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Role and assignments for contact persons for student influence

Here you can find information about the role of contact persons for student influence. You will also find good examples from departments and student councils.

At all levels of the university, there must be designated contact persons for student influence. The head of department, or equivalent, is responsible for ensuring that there is at least one person within the department who serves as a liaison to student councils, PhD student councils, and the student union on matters related to student influence.

This role can be combined with that of a director of studies, a study and career advisor, a head of department, or an administrator.

Assignments for contact persons for student influence

Each department has at least one designated contact person for student influence. This role can be combined with that of the director of studies, study and career advisor, head of department, or administrator. The head of department is responsible for appointing the contact person.

The role of the contact persons, as outlined in the university's Regulations for Student Influence, is to serve as a liaison to student councils, PhD student councils, faculty councils, and the student union by:

convey information from the Student Union to relevant bodies or groups regarding newly appointed student representatives;
contact the Student Union about how and when a new student representative can be appointed to a body or group at the relevant level, if a longer vacancy has occurred; and
in collaboration with the Student Union, actively promote the forming of student councils, PhD student councils, or faculty councils, if there is no such council.

The contact persons may have additional responsibilities related to student involvement. Further examples can be found below. You will also find other useful information further down on this page.

Student unions at Stockholm University

At Stockholm University there are three student unions:

The Business Association at Stockholm University (Föreningen ekonomerna) which represents the students at the Stockholm Business School
Student Union DISK which represents students at the Department of Computer and Systems Sciences
Stockholm University Student Union (SUS) which represents student at all other departments and centres.

It is the student unions that appoint student representatives at each department. SUS also appoints student representatives in various groups at the faculty, academic area, and university-wide level.

Assignments for contact persons for student influence – examples

Beyond the outlined responsibilities, a contact person may also:

answer questions about departmental structure and group functions. Please refer to the film about the university's organization, which can be found in the university's web-based training for student representatives.
answer questions about remuneration for student representatives or prolongation of employment for doctoral student representatives,
collaborate with student bodies to promote student influence at course starts
post job advertisements for vacant student representative positions on the current learning platform, as provided by the student union,
assist student and PhD student councils in booking meeting rooms,
support the student union in organizing departmental events, such as information meetings,
annually contribute to the universities common list with information on your department’s permanent bodies and groups where students shall be represented.

SUS ombuds assignments

It can be challenging to differentiate between the responsibilities of a SUS Ombud and those of a departmental contact person, as their roles may overlap. In essence, the SUS Ombud is responsible for:

support student and PhD student councils in their internal operations,
facilitate kick-off meetings for councils, especially when new boards are formed,
provide assistance with SUS Admin,
process grant applications submitted by councils,
offer guidance to councils on advocacy,
assist councils in recruiting student representatives through job postings,
conduct training for student representatives and boards.

SUS Admin – SUS administrative system

In the fall of 2023, SUS introduced its new administrative tool, "SUS Admin." This system primarily serves to maintain comprehensive lists of all SUS-appointed student representatives. Upon the election of new representatives, SUS adds them to the system and automatically sends a confirmation email to you as the departmental contact person.

As a contact person, you should have been granted access to SUS Admin. This allows you to log in and view the current student representatives within your department's groups. If you haven't received your login credentials, please contact the SUS ombuds at studentombud@sus.se.

Logga in i SUS Admin

User guide for contact persons working in SUS Admin Pdf, 256.7 kB. (in swedish)

If you discover any inaccuracies in the lists, kindly notify SUS Ombud.

Semester meetings with SUS and contact persons

Once per semester, contact persons and SUS come together to share knowledge, experiences, and successful examples of student influence. These meetings are open to anyone interested in student influence. Please keep an eye out open for invitations as they are highly valued and informative, according to past attendees.

Good examples from student and PhD student councils and departments

To inspire you, we've included examples of successful initiatives and helpful tips from student councils and departments.

The Department of Criminology’s Student Council has set a new standard for annual meeting attendance! Thanks to a series of information campaigns, over 40 students attended the fall 2023 meeting. The council followed up with an “inspark” (fun activities) for new students. To facilitate information dissemination to new students, the department helps the student council in scheduling class drop-in each semester.
The Department of Physics, in collaboration with the local student council, has hosted multiple information sessions on student influence. These sessions aim to educate students on the role of a student representative and the benefits of participating in a student council.
At the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, many members of the local student council graduated in autumn 2023. The council therefore needed to be restarted. To revitalize the council, the contact person launched a recruitment campaign, informing nearly every student group about the benefits of engaging in student influence. Over 15 students attended the student union's kick-off meeting, allowing for the election of a complete board and filling all student representative positions.
Every year, the Department of Political Science's Student Council hosts Political Science Day, a popular event featuring inspiring talks, a career fair, and other activities showcasing the diverse career paths available to political science graduates. The activities are always well-attended.

In the absence of a student or PhD student council

If your department lacks a student or PhD student council, or if the current one is becoming inactive, please reach out to SUS Ombud. SUS can help re-establish the council!

Your assistance will likely be needed in the preparation process, such as booking a suitable meeting room and time. You can also help spread the word about the meeting through the learning platform.

SUS Ombud will then handle student registrations and nominations, create promotional materials, and facilitate the start-up meeting. It's typical for department staff not to attend these meetings. After the meeting, SUS will support the new council by setting up an email address, providing training in board governance, and ensuring they have all the necessary resources to function independently.

Contact

SUS ombud
studentombud@sus.se