The Executive Board of the Student Union of Tampere University decided their nomination for the Board of Tampere University in their meeting 32/2020. Our candidate is Iiris Suomela, Member of Parliament, Vice President of the City Council of Tampere, student of social sciences.
“It is great that we students nominate current Board of Tampere University member Iiris Suomela for a second term. Being on the board of a foundation-based university requires a high level of knowledge, and Iiris has demonstrated both knowledge on education and expertise on studenthood.”, enthuses Ville Jäppinen, member of the Executive Board of the Student Union of Tampere University.
The Student Union of Tampere University’s main arguments for the nomination:
Suomela is a young first-term Member of Parliament who has been on the Board of the Tampere University Foundation since December 2018. She has a thorough understanding of national higher education and scientific policy, and she is one of the leading social debaters in Finland. In the parliament, Suomela is a member of the Grand Committee, the Finance Committee and its Education and Science Sub-Committee, and a deputy member of the Constitutional Law Committee. Additionally, Suomela has acted in different positions of responsibility in the field of higher education: on the Board of Tampere University of Applied Sciences (2015–2017), and on the Executive Board of the Student Union of the University of Tampere as the educational affairs organiser (2015). Suomela’s wide international network, understanding of the function of the university community as a specialist organisation, and expertise on being a student would contribute to the success of the university community. Although Suomela does not currently have a right to study, she represents prominent expertise in being a student.
We students want to see Suomela on the Board of Tampere University in the coming term because she is committed to continue her work and to promote interaction and participation between different bodies and the community.
The terms of two members of the Board of Tampere University expire at the end of 2020. For this reason, the Academic Board will appoint two members for the board in the autumn. The university community had a chance to nominate candidates for the Board until August 31. TREY prepared a nomination so that issues that are important to us students will also be considered when appointing the Board of Tampere University. One of the members of the Board of Tampere University will be appointed based on the nominations of the community, and the other one based on the nominations of the founders.
“We want to ensure that the Board of Tampere University is multidisciplinary and demographically from different fields of the University. We plan to advocate for the visibility of the field of health.”, evaluates Ville Jäppinen, member of the Executive Board of the Student Union of Tampere University.
The Student Union of Tampere University encouraged students and associations to nominate their top picks for the Board of Tampere University. TREY collected nominations between 30 June and 10 August in preparation to our nomination and received six (6) nominations. In addition, students and associations were encouraged to leave their nominations directly through a form for the university community. The nominations will go to the Appointment Committee appointed by the Academic Board. The Appointment Committee ensures the high level of the nominations through, for instance, interviews. The Appointment Committee has representatives from both the university community and the founders.
An information pack for a seat on the Board of Tampere University can be found on TREY’s website.
Picture: Jonne Renvall, Tampereen yliopisto / Tampere University
More information about the Student Union’s nomination: Specialist in Educational Affairs, Jenny Vaara (jenny.vaara@trey.fi, 050 361 2847).