Advocacy work
JYY’s goal is to build a smoother everyday life for students and a better Jyväskylä for students. To achieve these goals, we engage in advocacy work at both the local and national levels of decision-making.
We build a better Jyväskylä for students
JYY carries out systematic and goal-oriented advocacy work to improve students’ everyday lives. The targets of this advocacy work include especially the City of Jyväskylä, the University of Jyväskylä, and the broader local environment of the student union.
Advocacy work is carried out, among other ways, in university and city working groups, in regular meetings with leadership, and through statements and opinion pieces. In addition, we select student representatives who operate within the university administration and support their advocacy work.
The general policy paper guides our advocacy work
JYY’s advocacy work is guided by a general policy paper approved by the Representative Council, which defines JYY’s positions on issues concerning the surrounding society and outlines the goals of our advocacy work. The policy paper is opened for review by the new Representative Council at the beginning of each council term.
The policy paper sets out our advocacy goals in areas such as the development of education and guidance, national and international higher education policy, societal issues, equality, student well-being, and sustainable development.
Academic affairs
JYY’s goal is to promote high-quality education and to develop a more accessible education system. Higher education policy advocacy focuses on bringing students’ voices into university and societal decision-making. JYY supports subject organizations as well as student representatives in the university administration in their advocacy work and brings students’ perspectives to the University of Jyväskylä’s working groups and to the City of Jyväskylä’s decision-making. Advocacy work is carried out, for example, in the development of the Jyväskylä higher education consortium, curriculum guidelines, and the renewal of the university’s degree programme portfolio.
In addition to local advocacy work, JYY participates in national higher education policy advocacy coordinated by SYL together with other student unions. JYY’s higher education policy advocacy and lobbying are handled by a higher education policy specialist and the Board members responsible for higher education policy.
Social affairs
JYY tekee edunvalvontaa opiskelijoiden toimeentulon, asumisen, hyvinvoinnin ja yhdenvertaisuuden parissa. Vaikuttamistyön keskiössä ovat Jyväskylän yliopisto, Jyväskylän kaupunki, Keski-Suomen hyvinvointialue ja Keski-Suomen liitto. Vaikuttamistyötä tehdään esimerkiksi yliopiston työryhmissä, tapaamalla kunnan ja hyvinvointialueen päättäjiä sekä tekemällä yhteistyötä YTHS:n ja muiden sidosryhmien kanssa.
JYY vaikuttaa myös kansallisen tason sosiaalipolitiikkaan valmistelemalla kunta-, alue-, Euroopan parlamentti- ja eduskuntavaaleja sekä vaalikampanjoita yhdessä SYLin ja OLL:n kanssa. JYYn sosiaalipoliittisesta edunvalvonnasta ja vaikuttamistyöstä vastaavat sosiaalipoliittinen asiantuntija sekä hallituksen kunta- ja sosiaalipoliittiset vastaavat.
International affairs
JYY safeguards the interests of international students and promotes the internationalization of Finnish students. JYY strives to enhance students’ opportunities to operate in an international environment and to become familiar with different cultures during their studies. Issues related to the internationalization of education, such as the university’s bilingualism and tuition fees, are also at the core of advocacy work.
JYY is involved in the international development of education as part of the FORTHEM university alliance. JYY’s international affairs advocacy and development cooperation are handled by an international affairs specialist and the Board members responsible for international affairs. In addition, they take care of the tutoring of international students in the university’s international services.
Responsibility
JYY’s advocacy work related to responsibility focuses on promoting sustainable development, environmental responsibility, and development cooperation. Our goal is to strengthen ecologically and socially sustainable practices both within the student union and more broadly in society. We support organizations operating under JYY in their responsibility work and organize events related to responsibility at the university. JYY promotes responsible consumption choices by supporting the Fairtrade University initiative and by enabling more sustainable student housing for Soihtu residents.
In addition to local advocacy work, JYY participates in national responsibility and development cooperation projects coordinated by SYL. Advocacy work related to responsibility is overseen by the member of JYY’s Board responsible for responsibility matters.
