These student leaders will get us through the crisis year

After a spring that has affected many students, the role of student politics is more important than ever. Regardless of whether you are in your final or first year as a student, it is equally important to engage in student politics. The election participation at the University of Oslo (UiO) student election last year was 12.9%. Now that Corona has disturbed everything that was safe and comfortable, it’s clear how dependent we are on student politicians who speak on our behalf when it really matters.

NSO

The Norwegian Student Organisation (NSO) is the highest political body within student politics. In NSO, there are members from local teams from all over Norway, for example from the student parliaments at UiO and Oslomet. They work with cases that concern students on a national basis, from student finances to quality of education or financial support.

SiO

The Student Welfare Organisation in Oslo, SiO, manage the semester fee that all students have to pay at the beginning of every semester, and accommodate for equal right to education for all students. In addition, it is SiO’s board that approves how much money the Welfare Council can distribute to student media and other student associations in Oslo and surrounding areas. The board consists of ten members, five of them are students.

The Welfare Council

The Welfare Council in Oslo and Akershus (VT) decides how much student media and student associations get in funding from SiO. VT works closely with SiO and SiO’s board to ensure students in Oslo and surrounding areas have good welfare services available to them, and are involved in questions regarding SiO services such as SiO Health. Therefore, half of SiO’s board are student representatives voted in from VT.

The Student Parliaments

As a student at Oslomet or UiO, you have voting rights at the election for student parliament. At UiO you vote for political lists, such as the Leftist Alliance, the Liberals, or the Green List. At Oslomet, you vote for representatives from the four faculties. These then choose a committee that will work full time with student politics.

Runa Kristine Fiske, leader of the Student Parliament at the University of Oslo

- What does the Student Parliament at UiO do for students?

Our job is to pick up on what the students are concerned with, and bring it to the administration. Our experience has been that they are very concerned with what we think, and that they want to include the students. The times that they don’t, we push them to do so.

- The Corona crisis has affected many students. How are you working for them in this period?

- It is more difficult now to pick up on what students are concerned with, and what they need, since fewer students are on campus. When we hear about things that are not okay, we let UiO know, so that there will be a solution to the problem.

- What is the most important issue for you?

- The issue most close to my heart in student politics and what made me engaged, is that students feel accomplished in their studies, and that they will be well-prepared for working life and feel prepared to do a good job in society.

Marie Knutsen Bruntveit, leader of the Student Parliament at Oslomet

- What does the Student Parliament at Oslomet do for students?

- We work to secure students’ rights, and ensure that the quality of education and learning environment improves. In an ideal world, the students would not need us, and everything would go smoothly. When this is not the case, we want them to know that we are here.

- The Corona crisis has affected many students. How are you working for them in this period?

- This spring, we saw that some educators handle the digital transition really well, while there are others who don’t have as much digital competence. We completely understand that this is difficult for the lecturers, but the future of our students are in their hands.

- What is the most important issue for you?

- We are currently creating a wish list for our new campus, with what we and the students think the campus should and must contain. It is very important for us to work to secure students’ rights, also at Kjeller, until we move on to a campus in Romerike.

Andreas Trohjell, leader of the Norwegian Student Organisation

- What does NSO do for students?

- I don’t think I have ever, as a participant in the student democracy, received as many inquiries from the ordinary student since Corona erupted. That’s why it is important for students to know that NSO is here and working for their interests.

- The Corona crisis has affected many students. How are you working for them in this period?

- We’re working together with institutions and have clear expectations of them. Each student has to be seen and heard. There can be simple solutions, such as a lecturer having an open hour on Zoom, where students can drop by. That the institutions accommodate for a good digital learning environment, is the most important thing.

- What is the most important issue for you?

- We know that one of the major reasons why students drop out, is that they lack a feeling of belonging in both a social and academic sense.

Idun Kløvstad, leader of the Welfare Council

- What does the Welfare Council do for students?

- We are an influencing body for everything that has to do with welfare politics for students. There are many who say that Oslo is a city with many students, but not a student city. We would like to do something about this.

- The Corona crisis has affected many students. How are you working for them in this period?

- When much of the teaching is online, it’s easier to just stay at home. I would therefore encourage students to engage in something. We have also worked with other student leaders in Oslo about a suggestion to the Vice Mayor for Health about how the municipality can better accommodate for students, in regards to infection prevention measures.

- What is the most important issue for you?

- Especially now, considering Corona, I would say that problems and solutions regarding loneliness is very important to highlight. Loneliness among students during Corona is a problem that we don’t have a solution for and that I think we need to look closer at.

Jonas Virtanen, board leader in SiO

- What does SiO do for students?

- We’re probably most known for housing and gyms. But we also have a great selection of health services, and we have several canteens.

- The Corona crisis has affected many students. How are you working for them in this period?

- We’re establishing meeting places for students and are working preventatively by showing that there are places where you can reach out. At the student villages, there are test stations for students, and we also have counselling services at SiO Health.

- What is the most important issue for you?

- I don’t have just one favourite cause, but have had multiple. In the fall of 2018 for example, SiO implemented half price on dinners in the exam period. I’m concerned with having good daily habits, willingness to cooperate, and generosity.