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Student influence

According to the Higher Education Act, students are entitled to exert influence over the courses and study programmes at higher education institutions. They are also entitled to representation when decisions or preparations are made that have a bearing on the courses or programmes or the students’ situation. In the light of this act and other ordinances, we here describe Stockholm University’s view of students and various forms of student influence, focusing on student representation.

Here you will also find support, for example a checklist on student representation and other documents relating to student influence, such as the University’s Regulations for student influence, a list of contact persons and lists of bodies and groups with student representation.

This web page is aimed at staff at the University. For students, including doctoral students, visit the corresponding page on student influence.

Students as active co-creators

At Stockholm University, the students shall be seen as active co-creators with an important role to play in affecting and developing their education and study situation. The University shall therefore encourage, support and facilitate student involvement in work concerning student influence.

In this film, President Astrid Söderbergh Widding talks about the University’s view of student influence. The film is part of the University’s Training for student representatives.

Student influence is also an important part of the University’s quality work. For example, student influence is assessed through the University's systematic reviews of all study programmes and courses at undergraduate, advanced and postgraduate levels.

Contact persons for student influence

All levels at the University shall have contact persons for student influence. For example, the Head of Department or equivalent shall ensure that there is one or more persons at the department or equivalent acting as contact person for the student council, the PhD student council and the student union in matters concerning student influence.

You will find the names of the contact persons in the file below. Their e-mail addresses can be found on www.su.se. The file is updated in the autumn of each year.

Contact persons for student influence at Stockholms University

Read more in Regulations for student influence.

More information regarding role and assignments for contact persons for student influence

Agreement and list of student representation

The University shall give the student unions the possibility to appoint student representatives to permanent and temporary decision-making and preparatory bodies and groups with activities that have a bearing on the courses or programmes or the students’ situation.

In order to facilitate the appointment of student representatives, a three-year agreement on student representation has been reached between the University and Stockholm University Student Union (SUS).

Attached to the agreement are five lists of the permanent (> 1 year) bodies or groups at the University where the students are to be represented, and the number of student representatives in these bodies (“student seats”). The lists are updated every autumn by contact persons for student influence at the Office of the President and the science area offices. This is done in close consultation with, among others, the departments and SUS.

Förteckning över stadigvarande grupper/organ med studentrepresentation (document in Swedish) Pdf, 1.5 MB.

Note that the lists do not include temporary (<1 year) bodies and groups at different levels. Nor do they include occasions when a single individual, e.g. Head of Department, Director of Studies or Dean, makes or prepares a decision. These bodies, groups and occasions shall also include student representation, if they handle questions that have bearing on the University's courses or programmes or the students’ situation.

Checklist on student representation

The process for appointing student representatives to bodies and groups is described in the Regulations for student influence. This process is mainly controlled by the Student Union, but the regulations also describe the responsibility of the University, such as where to send a request for a student representative to a new body or a new group. A brief description in a checklist on student representation provides support for this process.

The checklist also provides tips on how to facilitate participation for student representatives, e.g. before and during meetings.

Checklist on student representation

Introduction of new student representatives

In accordance with the University’s Regulations for student influence, it is the duty of the chairperson or equivalent of each decision-making and preparatory body or group, alternatively individual decision-makers, to ensure that each new student representative is given an introduction to the function and way of working of that body or group.

In this film Ulf Jansson, former Head of Department at the Department of Human Geography, shares tips on how they introduce new student representatives. The film is part of the University’s training for student representatives.)

Training for student representatives

To provide support to the student representatives, Stockholm University offers a web-based training programme. It has been created in 2021 in close cooperation with SUS. The aim of the training is to support the student representatives in their assignment and their legal right to exert influence on their studies. It is aimed at student representatives at the departmental level, but it is also relevant for representatives at other levels as well as for staff. The training provides a complement to (but does not replace) other kinds of introduction that shall be given to new student representatives (see above).

Training for student representatives.

Compensation to student and doctoral student representatives

Every student or doctoral student representative shall be compensated for their assignment. To help you ensure that they are compensated, we have gathered information and advice on it here.

Student representatives studying in the first or second cycle shall be compensated based on attendance at meetings. The rules for the compensation of student representatives are described in the Regulations for Student Influence.

Compensation for student representatives is based on attendance at meetings and on the planned length of meetings. The compensation includes pre- and post-work.

The following remuneration levels apply to meetings held up to and including 31 December 2024:

  • 1-2 hour meeting: SEK 600
  • 3-4 hour meeting: SEK 1000
  • 5-6 hour meeting: SEK 1500
  • 7-8 hour meeting: SEK 2000

If the planned meeting time is exceeded by one hour or more, the student representative shall be compensated with SEK 150/full hour.

The following remuneration levels apply to meetings held from 1 January 2025:

  • 1-2 hour meeting: SEK 750
  • 3-4 hour meeting: SEK 1250
  • 5-6 hour meeting: SEK 1800
  • 7-8 hour meeting: SEK 2400

If the planned meeting time is exceeded by one hour or more, the student representative shall be compensated with SEK 200/full hour.

The compensation is paid to a student representative who is a regular member or an alternate who attend in place of a regular member student representative. Alternates who attend meetings, but are not on duty, are not entitled to compensation. Student representatives who are full-time paid employees of the student union are not entitled to compensation.

Compensations to student representatives are paid using the form ”Löne- och tidrapport, tillfälligt anställd” (nr 9034) (in Swedish). Compensation procedures vary between the departments, but whatever the procedure, it is important to clearly communicate to your student representatives what they need to do to receive their compensation.The form is filled in by the student representative in consultation with the chairperson, the administrative support/equivalent in the body or group in question, and, if necessary, with the personnel administrator at the department.

For the compensation to be paid into the bank account of the student representative, they must also register their account with the Danske Banks webbsida (web page in Swedish). Inform the student representative about the registration number of Stockholm University.

The compensation is charged to the respective activity where the body or group is active. Thus, it is the relevant department, office, administrative unit or equivalent that shall ensure that the representative is compensated, e.g. every semester or at the end of the assignment.

Example

A student representative on the departmental board attends a meeting that is scheduled to last two hours and is to receive SEK 750 in compensation. The meeting runs over and ends just over an hour later than the scheduled end time. The student representative is then entitled to an additional SEK 200 in compensation.

The rules for compensation to doctoral student representatives, with or without employment at the University, can be found in the Regulations for third-cycle education and summative assessment. Being a doctoral student representative is an elected position within a student organisation. To enable doctoral students to engage as doctoral student representatives without compromising their doctoral studies, they are entitled to compensation.

Doctoral student representatives who are employed as doctoral students are compensated by extension of their term of employment. Doctoral student representatives without employment as a doctoral student are compensated according to the same principle as student representatives studying in the first or second cycle.

The extension is done with full working days.

Extension for doctoral student representatives in university bodies

  • Doctoral student representative on the University Board is extended by 15 working days/year.
  • Doctoral student representatives who are regular members of other university bodies are extended by 2 working days per year + 1 working day extension per meeting.

Example

A doctoral student representative is a regular member of the Department Board, which meets 10 times a year. This entitles the doctoral student representative to an extension of 2 + 10 working days, totaling 12 working days for that year.

Extension for doctoral students with an elected position within a council at different levels

Central PhD Student Council (CDR)

  • Chair is extended by 40 working days/year
  • Deputy chair is extended by 25 working days/year
  • Other member extended by 20 working days/year

Faculty Council

  • Chair extended by 30 working days/year
  • Deputy chair is extended by 20 working days/year
  • Other member extended by 10 working days/year

Doctoral Student Council (including graduate schools)

  • Chair is extended by 15 working days/year
  • Deputy chair is extended by 10 working days/year
  • Other member extended by 2 working days + 1 working day extension per meeting.

Example

The doctoral student representative is deputy chair of the Doctoral Student Council. The doctoral student is entitled to a 10-day extension for this position.

Course evaluation and complaints regarding education

Another important way for students to exert influence over their studies is through course evaluations.

Read more about course evaluations in section 1.5 in Regulations for education and examination at first-cycle and second-cycle level.

Also read about the University’s kursvärderingstjänst, (web page in Swedish), a tool for handling course evaluations and course reports.

Yet another way to influence is to submit complaints regarding education directly to the Director of Studies or the Head of Department. Read more in Procedure for handling complaints from students regarding education.

Student councils, PhD student councils and student union election

By joining a student council or PhD student council at the department, the student or Phd student can exert influence over their studies. The councils belong to the student union but they decide what to focus on and how they want to work. The students can also vote in the student union election. This process is controlled by the student union.

Read more about student councils, PhD student councils and the student union elections here.

If there is no student council or PhD student council at the department, the contact person, in collaboration with the student union, shall actively work to form such a council.

The right of the student councils to a course space in Athena

Student councils, PhD student councils and “ombud” at SUS also have the right to a course space in Athena. This enables them to communicate on matters relating to student influence to students and PhD students. Through Athena, they can also send out meeting invitations to students and different councils at different levels. Each department provides the technical support for the establishment and maintenance of the course location with the support of the IT department.

Contact

Anna-Karin Björling, anna-karin.bjorling@su.se, Office of the President.

Last updated: 2025-03-13

Source: Rektors kansli