Verband der Schweizer StudierendenschaftenUnion des Etudiant·e·s de SuisseUnione Svizzera degli Universitari

The students of Switzerland and the Bologna Process

http://www.vss-unes.ch

Tel +41 31 382 11 71 - info@vss-unes.ch - Laupenstrasse 2 - CH-3001 Bern

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Structures

The VSS (Union of Students of Switzerland) was founded 1920 in Zürich

Today based in Bern

Members: Universities: Basel, Bern, Fribourg, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchatel,

Zürich, EPFL, ETHZ. Specialized Higher Education Institutes: Bern, Nordwestschweiz.

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Structures

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Structures

Executive : The Bureau

Executive Committee 5 persons: Equality of gender and language areas

General Secretariat 2 persons: 1.5 FTJ

Administrative Secretariat 1 Person: 0.4 FTJ

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Legal foundation

Association of civil law. No obligation to integrate students in processes of decision making.

After 2016: New Law on Higher Education Institutions: Students „can“ be asked for their opinion Still no foundation of any Student Union.

Students are still no „FULL PARTNERS“!

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Situation in BaselStudentische Körperschaft der Universität Basel (skuba)

Until 2007: Legal foundation as a corporation of public law in the university law of the canton of Basel-City.

2007: The treaty between the cantons Basel-City and Basel-Countryside comes into effect. It regulates the combined sponsorship of both cantons.

No more foundation of the skuba in that treaty. Through massive pressure of students, a foundation of the skuba

in the university statute was made possible.

For this reason the skuba is dependent of the goodwill of the university leadership.

Bologna: „The visions“ and the dangers with Swiss Students view

Visions Increasing mobility Quality assurance in higher

education institutions Cooperation of higher

education institutions

Dangers Misalignment of higher

education to short-lived economic incentives

Endangerment of equity Reinforcement of social und

structural barriers Makes part time studies

difficult, „scolarization“

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Swiss students‘ demands for Bologna I.

Mobility: Better information Real possibility to transfer credits Mobility grants and and warranty of transferability of regular grants. Reform of Curricula : Diversified course offers are needed No alignment of higher education to short-lived economic incentives Flexible ways of learning (e.g. part time studies) in aid of equity

have to be available Raising awarement for the fact that higher numbers of students

need to be supported by higher financial contributions by the public authorities.

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Swiss students‘ demands for Bologna II.

Social dimension: „It has to be possible for everyone who has the necessary

intellectual preconditions to finish his studies at a higher education institute – independent of social backgound and socio economic factors

Better professor-student ratio A harmonised national grant system which is oriented on

actual expenses.

The social dimension must be fully integrated in the Bologna reform and it needs the necessary attention. Just writing official statement alone does not solve the

problems!.

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Emergence of the protest movement in Switzerland

• Precedent occupations in Austria and Germany• Global week of action: „Education is not for Sale“• Basel: Plan of using the central auditorium os a „free space

of thinking“ for one day: 11. November 2009• Decision of the assembly of the first evening: the auditorium shall

stay occupied• Further occupations in Switzerland from 18. November

2009:• Bern• Zürich• Genf• Lausanne

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Structures of the protest movement

Decisionmaking needs to be made by the means of bottom-up democracy: Every day two assemblies, every student is allowed to come

Structure of the day: Assemblies, workshops, lectures, concerts and other cultural events

Constantly acting media center, kitchen who provides food for volontary contribution

Discussion of the precise demands in groups and the assemblies.

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Demands of the protest movement

No power to economic interests in higher education.

Protection of equity through expansion of grants, cutback of student fees.

No „scolarization“, no controls of presence, allow part time studies.

Fair wages for everybody who works at the universities.

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The Union of Students of Switzerland and it‘s Relations to the Manifestations

The movement built itself independently.

Support of the demands, because of similarity to their own: Equity Independence of university from economic interests

Protests are an expression of the deficient possibilities of student participation in Switzerland.

Other means to reach the common goals should be backed by the official unions.

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