Greetings from advocacy! Read below, what advocacy sector has done during spring semester.
OLS Survey and Point to Action
The annual OLS Survey received 816 responses which gave information about teaching quality and student well-being. The survey showed ongoing issues, such as a lack of teacher guidance, rigid assessment methods, and insufficient study materials. Seen in the survey, international students experienced higher levels of loneliness and mental health issues. The results were presented at the Point to Action events in Lappeenranta and Lahti, LUT leadership and next semester the Representative Council.
Last year’s OLS Survey was significantly revitalised by combining it with other surveys to become more comprehensive. This year, keeping mostly the same question allows for better analysis, with a focus on the division of labour of analysis among working groups in LTKY and LUT, as well as where to share the information for the best possible use. Even professors who requested the data were given it for transparency and to help them have solid data to see what the trends are, as it is all anonymous.
Collaboration HEBUT and LUT Guilds
LTKY, LUT University, guild chairs, and Hebei University of Technology (HEBUT) delegates held a collaborative in an effort to integrate students from HEBUT into Finland’s/LUT’s student life. The main takeaways from this meeting was:
Clear ground rules were established to ensure successful collaboration. This included a vision for integrating HEBUT students, sharing proper contact details from all the parties, ground rules and agreements between HEBUT and the Guilds collaboration which included all events and initiatives between HEBUT and the guilds must be announced at least one and a half months in advance, with major changes requiring two weeks’ notice. Each collaboration should clearly define roles and responsibilities, and both parties have the option to decline participation in projects that do not align with their values, goals, or available resources.
LTKY and the LES Leaders
Based on the OLS-survey, LTKY made a priority paper for the head of LES which addresses a variety of issues concerning the teaching and learning environment at LUT University’s Lahti campus, with a particular emphasis on student engagement and instructional quality. One concern is that many students believe attending lectures is unnecessary because they can get the same information online through Moodle. This lack of attendance reduces interaction and provides fewer opportunities for students to participate in discussions and receive clarification from lecturers. Another significant issue raised is a lack of pedagogical skills among some lecturers. The lack of effective teaching strategies can make complex topics difficult to understand which then results in lower motivation and disengagement among students. The document uses the OLS to show how LUT students thoughts, which did clearly show that poor teaching practices as a major contributor to slow academic progress.
The second document that LTKY made highlights key issues related to LUT University’s Double Degree (DD) and International Degree programmes. Priority 1 focuses on a lack of internal communication, which has resulted in inconsistent grading criteria and grade issuance delays, particularly during the HEBUT Summer Exchange 2024 as a strong example. Priority 2 addresses the impact of different scholarship rules on course retention, with some students dropping classes to improve their grades for scholarship eligibility, resulting in fluctuating course participation and unequal treatment of DD and TES students. Priority 3 addresses inconsistencies in thesis requirements across programmes, e.g. receiving fewer mandatory meetings, resulting in an imbalance of support and guidance.