
- Treasurer (sometimes combined with secretary to form the position of Secretary/Treasurer)
- Speaker (and sometimes Deputy Speaker)
- Senator (sometimes called a Councilman, Representative, or Member of Parliament)
- Parliamentarian
- Sergeant-at-Arms
[edit] Structures
Many student governments are structured similarly to the United States Government, consisting of distinct executive, legislative, and judicial branches. Alternatively, a parliamentary model is followed. As a result of the particularities of university environments, these structures often include elements which are not found in the federal government (e.g. legislative veto, programming branches, initiative, recall, referendum). In some cases, student governments follow a corporate model where offices reflect business roles such as Vice President of Finance, Director, etc.
Also, many universities with significant graduate, law, and medical school programs have separate student governments for the graduate and undergraduate student bodies. Similarly, multiple undergraduate student governments sometimes form to address specific facets of university decision-making. At the University of Texas, for example, students are served by three equal and independent student governance organizations: the Student Government represents students generally, but focuses on undergraduate student life matters; the Senate of College Councils represents undergraduate and graduate students in academic affairs; and the Graduate Student Assembly represents graduate students in both academic and student affairs. The areas of overlap among the three organizations leads to inevitable competition, which many commentators have suggested is healthy and leads to positive outcomes for the student body. Former Senate of College Councils chair Kate Nanney has recently written a History of the Senate of College Councils, which details the interactions of these groups over a period of more than 30 years.
[edit] Responsibilities
Within their capacity as representatives of the student body, student governments may fulfill a range of responsibilities, such as:
- Representing the interests and concerns of the student body and serving on college-wide committees made up of students, faculty, and administrators
- Disbursing mandatory fees for student activities to clubs, organizations, and campus offices
- Sponsoring campus-wide programs (e.g. Homecoming, concerts, parades, speakers, entertainment, etc.)
- Chartering and regulating student organizations
[edit] Relationship to the Institution
Most universities and colleges (both public and private) in the United States are governed by a Board of Trustees or Regents. Student governments tend to be chartered by the Board but, in the case of public universities operated by a State, may be recognized by the state legislature. Their structure, purpose and responsibilities are usually established in a constitution ratified by the student body. Some states, such as California and Florida, specifically provide for "student body organizations" in their public institutions by statute. (e.g. Cal Education Code § 76060 (Community Colleges); Cal Education Code § 89300 (Universities)).
Student governments have historically been considered auxiliaries of the university to which they belong. Since ultimate responsibility over the direction of a university is usually vested in a Chancellor or President appointed by the Board, some conflicts may arise between Student Government and the university administration, especially in the area of fiscal matters. In addition to a student government, many universities also establish governments for faculty (e.g. Faculty Senate) and staff (e.g. Staff Assembly). In such cases, there often exist links and dependencies between these bodies. Many colleges/universities also allow the student governments to control the student activities (student life) funds generated by the fees students pay each quarter/semester. This usually establishes a strong power for the governing body of students because control over money is power and strong influence.
Student government budgets range from as high as $30 million (the University of Colorado/Boulder) to less than a few thousand dollars. Large public residential universities tend to enjoy the largest operational budgets, while commuter-based public colleges and private colleges tend to have the smallest budgets. More than 71 percent of American "SG" officers are compensated through salaries, stipends, scholarships, and tuition waivers, according to the SG Salary Survey. The American Student Government Association, the professional association for collegiate student govoernments, maintains a database of student government information including budgets, number of members, salaries, corporate structure and number of recognized clubs.
Most American student governments are "official, on-campus organizations" recognized by their institutions. But particularly in California, Minnesota, and Oregon, the "Associated Students, Inc." are non-profit corporations that operate independently of the institution. They derive some of their funding through the sale of services such as "discount cards" that students can use at local establishments.
Average voter turnout in all 4,700 student governments nationwide is in the range of 2 to 4 percent, according to the ASGA SG databsae. This number is negatively skewed by poor participation overall in SG at the more than 2,000 American community colleges which have larger commuter and non-traditional populations and therefore have less emphasis on traditional student services and programs like student government. State universities and colleges tend to have a 10-15 percent voter turnout, while private colleges often have much higher totals, sometimes into 40 percent or higher, according to ASGA.
Most student government leaders serve one-year terms, but there are isolated examples of multi-year officers. This cyclical nature of student government officers often prevents them from attaining real influence on college campuses. By the time student leaders learn their roles, their terms of office are nearing completion.
[edit] Examples
[edit] Michigan State University
Michigan State's Student Assembly comprises one half of the ASMSU undergraduate student government, along with the Academic Assembly. At MSU, the Student Assembly has control over student-life affairs, and controls three seats in the University Academic Governance System, as well as 96.5% of the nearly $1.3 million ASMSU budget. The number of representatives per college varies on the population of the college, like the United States House of Representatives.
The ASMSU Student Assembly has five officers and forty-five staff members, with three of those being executive staff. The Chair, Vice-Chairperson of Internal Affairs, Vice-Chairperson of External Affairs, Vice-Chairperson of Student Funding, and Vice-Chairperson of Student Programming are elected each April by the newly-elected representatives. The Assembly usually - but not always - votes its own members to leadership positions. The staff members are hired by a Human Resources hiring committee. They include the Director and Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs, the Director of Community Affairs, the Director of Legal Services, and the Director of Student Defenders. Three of these staff members, the Director and Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs and the Director of Community Affairs, make up the E-Staff, a lobbying group that works closely with the ASMSU Academic Assembly Director of Education Policy to lobby the Michigan State Legislature on behalf of the almost 40,000 undergraduate students of Michigan State University. As of May 2006, the ASMSU Student Assembly is in its 43nd session.
[edit] Structure
Below is the basic structure for the ASMSU Student Assembly. For the entire organizational flowchart, please see the article on ASMSU
| Student Assembly 47 elected seats 18 appointed seats |
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| Student Assembly Chair | ||||||
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| Vice Chair for Internal Affairs |
Vice Chair for External Affairs |
Vice Chair for Programming |
Vice Chair for Funding |
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| Freshman Class Council Senior Class Council |
Legislative Affairs Community Affairs |
Programming Board | Funding Board | |||
| Legal Services | ||||||
| Red Cedar Log Yearbook | ||||||
[edit] University of Michigan
The Michigan Student Assembly is the University of Michigan's central student government. It is composed of the Assembly, the Steering Committee, and the Central Student Judiciary.
The Assembly represents both undergraduate and graduate students, where the number of representatives per college varies on the population of the college. The College of Literature, Science and Arts (LSA) has almost half of the seats on the assembly (19), since it is by far the university's largest college. Following that is the Rackham Graduate School (7), Engineering (6), Business (3), as well as several schools with single student representation.
MSA is governed by a president and vice-president who are popularly elected by the student body at-large. Each college at the University of Michigan is given a representative number of seats (based on enrollment figures). Each representative on the Assembly was voted on by popular vote of their college or school. Elections for representatives and officers are highly competitive.
The executive positions include the President, Vice President, Student General Counsel, Treasurer, and Chief of Staff.
The 19 committees and commissions of MSA accomplish much of the work on the Assembly. These range from the External Relations Committee, to the Peace and Justice Commission, to the Budget Priorities Committee to the Voice Your Vote Commission. The Assembly runs many successful programs, including Airbus (an inexpensive airport shuttle service), a Rate Your Landlords website, Advice Online, a website with statistical information on every class and professor on campus, and is active in registering students to vote and get out the vote activities.
[edit] College of William and Mary
The Student Assembly of the College of William and Mary (SA) is the official student government of William and Mary. It is designed to represent all students at the college, both undergraduate and graduate. At William and Mary, the SA has control of over $500,000 in student activities fees, over $100,000 in reserve funding, and is the primary source of student representation to the college administration, the City of Williamsburg, and the Commonwealth of Virginia.
[edit] Structure
The SA is divided into three branches, executive, legislative, and judicial, much like the United States government. The executive is headed by a President and Vice President, who run together on a ticket and are directly elected by all students each March. The executive branch also contains many non-elected officials, including a staff led by the Chief of Staff, a communications office, and many executive departments, such as the Department of Student Life and the Department of Public Affairs.
The legislative branch is divided into three parts: the Senate, the Undergraduate Council, and the Graduate Council. The Senate is the upper house; it is charged with writing legislation that distributes student activity funds, expressing the will of the student body, and organizing the internal structure of the SA. Also, it confirms the principal officers of the executive departments and independent agencies. It is made up of 16 undergraduate students (four from each class), and 6 graduate students (one from the five graduate schools, plus an at-large seat). The Undergraduate Council consists of officers from each undergraduate class: a President, Vice President for Advocacy, Vice President for Social Affairs, Treasurer, and Secretary. The Graduate Council consists of officers from each graduate school. Only the Senate can pass binding legislation; however, the Councils may veto constitutional amendments.
The judicial branch is the Review Board, which resolves disputes between all bodies. It functions much like the Supreme Court of the United States, in that it is a panel of justices deciding cases. There are six associate justices and one Chairman, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate every year.
Finally, there are three independent agencies, not affiliated with any branch: the Elections Commission, led by a powerful Chairman and charged with overseeing the successful implementation of elections every semester, the Agency for Internal Affairs, which deals with matters internal to the SA, and the First Year Council, which orients freshmen to the SA. There are also various independent class councils such as the 2008 Class Council, which consist of students who want to help class officers plan events; these councils are not officially a part of the SA.
As of the now, the Assembly is in its 315th session (the numbering represents the number of years since the founding of the College), or its 93nd year (the organization itself being founded in 1915).
[edit] References
- ^ http://www.utu.fi/en/studying/studies/visiting.html
- ^ Although there's a difference between 'college' and 'university' the words have become almost synonymous in informal speech
- ^ ANSTHE, Oklahoma State University, retrieved April 23, 2006
[edit] See also
- Student activism
- Student court
- Student voice
- Class President
- American Student Government Association (ASGA). A professional association for collegiate Student Governments across the United States, providing databases, research, best practices, training conferences, and consulting.
- ESIB - National Unions of Students in Europe - an umbrella organization of 44 national unions of students from 34 European countries.
- National Union of Students of the United Kingdom
[edit] External links
- ASBGOV.COM - Student Governments Unite! A free networking and research site for student government leaders.
- The SG Consulting Group The SG Consulting Group is a firm specializing in training and consulting for collegiate student governments in the United States.
- NOM - The Nordic Presidential Meeting (Nordiskt Ordförande Möte) - The network is a consultative meeting of the National Unions of Students of Nordic Countries who are members of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
