The Representatives council

What does the representatives council do?

Have you ever wondered what on earth the Representatives Council is, who the representatives actually are, and what does the council do in the first place?

The representatives council refers to a group of students that advocates for the interests of Jamk students and exercises the highest decision-making authority of JAMKO. This means that the representatives council makes decisions regarding the student union and sets its policies, including the amount of the JAMKO membership fee. The representatives council also elects the Student Union Board, which changes annually and manages the day-to-day operations of JAMKO. The representative council acts as the board’s supervisor, meaning it oversees the board’s activities.

The representatives council, also referred as the RepCo, consists of 18 actual members and 21 vice members. They are elected through the representatives council elections held every autumn. In the council elections, all JAMKO members have the right to vote, and any JAMKO member who is a candidate in the elections is eligible to be voted for. The term of the representatives council lasts for one calendar year. The council is led by the Chair of the Representatives Council, who is elected at the first meeting of the newly elected council. Since the official language of the student union is Finnish, this means that official documents are in Finnish. However, council meetings are held in either Finnish, English, or both languages, depending on the language skills of those present, and the minutes include English translations so that everyone can participate equally.

The purpose of the representatives council is to represent the entire pool of JAMKO members and make decisions regarding the future of the student union. The council’s work is important to students, as its meetings address matters concerning students and the student union’s activities, such as policy papers and cooperation with the school. The representatives council also elects student representatives to Jamk’s working groups, such as the Academic Affairs Committee, the Ethics Committee, the Restaurant committee, and others. Additionally, the representatives council also elects student representatives to external groups such as the KOAS Board and to the bodies of the Finnish Student Health Service (YTHS).

The RepCo meets approximately once a month, excluding the summer months. All JAMKO members are welcome to attend the meetings, and the times and locations can be found in the JAMKO event calendar. Council meetings are organized so that participants can attend either in person or online via Zoom.

Meeting agendas are published on this page prior to the meeting, and signed meeting minutes are always posted on the website after the meeting.

Previous Councils

Click on the year to view the composition of the representative councils from previous years.

Are you in the next RepCo?

The representatives council is elected annually in November council elections, in which any JAMKO member can run for the representatives council and vote. The election announcement is traditionally made at JAMKO’s opening event in late August or early September. After nominations are submitted, the election takes place, with voting conducted electronically. The election results are announced at the election night party.

Visit the official JAMKO Representatives Council election website for the latest information on the election process.

election site

You can reach the central electoral committee at

keskusvaalilautakunta(at)jamko.fi.

Remote participation in representatives council meetings

JAMKO’s representatives council meetings are open to all JAMKO members, and you can participate either in person or via Zoom. You can use Zoom either through a web browser or via an app that can be downloaded to your computer, phone, or tablet.

Follow these instructions to join the meeting in your browser:

• Click the link below.
• Click the link below the text “Join Zoom Meeting” on the page that opened when you clicked the first link.
• Zoom will ask you to choose how you want to join the meeting. Select “Join from browser” if you want to join the meeting via your browser.
• Zoom will ask you to enter your name, and we recommend that you enter your name in the First Name Last Name format to make it easier to verify your membership.

Follow these instructions to join the meeting via the Zoom app on a computer, tablet, or phone:

• Click the link below.
• Write down the Meeting ID and Passcode found behind the link.
• Open the Zoom app, go to “Join meeting,” and enter the Meeting ID.
• In this same section, the Zoom app will also show the default name it uses when you join the meeting. For clarity, please ensure your name is written in the format First Name Last Name to make it easier to verify your membership.
• After that, Zoom will ask you to enter the Passcode to join the meeting.

You can find more instructions on joining a Zoom meeting and downloading the Zoom app on Zoom’s website: https://support.zoom.com/hc/fi

Join the meeting through this link