Students’ appeal for Tampere University management and the pandemic group of Tampere Universities
We students appeal for Tampere University management and the pandemic group of Tampere Universities to return students’ access rights to campus facilities back to normal. We also demand that the main and side doors of campuses are reopened to students and that restrictions are lifted to match those of the authorities now that the rest of the society is slowly opening again as well. The decisions that the university makes should be in line with authorities’ instructions.
Campus spaces are essential for everyday student life – not only for studying, but for different activities and social life as well. These opportunities, which are essential to students’ wellbeing and progress in their studies, have been restricted for one and a half years now. Our community needs to be able to recover from the corona crisis effectively and as soon as possible.
It was clear in the answers to the corona survey conducted by TREY in the spring of 2021 that these restrictions by the university have affected students’ wellbeing and studies. In the survey, 68 % of the respondents said that the restrictions on campus facility use had a negative effect on their studies, and 76 % said it had affected their mental health. The restrictions had caused feelings of loneliness for 60 % of the respondents. These results are very telling of the importance of campus facilities and services for us students.
Broad access to campus facilities for students and the possibilities of campus facility use for student associations are essential for associations’ operations. For example, restricting the access to entrances that are located closest to association spaces makes associations’ daily operations more difficult and the spaces less accessible for students. It is also contradictory that restricting access to certain doors brings more traffic to main entrances and therefore creates more unnecessary encounters.
Events that are organised by student associations are important to the community and they help us recover from the pandemic. The university community should support these activities instead of restricting them. We hope that the restrictions on gatherings at campus facilities are lifted so that they comply with those of the authorities, and that more access to the spaces is granted for the purpose of organising student events.
In addition to that, we the undersigned associations would like to remind that the corona crisis is not a valid reason to restrict students’ access rights permanently. 24-hour access to campus facilities makes it possible to study in different situations in life, it supports community-building, and adds flexibility to studies.
The pandemic has brought various changes to studying and work as we know it, but we should now make sure that together we make decisions that lead the community in the right direction. We hope that the pandemic group and university management are able to make decisions that support the recovery of our community and the wellbeing of students.
The results of TREY’s Corona Survey can be read on TREY’s webpage here.
Signed by
Automaatiotekniikan kilta ry
Biopsi ry
Bioteekkarikilta Bioner ry (added 1.10.)
Blebeijit ry
Castor
Club of Students of Electrical Engineering Telok ry
Complex ry
Electrical Engineering STudents’ European assoCiation Local Committee Tampere ry
Elram
Erasmus Student Network Finns and Internationals in Tampere ry (added 1.10.)
Euroavia Tampere
Guild of Industrial Engineering and Management Indecs
Guild of mechanical engineering
Interaktiivisen musiikkinäytelmän yhdistys NääsPeksi ry
International Club ESN INTO Tampere ry
Interaktio ry (added 1.10.)
ITU ry
JEF Tampere (Young European Federalists)
Johto ry
Kopula ry (added 1.10.)
Lexica ry
Luuppi ry
Medical Students’ Association of Tampere University
TEA-club (added 1.10.)
Transla ry (added 1.10.)
Mentor ry.
Modeemi
Naisteekkarikerho PILE
NMKSV ry
OKA ry
Rakkauden Wappuradio
Rankat Ankat
Reettorit ry
Sekava
SOS ry
Spatikka ry
Staabi ry (added 1.10.)
Student association of Political Science and International Relations in University of Tampere Iltakoulu ry
Students of Social and Health Sciences
Sähkökilta
TamArk
Tampere Academic Symphony Orchestra TASO
Tampereen rakentajakilta ry (added 1.10.)
Tampere Science and Engineering Students’ association ry
Tampereen Akateeminen Mahti
Tampereen Akateemisesti Sivistyneet Gambinan Ystävät ry
Tampereen Teekkarien PerinneSeura
Tampereen teekkarien soitannollinen seura ry
Tampereen TietoTeekkarikilta ry
Tampereen yliopiston julkisoikeuden opiskelijat – JuJu ry
Student Union of Tampere University
Teekkari Union of Tampere
TeLE ry
the Guild of Information and Knowledge Management Man@ger
The Guild of Material Science and Engineering
The Guild of Science and Engineering Hiukkanen ry
The UN Association of Tampere
UDK ry
Uranaisten Opiskelijaseura ry
Vostok ry
Ympäristöteekkarikilta ry
Ääni ry
More information
Specialist in Social Affairs Laura Kaipia, laura.kaipia@trey.fi, 040 713 0074
Specialist in Association Affairs Mikael Lehtonen mikael.lehtonen@trey.fi, 040 713 0079