Section 1: General

LTKY maintains a register of associations, which may include registered non-profit associations whose purposes and modes of operation are in accordance with the law and good manners, and which serve to ensure cooperation between LTKY members and students of LUT Universities.

Section 2: Associations in the register

Associations accepted for the register may be member associations or special status associations.

Section 3: Member associations

A member association is a normal member of the register of associations The decision to approve an association into the register of associations as a member association is decided by the LTKY Board. The Board is also entitled to remove a member association from the register.

Section 4: Special status associations

A special status association is an association with an important role in tutoring freshmen and/or a strong cultural position in the student community. The approval of an association as a special status association is decided by the representative council. The decision requires a majority of two thirds of the votes cast in the meeting. The representative council also has the right to remove a special status association from the register of associations.

Section 5: Guilds

A special status union representing the students of one, or in special cases, several fields in the LUT University, can be called a guild. The decision to grant guild status is made by the representative council and requires a supermajority of two-thirds of the votes cast in the meeting.

Section 6: The obligations of all associations

The rules of an association included in the register must comply with the requirements of the Finnish Associations Act.

The Board of the association must keep a list of the members of the association. For each member, the full name and domicile shall be added to the list.

The associations are responsible for their activities and finances. Each association included in the register of associations has an accounting obligation. The accounting must comply with the provisions of accounting legislation and the Associations Act. The financial statement must include sufficient documentation of the financial situation of the association at the moment that the financial statement is made. The financial statement must be made in accordance with the Accounting Act. The association must keep a register of its property. The audit and performance audit must be performed within three months of the end of the financial year.

Section 7: The obligations of member associations

For an association to be accepted as a member association, at least 20 percent but no less than three of its members who are entitled to vote must also be members of LTKY. In addition, at least 60 percent of the association’s members who are entitled to vote must be LUT University students.

In addition to its regular list of members, the Board of the association must also keep a list of the members who are entitled to vote. This list must also indicate whether a member is also a member of LTKY or an LUT university student.

The rules of the association may not limit LUT University student union members’ opportunities to become a member of an association who is entitled to vote. This paragraph is not applied to choirs, orchestras, competitive sports associations, or such associations that must select their members on the basis of artistic or athletic merit. In addition, at the representative council’s decision, this paragraph may also be diverged from with regard to other associations.

The association must submit the report on operations and the financial statement for the previous year as well as the budget and action plan for the current year to LTKY by the end of February. The number of members in the association as well as their amount of LTKY members and LUT University students must also be submitted. The submission of this information is referred to as sending an association report.

When an association is dissolved or closed, its funds must be transferred to LTKY, another registered association or such a foundation or fund that supports LUT University students. The funds must be transferred for the benefit of the association’s goals, or if this is not possible, to LTKY.

Section 8: The obligations of special status associations

Only associations with an important role in tutoring freshmen and/or a strong cultural position in the student community can be approved as special status associations.

Special status associations do not have any other obligations. If the representative council decides that it is necessary to inspect whether a special status association’s activities are appropriate, the representative council may request a special status association to provide a statement on its activities and to provide such information on its activities and finances that the representative council views as necessary. In this case, the association must submit the information to the representative council without delay.

Section 9: The benefits of member associations and special status associations

• An annual support fund decided by the representative council of LTKY
  • Does not apply to special status associations
  • Can be refused if the association report has not been made on time

• A support fund for associations that must be applied for separately

• Pre-approval to rent LTKY premises at member prices
• Pre-approval to rent vans, trailers, and other items from LTKY at member prices
• Pre-approval to rent club and storage spaces from LTKY
• Association training and guidance, including financial matters
• Other benefits decided by the LTKY Board or representative council

Section 10: Leaving the register of associations

The association may leave the register of associations by sending a written announcement to the LTKY Board.

The Board may remove a member association from the register of associations if the association has not submitted the association report on time for two successive years or if the association no longer fulfils the requirements of this rule.

The representative council may remove a special status association from the register of associations by a two-thirds majority vote.

Section 11: The entry of the rule into force and amendment

The representative council may amend these rules by a three-fourths supermajority vote in the representative council meeting.

These rules have been approved at the representative council meeting held on 25 March 2021. These rules entered into force on 25 March 2021, thus overturning the previous association regulation.