Are you confused how the university elections work and what the Student council does? Sölvi Karlsson explains.
Voting vill take place electronically on the Ugla (ugla.hi.is) for the first time this year.
How do the university elections work?
University elections can seem quite complicated – and indeed some are – which is why Röskva wants to explain them better.
The Student Council is elected every year and the University Council every two years. This year, students will vote for who represents them in both of these Councils.
The Student Council is the most complicated. It is composed of 20 members, 2 from the University Council and 18 voted from lists provided by the parties. Each party has 2 lists of candidates: one is the same as last year and one that is new. Half the members of the Student Council come from each list. This insures that half the Student Council returns from the previous year. If, for example, 1 party gets 51% of the vote, it gets 5 of the 9 old seats and 5 of the 9 new seats making a total of 10 of 18 while the other party then gets 8 of 18.
Student Council
The Student Council applies itself to protect, defend and increase the rights, interests and benefits of students at the University of Iceland. Among the projects it deals with within the university are helping student facilities, publishing the student newspaper (Stúdentablaðið), working for the students standard of living and organizing social activities. Also, the Student Council evaluates parliamentary bills revolving around University of Iceland students (regarding tuition for example), cooperating with other student movements, working with university officials for student housing and getting free bus passes for students. The Student Council, led by Röskva, is unafraid to let its voice be heard regarding social issues to make a better Iceland for students. In the Council, 20 students get together on a monthly basis to discuss various issues and establish policies and committees put the will of the Council into action and work on the projects.
