Come join us
VYY warmly recommends being an active member of the Student Union and the various student organizations that operate within VYY. Organization activities offer opportunities to learn new things, to gain memorable experiences and to make lifelong friendships. There are many different ways to participate in Student Union and student organization activities, so there is something to match everyone’s interests.
The Student Union offers many opportunities to enter positions of trust and to learn about organizing and carrying out various events and projects. The Student Union is also a versatile and inspiring place to work, where you can learn new skills and develop yourself.
The Student Union has new positions opening up throughout the year, please follow this webpage and our social media!
Projects
VYY recruits new project workers every year to organize various student events. As a project worker, you get valuable event organization experience and new contacts.
The Contact recruitment fair is the biggest interdisciplinary recruitment fair in Ostrobothnia and it gathers the best employers and the most potential employees to the University of Vaasa Campus. The fair is open to all the higher education students in Vaasa.
The Boom City Appro is a student festival for all the students in the Vaasa area, where your mission is to collect stamps from official appro bars to your pub crawl passport, appropass.
The Student Union’s Anniversary ball is a distinguished academic celebration. Anniversary ball is distinguished academic party. During the anniversary ball, VYY distributes the traditional acknowledgement awards to individuals who have earned them through their work for the Student Union.
Representative council elections
In the next Representative Council election of 2023, 30 members of the Representative Council and deputy members are elected for a two-year term starting on 1.1.2024.
FAQ – what is the Representative Council?
What is the Representative Council?
The Representative Council (also known as edustajisto or edari) is a group of ordinary university students who decides on the most important matters that concern the Student Union and all its members. The VYY Representative Council has 30 members. The council is elected once every two years in an election where any VYY member may enter as a candidate and vote. All members also have the right to come and observe the council’s meetings, which are held about once a month from September to May.
What difference can I make in the Representative Council?
The Representative Council decides on a variety of things, ranging from the membership fee amount, Student Union rules, action plan and budget to the election of the Board and choosing a Secretary General. The annual action plan directs the activities of the Board and staff, determining what the Student Union will use their resources on.
Who can enter the election as a candidate?
All VYY members who have registered as attending at the University of Vaasa and paid the Student Union membership fee! You can either start your own electoral coalition, join an existing electoral coalition or run as a non-partisan candidate. The choice is yours.
How do I enter the election as a candidate and what election documents do I need to fill out?
To enter the election as a candidate you must fill out the Declaration of Candidacy form. All election documents are available at the Student Union service office. If you have any questions concerning how to fill out the Declaration of Candidacy or any other documents, do not hesitate to contact the proxy of your electoral coalition or the Student Union staff. In fact, if you have any questions at all concerning the election in general, you can come visit the Student Union service office or send email to the staff.
What is a council group?
The Representative Council has 30 members. A majority of the members belong in a council group. Groups are usually formed by people with a common cause, such as a field of study or a political stance.
Who can create an electoral coalition?
Any VYY member can create an electoral coalition.
Why should I vote in the election?
Because the Student Union decision making is all about you! It is important that members use their right to vote because that is how we make the Student Union do the things that you and other members want it to do. The Representative Council election of 2017 it was also the first time you can vote online, so even if you are not on campus or even in Vaasa during the election days you can still use your vote!
Follow the VYY social media channels and website, and stay informed of the election process in autumn 2023!
Positions of trust
The Student Union is a democratic organization and every other year its members elect its highest decision-making body, the Representative Council. For more information, see the Representative Council Election section below.
The Representative Council chooses the Executive Board for each calendar year. The application period for the board is opened each autumn.
In accordance with the University Act, students have representation in the university decision-making bodies. The administration student representatives (also referred to as HallOpEds) in the administrations of the University, VOAS and FSHS are elected every other year. We also occasionally have application periods for administration student representative positions mid-term, as student representatives are relieved of their duties for instance due to graduation.
You can join the committees without an application process by simply attending the meetings, which are open to all students. Information about the meetings is announced through the VYY communication channels.
All VYY members are welcome to all our events. Check out the events section for more information.
If you have any questions, ideas or feedback regarding the Student Union or its activities, please do not hesitate to contact members of the Representative Council, VYY Board members or Student Union staff!
More information about the institutions and student organizations:
Representative council
Executive board
Administration student representatives
Committees
Student Organizations within VYY