Student Parliament meeting: support for students, studies during the pandemic and other issues
On May 14, a remote meeting of the Student Parliament of Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) took place. The members of the Student Parliament discussed support for students who are experiencing financial difficulties due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus, the implementation of the student work program, distance studies and the Statutes of the VMU Student Representation (SA). The draft of the description of the settlement organization procedure was also presented and other issues were discussed.
Gintarė Jurelytė, coordinator of the Academic Affairs Committee, presented the draft description of the procedure for the organization of settlements, who said that the purpose of the document is to ensure the honesty, transparency and quality of settlements carried out at the University. It will specify clearly and in detail how the settlements should take place (requirements for students, number of observers, preparation of auditoriums, etc.). VDU SA President Paulius Vaitiekus mentioned that this official document regulating the settlement procedure will help to ensure academic integrity.
During the meeting, the situation regarding the fund established by VMU for students affected by the coronavirus, other financial benefits and the well-being of students during the quarantine were discussed. Mr. Vaitiekus presented, what was done, so that students are given benefits during the quarantine. MPs wondered if the support also reached foreign students. According to the president of SA, foreign students were given the necessary assistance. The Department of International Relations made a significant contribution to this. The issue of the psychological state of students during the quarantine period was also discussed, and the psychological help that students can receive both university, both nationally.
The issue of the implementation of the student work program was presented by the coordinator of the Social Affairs Committee, Ieva Vengrovskaja, who explained how the labor law training will be carried out. Since it is not possible to organize training during the quarantine, it was decided to create educational videos and prepare informational materials. Currently, the lecturers of the Faculty of Law are being consulted about the information that will be provided. Also, a proposal was made to create a survey, during which it would be found out what information about labor law is most relevant for students.
Distance studies were also discussed in the student parliament: how the academic year should be completed (remotely or in classrooms) and how to ensure the safety of students in university premises. In the opinion of the Parliament, it is best to complete the spring semester remotely, but it is important to take into account the time and format of remote exams and the creation of favorable conditions for students whose accounts require live contact. Surveys about distance studies are also discussed results, during which it was found out what difficulties students are facing, and all comments and notes were sent to the dean's office.
Mr. Vaitiekus explained why the new edition of the VDU SA Statutes has not yet been registered - due to the imposed quarantine, it was not possible to collect the necessary signatures. In addition, the parliament must vote on the exact revision and the number of board members.
Members of Parliament also raised a question about the public canteen. The president of VDU SA undertook to send a request on behalf of the working group to the director of administration of VDU regarding further actions. Parliament member Daumantas Skinkys presented proposal, by which all Lithuanian student self-governments could be guided and apply to the government for support to students during the crisis caused by the virus. The parliamentarians evaluated the proposal positively, expressed their comments and questions.
24 student representatives participated in the meeting. Paulius Vaitiekus was the chairman, Joana Gasiulytė was the secretary.
