Paulius Vaitiekus. Support for students during quarantine: what has been done?

PAULIUS VAITIEKS

The coronavirus pandemic and the beginning of the quarantine have become a challenge for everyone, including students. There were questions about how the study process will be organized, how settlements and internships will take place. The issue of accommodation has become particularly sensitive.

The first decisions were made only after the quarantine began

We started talking with the administration about the situation of students living in VDU dormitories already in the first week of the quarantine. The first steps were taken by the university itself - in order to reduce the financial burden during a difficult period, a decision was made to allow the payment for studies or a dormitory to be postponed until the end of the quarantine. Yes, this option can help, but it does not solve the problem by itself, so the search for other solutions to help students began. The VMU Student Representation aimed to reduce the fee for the dormitory.

Primary position, which I officially presented during the meeting of the rectorate, was to apply the 50% relief to the accommodation fee for all VMU students, regardless of whether they currently live in a dormitory or not. The purpose of this proposal was to take into account both the expectations of students who moved out of the dormitory during the quarantine but wanted to keep their place, as well as those still living there, and to ease the financial burden. The rectorate did not approve of such a relief, because there was a lack of justification in numbers: it was not clear how much financial resources would be needed. For this reason, a working group was formed, which had to make all the necessary calculations and make a decision that would meet the expectations of the students.

Discount for those paying for a dormitory - 25%

In the working group, we represented the students together with the coordinator of the Social Affairs Committee, Ieva Vengrovskaja. The representatives of the administration said that the 50% relief would require too high costs, so they proposed 15%, in their opinion, the most optimal option. We were not satisfied with such a decision, so we sought a higher relief. succeeded - accommodation tax decreased by 25%. Although it was not a complete implementation of the original goal, it seemed like a starting point that will reduce the difficulties students are experiencing due to the coronavirus.

Possibility to terminate the accommodation contract and keep the available room

Since a significant number of students moved out of the dormitory during the quarantine, a solution was needed that would allow them not to pay the accommodation fee, but to keep the available room. The formulated proposal regarding the possibility of saving the dormitory place for students who terminated the accommodation contract was submitted to the Rector, the Director of Administration and the Department of Student Affairs for further consideration. Initial reactions were mixed: there was no objection to the idea itself, but consideration was given to providing such an opportunity only from May 1. The students' representation took the position that the procedure should be applied to those who have terminated their contracts since the beginning of the quarantine. Finally, decided, that students who terminated their contracts from April 1 will have the opportunity to return to the same dormitory room until July 31.

Students had a lot of questions about personal belongings: why do you need to take them out if you are going to return to the same dorm room? The proposal of the student representative office to leave the items in the rooms was not accepted, as the University did not want to take responsibility for the items left behind. In addition, rooms will have to be prepared for moving students. In order to facilitate the move-out process at least to some extent, the Students' Representation submitted a proposal to extend the move-out deadline (which normally takes 3 days). This proposal was accepted and students have 10 working days to move out during the quarantine period.

Other support options

It was also established on the initiative of the university aid fund for victims of the coronavirus. It is intended for students whose parents or one of their parents have lost their jobs or whose income has otherwise significantly decreased during the quarantine period announced by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. It is possible to get a fee discount for studies, a fee discount for accommodation in a university dormitory, to partially compensate the expenses incurred for the services provided, to award one-time scholarships.

Today, we can be happy that the University has taken into account the proposals made by the Student Representation, which affect the financial situation of students. Not all of the decisions made fully responded to the set goals, but this is an important step forward in order to ensure the well-being of one of the most vulnerable social groups - students. While developing a constructive dialogue with the administration, we continue to look for ways to improve the support system, guarantee the integrity of the study process and ensure that both the material and psychological effects of the pandemic are mitigated and all conditions are created for students to prepare for the return to university premises.