The highest authority in the Student Union of JAMK University of Applied Sciences is used by the council of representatives, which consists of 21 primary and 21 vice members. The council of representatives supervises the interests of JAMK students by making the most important decisions and definitions of policy regarding the student union.
Functions of the council of representatives
What the council of representatives does is important to the student body because in its meetings issues are handled which touch upon all students. Being a representative is a position of trust, and the council of representatives should act in a way which best serves the interests of the student body of the JAMK University of Applied Sciences. Being influential in the heart of student life opens new doors to the world of organizational activities, and clarifies many aspects of higher education life to the individual.
A single term as a representative lasts for one calendar year. The organizational meeting of council of representatives is held before the term itself begins, in late November or early December. The council of representatives has a meeting a couple of times a semester, where it make decisions on issues prepared by the board. The council of representatives meets prior to the meetings in a so-called evening class to discuss issues that will decided upon in the upcoming meeting. The official language of the meetings is Finnish.
The council of representatives nominates an annually changing board to carry out the operations of the student union. The role of the council of representatives is to superintend the work of the board and to make sure that their actions are in line with the effective strategy of the organization. The council of representatives is led by a president, who is chosen by the council of representatives from among the representatives.
In its organizational meeting the council of representatives chooses from among its members the representatives to the various working groups of JAMK. Examples of these include the committee of Study Issues, the Ethical Committee and the Working Group of Quality. The chosen representatives participate in the functions of the working groups and committees roughly once a month, and report important issues from their respective working groups to the board. Additionally, the representatives participate in an active manner in the functions of JAMKO’s own trusteeship working groups and the actions of different teams.