Students and bureaucracy will save universities

The start of the new academic year has already passed, and it is time to continue the series of blog posts about student self-government bodies (SSGBs for short). In this time, I have found many problems at my university, Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics. So, as chair of the Student Senate, I will tell you what can be done about them.

In the previous article, I talked about the first step toward becoming a “student activist.” It was more practical, but the second—I realize—will be more elusive than anything that has happened in life before. In fact, there is no single second step: there are options for it.

The biggest problem is that self-government at university is not a system at all. Literally: self-government is chaos. In most cases, the greatest degree of systematic action comes down to “Ask someone who knows. For example, Vasya Pupkin, who has done it before.” Most often, the Vasya you are sent to will be the head of the SSGB, but ultimately you will discover that even this does not tell you how to solve particular problems.

So newcomers’ mistakes lead to misunderstandings among students, and those lead to an unwillingness to do anything further.

That is why, in the Senate, I have taken on building a “system,” as I call it, from 0 to 100. I want to tell you a little about it. And I hope you will find something useful in this information.

Building something from nothing

The operation of a self-government body is, first and foremost, not cultural events or rights advocacy: it is systematic work with bureaucracy. I emphasize: not a fight against it, but work with it.

Does the formula “students+bureaucracy” sound strange? Yes, students and bureaucracy are what will save universities. More precisely, internal memos, applications, orders, directives, regulations, and other regulatory documents. And most importantly, instructions for everything! They serve, so to speak, as a guide to action.

When you come to your SSGB, you may hear “Do something from this…” and receive a list of projects, events, and situations that need resolving. But no one tells you how to do them. Not because they do not know, but more likely because they cannot describe it, lack the time, or have no desire to deal with or look into the matter.

This is exactly where a system should come to the rescue. Thanks to NURE’s Quality Department, where I worked before being elected Senate chair, I know that most modern companies have what is called a “Management System.”

Such a system answers all the general questions. It describes a general procedure for acting, but contains no specifics. And that is how it should be, to allow more variation. Yes, it contains concrete examples that help you find your bearings, but it will not show exactly what to do in a particular situation.

Most people, even in my own circle, believe they do not need this sort of “bureaucratic abyss.” More often than not, they do not fully understand the subject, so they see bureaucracy as an enemy. But the system is built once, then absorbs new pieces and evolves over time.

In fact, this issue has been raised for a long time. The problem of continuity among activists is especially acute now. For example, it was raised at the Student Self-Government Forum in Sumy, in discussions and reflections, particularly within the Ukrainian Association of Students, and at most recent student conferences and congresses.

Building such a system uses ordinary internet tools available to everyone, such as Google Drive, Telegram, and Facebook. Its foundation is senior students’ knowledge of particular aspects of SSGB work, supported by and based on rules and regulatory documents that worked before.

At first glance, it looks like a very difficult task: describing everything that happens as self-government bodies address all their issues. Only at first! Later, it becomes clear that this way of passing on your experience is the most beneficial and easiest way not to lose everything.

What is all this for?

At my own university, the self-government body had certain problems for almost two consecutive years. This resulted in:

• 3 non-functioning self-government bodies at a university with 7 thousand students;

• no work being done, or work based on “this seems right to me,” particularly in the dormitories;

• legal problems with obtaining approval for actions; poor attitudes and interaction with the university administration.

All this is a consequence of the lack of a legacy, a series of violations and abuses by acting rectors, and their desire to be elected rector of my Kharkiv National University of Radio Electronics.

The actions of those individuals and the problems mentioned above affected not only the Senate but also students, lecturers, and the university itself as a state institution. One consequence, for example, was the situation involving the Socar company stand.

At some point, the absence of a “working system” can completely destroy the very institution of university self-government. I encountered this at Kharkiv Polytechnic Institute, where I attended a Student Conference as a guest, and afterward. There are, in fact, many examples, and the general trend is discouraging. But…

What can we do about it?

I can only offer recommendations and share my concept.

In your first year, you need to ask, pester, and squeeze as much information as possible out of older student activists. Write it all down, then check whether it is still relevant. Help test the system and make this information more useful for yourself and future students.

In later years, you need to describe your experience and find people who can help you do it. Share with others, write together with other universities, ask “how things work over there,” and find and share information with other students. Tell the history of your university and student self-government, and create “legends” for future generations.

Write it down while I continue creating a system from scratch—it is already 25% there.

May you have plenty of enthusiasm for activism!

Peace!

*The Studway editorial team does not influence the content of blogs and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by the author.