VDU SA Activity Report. The year is full of change and continuity

Ieva Vengrovskaja, who is at the helm of Vytautas the Great University's Student Representative Office (VDU SA), will start her second term on March 10. VDU SA will present the activities of the past years during the reporting-election conference. The president, her team and all the volunteers of the organization worked for a year to adequately represent the interests of VMU students and respond to their needs, both at the university and on a national and international scale.

In the activity report of VMU SA, the activities carried out are divided into four strategic directions of activity: improving the quality of studies and the social environment of students, cooperation with student representatives and their overcoming in VMU management bodies, representing the interests of VMU students on a national scale, strengthening VMU community and student self-government. Each of the areas has separate tasks and tasks to achieve them. You can familiarize yourself with the activity report here.

The president of the organization is happy that even though the war started by Russia in Ukraine brought many hard-to-solve problems, "VDU and VDU SA have been with the people of Ukraine since the first day of the war. Students and employees were admitted to the university, university dormitories, financial and humanitarian aid, free studies and accommodation were agreed with the VMU administration from the first day of the war until today, and this will continue." 

During the year, a lot of attention was paid to improving the quality of studies and the social environment. Observations of 25 exams and 5 colloquiums were carried out, it was achieved that the VDU library would work around the clock during the session and that the survey of teaching and studying in the winter semester could be completed until the end of the exam session. Students were also delighted with the news that they no longer need to print theses. Collaborated with the university administration in contributing to the implementation of mentorships for freshmen and foreign students and the disability policy at the university.

In this term, attention was paid to student representatives in various governing bodies of the university. Meetings and trainings are organized to get acquainted with the responsibilities and activities of the representative, the database of representatives is constantly updated and communication with them is maintained, and the representatives' knowledge is tested. The representative coordinator shares that it is difficult to get students interested in becoming representatives, but "those who are determined are a real help in achieving goals or setting new ones", and Monika is also happy with the accreditation of representatives and the high percentage of passers.

Representing the interests of VMU students, they are actively involved in the activities of the Lithuanian Student Union (LUS). Participates in various working groups, meetings, trainings. Also, three trainings were organized according to areas for members of local governments of all high schools. Experience is involved and shared in the activities of the Transform4Europe alliance, and VDU SA Academic Affairs Coordinator Gustė Žukauskaitė was elected as the vice president of T4E student self-government. She states that such "alliances are the future of Europe, so it is necessary to empower not only student representatives, but also students, to share experiences, broaden worldviews and learn from each other as much as possible."

No less attention was paid to the mobilization of the VMU community. The traditional "Spring Festival" of VDU SA was organized, the first-year camp "Subalansuotas fuksas", the academic fair during VDU's Introductory Week, and other activities for first-year students, as well as blood donation or first aid training that promotes social responsibility. The initiative "Student, take the chairs of the university managers" organized on the occasion of the International Students' Day allowed students to try out the duties of the VMU administration, and in the project "Students, be a student" almost a hundred students were able to experience the everyday life of a student.

Taking care of the well-being of VMU students, the inside of the organization is also not forgotten. When organizing internal events, connections between members and alumni are strengthened, motivational and feedback systems are fostered, representatives' competencies are raised in social and academic fields and in the activities of individual committees. Accreditation of members will also be carried out in order to check their level of knowledge and problem solving.

Ieva, who is leading the organization for the second year, feels grateful for the work done "to her team, all the organization's volunteers, student representatives, the organization's board and audit, friends and the university administration, with whom we do not always think alike, but we always strive for the best." And to the future president ( -ei) wishes to "cultivate our values, together with the members to create and strive for each volunteer of the organization and to remain united, and to carry the voice of students high and far in the university, nationally and internationally!"