The Student’s Column
The system was not made for you
It’s not just your imagination – the system is built on the rights that students have fought for. The problem is that these rights are not sufficient. The solution? It’s simple – because the universities are actually prepared to listen to us. We just need to make ourselves heard.
The modern university has not yet succeeded in giving students the same rights, help and protection at the university that are enjoyed by employees. From a student perspective, the system may well seem Kafkaesque when you try to complain about a grade only to be informed of the risk of ending up with a worse grade. Or when a student who has experienced abuse ends up quitting the university because they fall too far behind or do not get the help they need to feel safe at the university. We also see it with student employees who are employed on 0-hour contracts and are not allocated any hours or do not have access to psychological help, because they work less than 15 hours a week.
We can’t wait for the system!
As students, we are often told how we get everything served to us on a plate and how lucky we should feel that we get SU (the State Education grant and Loan Scheme) and free education. At the same time, we are experiencing a public debate in which highly educated people are not wanted, administrative officers and consultants are referred to as ‘cold hands’ and medical students are described as arrogant. We are split off into smaller groups, and we often end up feeling alone and without influence. But it doesn’t have to be that way – in fact, the university wants to help us. The university system cannot figure out the solutions alone, they need us to let them know what we need. Therefore, we have a responsibility as students to make our demands and stand by them.
So how do we proceed?
If you have a cause that you think is important to fight for, we recommend contacting your local students’ council or academic council. The faculties each have an academic council, and you can find the students who are elected to the council on SDU’s website. If you would like to help make the university better for you, your friends and the next generations of students, you can consider getting involved in student politics yourself. Shout out, make a happening, arrange a debate about rights to lodge a complaint. If it seems overwhelming to do it on your own, there are many good places where you can find support and kindred spirits. If you are completely stuck, you can always contact one of the elected students on the Board who are there for your sake!
Andreas Fjord Larsen
Andreas is a 9th semester MSc student on Economics and Business Administration, elected student member of the Board of SDU, chair of EPICUR Students, negotiator and board member of Studenteransattes Landsforbund (the National Union of Student Workers) and vice chair of the Student Council at the University of Southern Denmark.