Student representatives in administration

The student representatives are sometimes also called hallopeds. They operate as student representatives in the bodies of our university’s administration. The student union nominates student representatives to the Academic Board, the Education Council and Faculty Councils, among others. The student representative body’s work is very important, because it ensures that the points of views and voices of students can be seen and heard in the development of education and of the university.

You do not have to be a veteran of student politics or an expert at meetings to become a student representative. If you are interested in promoting and supervising the interests of all students while you are studying, you were born to be a student representative. Through the position of a student representative, you can be a part of the wondrous world of student advocacy!

More information about the student representative body’s activity is given by the Educational Affairs Specialist Tiia Virtanen, whose contact information can be found on the Contact-page.

Student representatives activities

Call for student representatives for the term 2025-2026

Call for applications for the Societal Interaction Council (.pdf, 346 kt) (The application period has ended.)

Most of the position that are open in this search require fluent Finnish skills so the searches are conducted in Finnish. You can find more information about them from the Finnish page. The search of student representatives for the Societal Interaction Council is conducted only in English.

Call for student representatives for the term 2023-2024

No open calls

Other open calls

No open calls

TREY’s Council of Representative elects student representatives to the Academic Board and its subordinate councils, as well as the Appeals Board. TREY’s Executive Board elects student representatives to the Faculty Councils. Additionally, TREY’s Executive Board reviews the requests for student representation in working groups received by the student union and appoints student representatives to these groups at its discretion.

The election of student representatives is carried out according to TREY’s Standing Order on the Election of Student Representatives. You can find the Standing Order on the Election of Student Representatives on TREY’s website under the “Steering Documents” section.

Tampere University has adopted a policy on commercially operated preparatory courses. A student member of an administrative body (Faculty Councils, Education Council, Academic Board) must not teach in or organise preparatory courses. You can read more information about that decision in the news published on the university intra (requires authentication).

Privacy policies on TREY’s web page.

What is a student representative?

A student representative (in Finnish: HALLOPED = HaLLinnon OPiskelijaEDustaja = student representative in the administration) functions as the voice of the students in various administrative bodies. In practise, the student representatives ensure that the interests of the students are not ignored when deciding on matters to do with studies and the students’ lives, for example. Student representatives are normal students who are interested and motivated in advancing issues that are important to students in the university’s administration and decision-making processes. Anyone can become a student advocate – even you!

What does a student representative do?

A student representative acts as a representative of the students in meetings of various administrative bodies. When various themes are discussed, it is the job of student representatives to convey the student perspectives on the matter at hand and to suggest where they believe the university should head.

Preparing for and taking part in meetings are concrete things that the student representatives are expected to do. The student representatives serve as the voice of the students. For this reason, they will find their task a lot easier if they are involved in the student scene, listen to and find out the views of different students and actively represent these views at the university. However, no-one expects that as a student representative you would know how all the other 19 000 students at our university think about things. A good starting point is to listen to, for example, people on the same year of studies as you, other student friends or those in your subject association.

Why should I care?

Students are the biggest group in our university community. Whether it is about a big change or a small matter of opinion, the voice of students is valuable in decision making. We the students are also experts on studying. Only students can say with certainty how the students feel about the university’s actions. Besides, if we don’t share our views, who would?

What kinds of matters will you be able to have a say in?

Student representatives can influence decisions just as much as other members of a governing body. Irrespective of whether you are included as a representative of the students or personnel, you are a full member of the body.

In different bodies, you get to make decisions either at the faculty level or in issues that apply to the whole university. For example, in the Faculty Council, you get to decide about accepting curricula, the evaluation criteria of theses and the general functioning of the faculty. Then again, in the Academic Board you can take part in selecting the University Board, the establishment of new degree programs and decision-making about academic matters in general.

Student representatives have, for example, influenced national education policy and brought up students views on the reform of student admission, among other things. In addition, the student representatives of the Academic Board are regularly involved in the process of selecting the University Board. In the latest selections, a degree student was chosen for the board.

The topics of meetings have dealt with, for example:

Academic Board:
- Naming the members of the University Board
- Accepting the development plan for research and the development plans for education.
- Establishing the degree program for Education in Socially Sustainable Societies
- Deciding the points system for certificate-based admission starting in 2026
Education Council:
- Preparing Tampere University’s strategic policies and approach for continuous learning
- Juniversity, science education and secondary school collaboration
- Assessing and taking into account the needs of those students who use Finnish as a foreign language
- Preparing the criteria for student admission
Societal Interaction Council:
- Discussions about Tampere University’s fundraising
- Admitting Tampere University’s Societal Impact Award
- Cooperation agreement between the City of Tampere and Tampere University
Faculty councils:
- Accepting and evaluating theses (only those with the same level degree can participate in the decision-making)
- Changing the names of degree programmes as well as establishing and disbanding of specialisations
- Handling student admission rectification requests
- Principles for the structures of bachelor’s and master’s level degrees in the technology branch
- The studies in special pedagogy as optional studies in the teaching schedule
What do you get from being a student representative?

As a part of your tasks as a student representative, you get to learn many kinds of skills related to, among others, project management and working in groups. In the administrative bodies, you get to know university staff and make connections that are valuable in your studies as well as in working life. In addition, student representatives get to form networks through their peers and familiarise themselves with engaged members from other fields of study. Through these contacts, you will get new friends and peer support for your activities.

You can apply for study credits from being a student representative, if you are active for at least a year. For more information about applying for study credits, visit Tampere University’s Student’s Guide.

Student representatives also receive a meeting fee based on the university’s decisions. For example, the meeting fee for the faculty councils is €40 per meeting for student representatives.

In addition, the Student Union organises regular meetings and training for the student representatives, as well as occasional recreational activities.

How much time does it take to be a student representative?

Most of the administrative bodies have meetings about once a month. Participating in the meetings takes about a couple hours a month and the preparation for these meetings takes as much as you are able to invest into it. Other administrative bodies meet relatively regularly, but the Appeals Committee meets only when necessary.

Any other work as a student representative, that is to say, representing students in your field and collaboration with student associations, happens within the boundaries of your time and energy. It’s good for student representatives to be up to date about what goes on at the university, but we don’t expect you to know every gossip or meet each student to inquire about their opinions.

How much experience or knowledge should I have?

Working as a student representative in the university’s administration sounds scary and certainly drives many people to doubt their own expertise for the task. However, not all tasks as a student representative require of you to have years of experience in educational affairs. In many tasks, motivation to advocate for the students and to further develop the faculty/university is enough to start with. As a student representative, you learn by doing. Every student representative we have once started as the newcomer. By doing the work, participating discussions and actively following the university’s operations, you learn the most effectively. In addition, TREY is there to educate the student representatives when necessary!

The expertise required of student representatives is dependent on the administrative body. For example, since the faculty council is deals with issues specifically related to your faculty, it is crucial that the student representative has the interest and motivation to bring up both their own views and those of their peers.

Conversely, the Education Council deals broadly with education and teaching-related issues across the entire university, so a basic understanding of these issues will be beneficial.

In the Societal Interaction Council it is useful to understand, among other things, the state of research cooperation and innovation at the university, and an understanding of the interaction between the university and the surrounding society.

The Appeals Committee deals with, i.e., rectification requests of coursework, so it’s beneficial for the student representative to understand the university’s rules. It is, of course, not required that you know the rules by heart, but the student representative is primarily expected to deal with issues impartially and according to the rules.

The Academic Board can be thought of as the most demanding of the administrative bodies for student representatives in our university. In the workings of the Academic Board, it is important that, in addition to other members, the student representatives have a relatively comprehensive understanding of academic matters at the university, including, education, societal interaction and research. In the Academic Board, decisions are also made on big themes, such as selecting the Executive Board, curricula and the student admission criteria. For this reason, it is also important that the student representatives are familiar with these themes, actively take part in discussions at the university and keep contacts with the student union.

How do I get involved?

You can become a student representative by applying in the big application round that takes place every two years, or in the supplementary application periods that take place regularly. The applications are always announced in TREY’s websites and, among others, on this website in the Open positions -section.

If you have any other questions, feel free to contact TREY’s Educational Affairs Specialist responsible for coordinating student representatives.

Student Representatives 2023-2024

The Academic Board is the multimembered body of the foundation university, referred to in the Universities Act. The Academic Board has 19 members: 8 professor members, 6 representatives of other teaching and research staff and of other staff and 5 student members. According to the regulations, the Academic Board elects the chair and the vice chair from among the professor members.

The duties of the Academic Board include nominating the board members of the foundation university, observing and developing the unity, effectiveness and quality of the university’s research, education and societal interaction, to decide the degree regulations and other general regulations concerning education and research as well as to set necessary committees and other bodies that process matters concerning degrees, evaluation and correction. You can find more information about the Academic Board from university’s Intranet.

You can also find information about the Academic Board from the Student Union’s Material data bank, which can be found from the Student Union’s Google Drive.

Student representatives

The student representatives of the Academic Board are Aleksi Niemi, Anniina Honkasaari, Nina Kovanen, Eemeli Lahtinen and Katriina Sark.

The Education Council supports the university’s preconditions to promote scientific and artistic education and to provide education based on high-quality and ethically sustainable research and promotes the continuous learning of the know-how concerning social influence. The council acts as a tool for the multisectoral and multidisciplinary development of the university.

The Education Council’s duties include the support of the drafting of the university’s education strategy and the observation of its implementation, the preparation of the degree education (basic education and further education), education administration, curriculum design and the development of education, support of the well-being and student experience of students, as well as the development of the pedagogy and the study environment and the support of the administration in educational matters that concern the whole community. Permanent expert members include the student union’s Specialists in Academic Affairs. You can find more information about the Education Council from the university’s Intranet.

The student representatives of the Education Council are

Onni Härkönen, deputy Vilma Heikkilä
Saija Yli-Rosti, deputy Mea Nevanranta
Niina Kosonen, deputy Henni Kiiskinen
Miro Suomela, deputy Eetu Niemi

The Societal interaction council supports the university’s ability to interact with the rest of the society and to promote the societal impact of research results and artistic activity. The council acts as a tool for the multisectoral and multidisciplinary development of the university. The council consists of three representatives from Tampere University and one from Tampere University of Applied Sciences.

The duties of Societal Interaction Council include preparing matters concerning societal impact, making motions related to societal impact and supporting the drafting of the plan of action of societal impact. You can find more information about the Societal Interaction Council from university’s Intranet.

The student representatives of the Societal Interaction Council are:

Anne Lehtelä, deputy Anna Löhönen
Oskar Mannelin, deputy Heta Kiviahde
Ilona Lehtonen, deputy Saija Yli-Rosti

A student dissatisfied with a decision given to a petition of correction concerning the evaluation and credit transfer of studies or know-how of some other completed course than the licentiate thesis, doctoral dissertation or a final thesis belonging to advanced studies, can petition for a correction from the Appeals Board. The duty of the Appeals Board is to solve the claims of correction.

The Appeals Board consists of three professors, three representatives of other teaching or research staff and three student representatives (one of which is a postgraduate student). Personal deputy members are also nominated for each member. Student representatives are nominated for two years at a time. You can find more information about the Appeals Committee from university’s Intranet.

The student representatives of the Appeals Board are:

Katriina Sark, deputy Irina Nieminen
Eetu Niemi, deputy Mea Nevanranta

According to the regulations of Tampere University, each faculty has a Faculty Council. The term of office of the Faculty Council’s student representatives is two years. The Faculty Council consists of no more than 15 members: 5 professor members, 5 other teaching and research staff and other staff representatives and 5 student members. In the faculty council of Built Environment there are only 12 members, four from each community group. A personal deputy member is nominated for each of them.

The duties of the Faculty Council are to observe and evaluate the realisation of the faculty’s plan of action and budget, to make proposals to found and disband degree programmes to the Academic Board, to accept the curricula for the Academic Board to validate and to decide on the evaluation criteria of theses and the postgraduate degree theses.

Each of the seven faculties has their own Faculty Council. The student representatives of the Faculty Councils are listed below.

All Faculty Councils can be found on the University’s Intra.

You can also find information about the Faculty Council from the Student Union’s Material data bank, which can be found from the Student Union’s Google Drive.