Student Representative
One of LUS’s main areas of responsibility is to conduct student political work at university-wide, municipal and regional level. In order to be able to carry out political work, it’s required that LUS is represented in a variety of different bodies. This is done by LUS appointing student representatives in the bodies. A student representative is a student at Lund University who is elected to represent the common student voice in a certain body. A student representative has an active dialogue with LUS to discuss what the common student voice is on various issues. In this way, all students at Lund University can be represented in a body, even if only one student attends the body’s meetings.
Where are the student representative?
At Lund University, there must be student representatives in all decision-making and preparatory bodies. LUS appoints student representatives to bodies at university-wide, municipal and regional level. The faculty unions appoint student representatives at faculty and department level at Lund University. Among the student representative positions that LUS appoints are, among other things, the university board and the university-wide committees and councils. In addition, LUS appoints student representatives in more specific bodies that are of interest to students from more than one faculty. Examples of such bodies are the sustainability forum and MAX IV’s board. In addition to student representatives, LUS also appoints people to organizational positions within LUS, such as the LUS presidium, board and election committee. All bodies in which LUS appoints student representatives are listed here.
How are student representatives appointed?
A student representative is appointed by the student unions at Lund University via an election arranged by LUS. All students at Lund University can apply to become a student representative. Elections for student representative positions for the coming operational year are held in May, and interim elections for empty positions can take place sometime during the operational year. Read more about the election process on the page Become a representative.
What are the responsibilities of a student representative
A student representative’s main mission is to present the students’ opinions at meetings with the body to which the representative is elected. To be able to do that, a student representative must take part of the documents that are sent out before meetings with the body. If a student representative does not know what the student opinion is on an issue to be discussed in a body, the representative must contact the LUS presidium to get help in anchoring the issue with the unions. Contact with the presidium is made via email to lus@lus.lu.se. Before doing this, the student representative should find out if there is information about the students’ opinions on the matter in any of LUS’s political positions. The positions can be found here. When the student representative has found out the students’ opinion on an issue, it is important that the representative is active in the meeting with the body to ensure that the opinions are put forward. After the meeting with the body, it is also desirable that the student representative reports what has happened to LUS and the unions. This is done by emailing a written report to lus@lus.lu.se.
A term of office as a student representative usually extends from July 1st to June 30th. A student representative is expected to work actively within the body to which he is elected throughout that period, unless the representative resigns from his position prematurely. When the term of office comes to an end, a student representative must prepare for another person to be able to take over the position in the coming financial year. This is done by writing a will and making a verbal handover to the person chosen to take over the post.
More about what it means to be a student representative and tips on how a student representative hands over his assignment for the following operational year can be found on this page.