TREY is an advocate for their members especially at Tampere University and the city of Tampere, but also on a larger scale in the whole society. The student union has shared policies decided by the Council of Representatives, and advocacy is done in the framework of those policies.
The educational affairs, social affairs and international affairs sectors all handle advocacy in the student union. Many specialists and board members work in these sectors. You can find the advocacy sectors’ contact information on the Contact page. The student union also advocates in cooperation with associations.
Educational affairs (or kopo in short in Finnish) includes studying, teaching, the student’s legal protection, the university and its administration and issues concerning institutes of higher education nationally. The advocacy in educational affairs promotes the students’ possibilities of flexible and high-quality studies and their possibilities to participate in developing the education at the university.
Social affairs (or sopo in short in Finnish) handles matters concerning the preconditions of studying, study ability and the well-being of students. These include health, housing, income and questions of equality. The sector also takes care of urban advocacy in matters that concern students. The purpose of the social affairs advocacy and operations is to promote studying conditions to support all kinds of students through different situations in life.
Advocacy issues include:
- financial aid for students
- housing
- healthcare
- the quality of teaching and its criteria
- lifelong learning
- the status of the student in the university community
- internationalisation
- equality
- accessibility
Most of the student union’s advocacy happens out of sight, because often the most productive time for advocacy is when things are in their preparatory stages. In those stages, decision-makers from different quarters are met and proposals are prepared for them. The results have significant effects on the students’ lives. The easiest way to follow the advocacy work is by following our communications channels.
TREY does not do advocacy work alone, but in cooperation with others. The associations and the student representatives nominated by the student union make sure that the students’ voices are heard in decision-making on every level of the administration of the university. Student representatives also do advocacy in various bodies and working groups at our university and in other interest groups.
Work concerning urban advocacy is done in cooperation with the Students’ Union of Tampere University of Applied Sciences (Tamko) by the name Ryhmä 35 000 (translated to Group 35 000), which has advocated for e.g. mobile tickets in public transport and a tram for Tampere over the years.
Students are advocated for nationally by the National Union of University Students of Finland (SYL), which TREY is a member of. Together and separately the student unions have negotiated support systems and benefits that concern all students.
Advocacy work is also done in cooperation with Academic Engineers and Architects in Finland, Akava students, Finnish Union of University Professors, Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers, among many others.