Meeting of the Student Parliament: work program, shortening of studies and other issues

At the Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) Student Parliament meeting held a week ago, the VDU Student Representative (SA) Work Regulations, the Student Work Program, the shortening of the study program implementation period, the VDU SA financial report and the coming year's budget, the university canteen and the initiative "For the right to housing" issues.

During the presentation of the corrections to the Work Regulations of the VMU SA, a discussion arose regarding the need to include an item about SA units. "There are plans, but it depends not only on the central office, but also on the people themselves in the departments," SA president Paulius Vaitiekus said. It was decided that the Work Regulations will be approved during the report-election conference (March 12), after the working group, together with the Chairman of the Audit Commission Vytautas Kučinskas, has made the necessary changes to the document.

Monika Višnevska presented the adjusted project of the Student Work Program, the aim of which is to reduce the amount of student work and maintain the quality of studies at the university. According to P. Vaitiekus, point 10 of the document, which stipulates that after the adoption of this program, the parliament cannot change or cancel its individual parts or points, contradicts the VDU SA Statutes and the Civil Code, so this point was abandoned.

There was also a debate in the Parliament about point 7 of the document, which describes the conditions of loans intended for living. According to Ms. Vishnevska, currently state-supported loans do not meet living conditions, and the proposed scheme was coordinated with an economist. However, by the vote of the parliament, it was decided to transfer item 7 to the appendices of the Work Program.

The Parliament also voted that it is necessary to abandon the part which stipulates that only a trade union registered in Lithuania can carry out the training provided for in the document: training can be carried out by any competent institution. The Parliament unanimously voted in favor of the Student Work Program, with the condition that all planned corrections are implemented.

Mr. Vaitiekus presented the issue of shortening the duration of study programs to 3.5 or 3 years, which was raised in the VMU Senate. According to Aurimas Kavaliauskas, this study model does not correspond Artes Liberales principles. Mr. Vaitiekus raised the question of how to find out students' opinions about the shortening of studies. There were proposals to empower Study Program Committee representatives or elders to form feyes groups. Finally, it was decided that each member of the Student Parliament will express his opinion on this issue in a letter to the president of the VDU SA.

The meeting also presented the financial report and the draft budget for the coming year, the initiative "For the right to housing" and the canteen issue. It was decided that a meeting will be held with the director of VMU administration, Jonas Okunius, regarding the situation in the canteen. The initiative group will also participate in the meeting: Emil Staradubov, Monika Višnevska, Benas Baranovskis, Milda Gineikaitė, Ieva Vengrovskaja, Tomas Bacevičius, Tadas Juodgudis and Paulius Vaitiekus.

31 student representatives participated in the meeting. Paulius Vaitiekus was the chairman, Laurynas Samajauskas was the secretary. The vote counting commission consisted of Aurimas Kavaliauskas, Vytautas Valaitis and Gabija Chomentauskaitė (chairperson).

The next meeting of the VDU Student Parliament will be held on March 12. 12 o'clock VMU in the Small Hall. The current president will present his activity and financial reports, and a new VDU SA will be elected the president, Board and Audit Committee.

PROTOCOL OF THE VDU STUDENT PARLIAMENT MEETING no. 200213