Student election 2023: These are the candidates

The Blue list

Norway's Best Campus

We will work towards:

• Increased frequency of bus routes to and from UiS.
• More recycling stations on campus.
• Additional study spaces and lecture halls with access to power outlets.
• More water dispensers.
• Affordable and ample parking options at UiS.
• Increased availability of student housing.

An Internationally Attractive University for Education, Research, and Innovation

We will work towards:

• Establishing medical education at UiS.
• Advocating for the expansion of study places at the University of Stavanger, primarily in fields such as law, psychology, medicine, ICT, and new technology.
• Offering more flexible degree programs and a greater variety of elective courses.
• Abolishing mandatory attendance.
• Ensuring that exams and coursework do not fall on the day after national holidays.
• Introducing scholarship programs to attract international students to fields where we need more professionals.
• Implementing mandatory streaming/recording of lectures.
• Providing internship opportunities as an elective course for students to choose.
• Extending exam duration, as students should be evaluated based on their abilities and knowledge, not their speed of writing.

Mental Health

We will work towards:

• Increasing capacity to address mental health issues.
• Ensuring access to healthcare for students by introducing a system similar to the Bergen model of having a designated general practitioner.
• Expanding low-threshold offerings, including courses and lectures that promote awareness of mental health.
• Offering lectures during the orientation week (fadderuken) with a focus on inclusion and loneliness prevention.
• Expanding the «therapy dog» program.
• Establishing group therapy options.

ISU Stavanger – International Student Union

Education

• A statement must be included with the grade on the exam.
• Course evaluations at the semester term to address, quality and improvements that can be made for courses, curriculum and teaching.
• Practical workshops and more lectures from industry people as part of courses
• Research workshops for interested students.
• Continue with International Research Network and even inviting more external lecturers /guest lecturer to courses.

Integration

• Reasonable prices for Norwegian language courses.
• Reintroduction of b1 / b2 courses.
• English sections for important course information eg, master thesis briefing, opening ceremonies, career day presentations, etc.

Physical Agents

• Better air quality in lecture halls, group rooms and reading rooms.
• There must be adequate electrical outlets in all lecture halls.
• Clothes hanger rack.

Cultural list

Key issues:

Improving UiS Campus

• A new building on Campus Bjergsted that meets capacity and quality needs. This includes new band rooms, practice spaces, dance studios, and fitness rooms.
• It should be easy and safe for wheelchair users to navigate UiS areas.
• Expanding the cafeteria offerings at Bjergsted, such as providing hot meals.

Certified Health Services for Students

• Discounted rates for physiotherapists, chiropractors, speech therapists, and similar services tailored to your field of study.
• Easier access to counseling services for students at Bjergsted.

Enhanced Student Discounts in Stavanger

• Better student prices and student memberships at various concert venues in Stavanger.
• Providing all students with the opportunity for free or discounted access to software/applications that can make their study life easier.

Increased Collaboration Between Campus Ullandhaug and Bjergsted

• Making sports and fitness facilities more accessible to all students in Stavanger, regardless of school, field of study, or residence.
• Increased involvement of students from Bjergsted in events at Ullandhaug.

Diversity and Equality

• Everyone should feel safe and supported as students in Stavanger.
• No one should be discriminated against in educational settings.

The Social Democratic List

The Social Democratic List wishes to:

• Establish a common lost and found center for the entire Ullandhaug campus.
• Work towards a functional welfare council with the goal of having a working committee with permanent positions.
• Advocate for lockable bike parking and changing rooms for students.
• Work on refurbishing changing rooms in the HL building.
• Continue the effort to install more water dispensers in the buildings.
• Foster more collaboration across faculties.
• Ensure that all subjects have study questions.
• Over time, ensure that all lecturers have pedagogical competence.
• Hang a poster about mental health in each building.
• Create more meeting places across cultures.
• Integrate NMBU campus Høyland into UiS.
• Advocate for providing students with subscriptions to Amedia and Schibsted newspapers.

Beyond the scope of the student parliament, we will:

• Work on establishing an institutional bus service between the study locations in North Jæren.
• Reinstate study support for students outside the EEA.
• Convert a larger portion of student loans into grants.
• Increase student support to 2G.
• Expand Kolumbus's youth pass to include students and maintain its price at 299 NOK.
• Achieve full daycare coverage in North Jæren.
• Establish a medical and psychology program at UiS.

The TekNat-list

Student Welfare

Right to Space for Student Associations

 Student associations are a crucial part of education at UiS. It is within these associations that students come together around their studies, discuss their challenges, and build networks in their future professions.

A student association room is where all of this happens. It's an essential space that fosters camaraderie among students, enhances well-being during studies, and improves students' ability to complete their education. Without a gathering place, many student associations experience a decline in activity, a loss of unity, and decreased well-being among their members.

Therefore, Teknat believes that:

• All student associations should have a dedicated space that is exclusively used by the association and can be used for studying, association activities, or social gatherings as needed.
• No student association should lose its space without receiving a new space of similar or better quality to replace the previous one.
• Student associations that have previously lost their space should be given priority when allocating student space in the welfare building.

Improved Information Channels for Student Activities

 Many students are unaware of the rich array of student offerings at UiS because there is no natural platform for getting to know the associations. The student fair organized by StOr is not very effective because students are not aware of it, resulting in low attendance. Information on various websites is confusing for student associations and students due to the multitude of channels to deal with, and associations cannot update the information themselves. There is also insufficient pre-study information about the offerings.

Therefore, Teknat demands that:

• UiS, SiS, StOr, and Fadder collaborate on a "Student Fair" during the orientation week that is included in every student's schedule.
• Departments are responsible for sending a welcome email to all students, providing information about relevant student associations and student organizations, and inviting students to the student fair.
• SiS is responsible for serving as the information channel for student associations.
• The SiS calendar is upgraded to provide student organizations with better and easier opportunities to share their events.
• Students should have the option to follow student associations and student organizations in the Min-SiS app, where they will be notified of events posted by these organizations.

Welfare Building

The new welfare building should be reserved for students, and the intrusion of staff into the area should be minimized to prioritize student activities. Adequate storage space should be provided for student organizations and associations. Common areas should be prioritized for student organization and association activities.

Making Facilities and Equipment Owned by Institutions Available to Student Groups There are many facilities at UiS that close early, and students are often unaware of them. This includes laboratories, workshops, a cinema, swimming pool, and sports fields, which are owned by the university and not readily accessible to all students. This offering could benefit students, increase well-being, and foster a sense of belonging to the Ullandhaug campus. It could also facilitate more social activities on campus.

Therefore, Teknat's list proposes:

• Making these facilities and equipment available to students who want to use them.
• Establishing courses for safe and proper use of these facilities and equipment, which should be a requirement for student access.
• Ensuring that information about available facilities and equipment is more clearly disseminated to students.

Affordable Food in the Cafeteria

The services provided by SiS are costly for students. It is not financially sustainable for many students to eat in the cafeteria every day, which is unfortunate. Therefore, Teknat's list suggests that SiS cafeterias explore alternative payment methods that can lead to lower prices for frequent cafeteria users.

Quality of Education

Opportunity for work placements in All Programs

Work placements should be introduced in all study programs to increase students' competence and prepare them for the workforce. Work placements should be offered as an elective that students can choose. Such a course would provide students with practical experience before entering the workforce.

Open Courses

Teknat's list desires more interdisciplinary courses and aims to make it easier for students to take courses from other faculties or institutes. To make this more appealing for the faculties, we propose a co-financed solution between the host faculty and the instructor. The university should also strive to ensure that as many students as possible who wish to take a course can complete it.

Strengthening the Role of Lecturers

Academic staff have incentives for research but not for teaching, which can result in poor teaching quality. Teaching quality is crucial for students to successfully complete their education.

Teknat suggests:

• Separating the roles of lecturer and researcher in general foundational courses, such as math and physics.
• Providing incentives for teaching to motivate lecturers.

Promoting the Use of Student Assistants

Where Possible Student assistants should be used more, to the extent legally permissible, to support faculty. Another use could be to provide study assistance after 4:00 PM to increase support for students after school hours.

Use of Digital Tools

 The university should make greater use of digital tools to facilitate student learning. This includes encouraging all lecturers to record their lectures so that absent students can view them later and using software in teaching. Tools that allow students to self-assess their understanding during lessons can be particularly useful. Offering digital textbooks more extensively could also be beneficial.

Project-Based Courses and Assessment Methods

 It is important that examination formats measure students' learning outcomes adequately. There should be greater flexibility to use relevant aids in exams where it is appropriate. In addition, more courses should use alternative assessment methods, such as submissions and project assignments, which contribute to the final grade. Project assignments often provide more learning opportunities as they require students to build understanding and competence to complete the project.

International Students

Stavanger has a diverse labor market with many foreign employees. This is because the energy industry requires a large workforce, and local labor is insufficient. This has made UiS a school with a strong international environment at the master's level and above. Many international students come to Norway to work, contribute valuable knowledge, and assist in value creation.

To continue this, even without the national principle of free education, it is essential that local efforts maintain a local principle of free education. Therefore, Teknat wishes for municipalities, county municipalities, and NHO to collaborate on funding study places for international students.

Transportation

 Secure Bike Parking for Students

To increase the percentage of students who use bicycles, it is crucial that students have a safe place to park their bikes. There is already an enclosed bike parking area, but it is reserved for staff, leading students to avoid cycling to UiS to prevent theft. Additionally, a smoking area is located near the bike parking area for students.

Teknat demands that:

• Bike parking should be open to students until the welfare building is completed.
• Efforts for locked bike parking at the new welfare building should continue.
• Smoking areas should be relocated away from bike parking areas with roofs.

City Bikes: "By-Campus"

The city bike program has been very positive and should be expanded and improved. Currently, there are not enough city bikes on campus, and an extension of the offering is necessary. Furthermore, a 15-minute duration for using city bikes is too short.

Teknat wishes for:

• Kolumbus to provide more city bikes at UiS.
• The city bike offering to be extended to one hour for all students, free of charge.

The Leftist Alliance

Our main issues:

• Cheaper food and drinks in the cafeterias
• Improved mental health support for students
• Students should be at the center of the development of UiS

Venstrealliansen aims to work on:

• An affordable and nutritious breakfast option for students. SIS should offer a discount for an affordable, healthy, and filling breakfast in the morning.
• Making vegetarian food cheaper than meat alternatives.
• Ensuring that food should be affordable and available for everyone, regardless of allergies or dietary preferences.
• Recording and storing video lectures for students. This is not a replacement for mandatory classes but will be a resource for students to review the curriculum.
• Water dispensers and kettles in all central campus buildings.
• Ensuring quick access to mental health support for students and reducing waiting times by increasing the budget.
• Providing gender-neutral restrooms in all university buildings, especially where students take exams.
• Countering the requirement for international students to pay tuition fees.
• Establishing a project for the donation of used textbooks, where students can donate books that can be given to new students in need.
• Creating a computer lending system for students to ensure equal opportunities to follow the classes.