How can you be remembered at university beyond your name on the list of graduates?

Recovered resized archival illustration.

A month ago, I published a post describing the motivation to take an active part in university life and my view of the very idea and purpose of student self-government bodies. Now let’s delve into the details a little, so I am telling you, student, how you can get started.

The basics

The first things you should know as you begin your journey into student activism are Article 40 of Ukraine’s Law “On Higher Education” and your university’s Regulations on Student Self-Government.

These documents set out everything within the remit of self-government bodies, generally across all higher education institutions. Article 40 of the Law distinguishes the functions, rights, and opportunities of student self-government, its system of interaction with the university, and the details of how it operates.

Don’t be scared! Reading laws is not difficult. You will soon realize that, and to begin with, you need just one article. But if you manage to read the others too, all the better: this interesting skill will be very useful in life, and what you learn from the Law “On Higher Education” might even astonish you.

So your task #1 is to understand what these documents say.

The regulations

So, you have read the Law and found your university’s Regulations on Student Self-Government, which contain all the grounds for the work of the student self-government body (SSGB). Hint: this document is on the university’s official website.

Essentially, the Regulations are the charter of a civic organization within the university, or, by analogy, a “City Charter.”

This document describes the individual self-government bodies and the system of interaction between them: the General Assembly (Conference), Council (Parliament, Senate, or another name), Audit Commission, and Election Commission. Each has certain rights and duties set out in the Regulations, as well as a group of people who represent it.

The first thing that should interest you is how the university document regulates elections to the SSGB, as well as its functions and rights, which are also specified in the Law and are typical of most SSGBs.

On your marks! Get set! …

Student self-government generally has a place of its own at the university: a separate office for its work. This is where you can come to start getting acquainted and collaborating with other active students. Take a step toward student activity, and I guarantee you will change your life beyond recognition.

“So, here I am at the entrance to room 217—that is the number of the SSGB room at NURE, my university. I knock on the door, open it, and there is a crowd of unfriendly people inside. What am I supposed to do?” I read this from a student at another university who decided to ask for advice after the previous article.

I thought: what should someone do in this case? How would I behave in that situation? But wait. I had completely forgotten that this was exactly what I faced for two of my three years of study, until I became more experienced and “turned the game around” myself.

I will tell you something interesting that no head of an SSGB in Ukraine will tell you:

Student self-government is made up of individuals united by the desire to make their university better for students. More comfortable, more interesting, and more like home than it is now.

They do this not for the “image” of self-government as a personal achievement, but by using pooled resources, both personal—connections and skills—and organizational—offices, powers, and so on.

My position is that student self-government bodies are a platform for interaction among all the university’s activists.

Achieving that approach is difficult, and if you encounter problems with communication or prejudice, there is a very simple solution: follow your own path.

Yes, acting independently is hard. You can make enemies, be evicted from your dormitory, or end up on the dean’s office’s watch list. But there are many such activists. They understand they cannot achieve anything alone, and that is precisely why Ukraine has a number of civic organizations working specifically with students. By reaching out to and joining such communities, you can contribute to developing and building student self-government, your university, and the education system as a whole. Of course, if you want to change your university and have enough time for it, you can get informational support for your actions from Ukraine’s student activists.

Only one question remains for you: are you ready to leave a contribution to your university greater than a name on the list of graduates, and to change it for the better despite all the obstacles dishonest people put in your way?

Thousands have said “Yes!” And if you are with us, let’s prepare to change things and change ourselves.

Peace!

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