Read which student suggestions the Measures to Improve Uniarts Helsinki campaign turned into action in 2024
In autumn 2023, the rector initiated a campaign called Measures to Improve Uniarts Helsinki with the aim of collecting students’ views and experiences on how the university could use its resources – including the time and competence of students and staff, facilities, instruments, technologies and systems – more efficiently, and then implementing some of their ideas in practice.
A total of 34 suggestions were submitted for the campaign. Out of these suggestions, 17 were selected for further development and five for partial further development. The measures have been promoted this year within the given resources of the university and the academies. Read further to find out how the campaign suggestions were promoted in 2024.
Suggestions that were implemented
Fragrance-free Uniarts Helsinki
The university has put up posters promoting the TuoksutON campaign and carried out various communication campaigns on the topic. New posters will be put up in the facilities in 2025, and posters that are in bad shape will be replaced with new ones. The university will also make sure that small practice facilities on the Töölö campus, in particular, will have posters on display.
An info screen campaign promoting fragrance-free Uniarts Helsinki will be added to the communication team’s yearly schedule so that it coincides with the national Asthma Awareness Week.
Granting doctoral students the rights to book meeting rooms
On the Sörnäinen campus, doctoral students will be granted the rights to book Kookos meeting rooms Kokous 1 and Kokous 2.
On the Töölö campus, the meeting rooms on the third floor of the N Building can be booked by all doctoral students.
The changes will be introduced in 2025, and after 12 months, the university will review whether the changes were a good decision.
Report on inaccessibility in studies
Uniarts Helsinki is preparing a report on how successfully accessibility is being promoted within our university. The review of accessibility of studies and facilities forms one part of the report. The report is scheduled to be ready in spring 2025. Students with first-hand experiences of inaccessibility will be included in the review work.
Gender-neutral restrooms at the Sibelius Academy
The decision was made to make all restrooms on the Töölö campus gender-neutral, apart from the toilet facilities intended for concert guests in the R Building. Dressing room signage also takes non-binary users into consideration. The signs have been renewed in the N and R Buildings. The process in the M Building has been delayed, because the actual changing of the physical signs is a more large-scale project, as the university is a tenant in the building. The building’s signs are a work in progress, however.
More comfortable office pods to the Theatre Academy Tori
The Sörnäinen campus development team decided to take up the matter as part of the more extensive development measures involving furniture in student facilities. The student who made the suggestion was invited to join the development work. The pods are currently being painted, and new furniture will be brought to the facilities in the beginning of 2025 at the latest.
Music stands to classrooms that are used on a queue basis in the N Building
New music stands have been ordered for the N-house and they will be available in January 2025.
Improving the use of the Agora Hall in the M Building and making the space more pleasant
The space was made more cosy with furniture in spring 2024. The new furniture also answers to students’ needs concerning both independent work and collaborative work.
Better use and visibility of doctoral education within the university and among the public
Doctoral education and its visibility are being promoted as part of the university’s normal activities.
Confirmation system for facility reservations
This suggestion is being promoted as part of the technical development of the system.
Making Peppi more user-friendly
We will try to make Peppi more user-friendly as part of the technical development of Peppi.
Renewing ways to complete studies and eliminating practices that hamper studies
The university has tried to solve some of the challenges that students face by introducing a new curriculum, which entered into force in autumn 2024. Students and the Student Union played a central role in the curriculum reform work to ensure that students’ needs are taken into account in the planning of teaching. Course workload calculation has been made simpler with the help of various means, including new workload calculation tools that help in determining a suitable amount of workload for courses in proportion to the number of credits that are awarded.
Maximising international contacts and funding
The matter is being promoted as part of the university’s normal activities. Uniarts Helsinki already sends applications for various open calls and participates in the activities of international networks.
Improving communication and the sense of community and a discrimination-related discussion series/course
The equality and diversity plan will be updated during the spring term. There are two student members in the working group, so students’ voice is heard also in the planning of actual training seminars. The intention is to also engage in close cooperation with the Student Union.
Expanding the possibilities of using the facilities on the Töölö campus
A new quiet room was for opened on the Töölö Campus in January 2024 for students’ use.
Free online course materials for all
A new website called Art Pro Finland was set up to support artists and other professionals in the arts sector in their professional lives. The resource bank is produced and maintained by Uniarts Helsinki. Students who made the suggestion have been asked to comment on the Art Pro site in the role of test users.
Suggestions that could not be implemented
Quota for international students in entrance exams
The university has looked into the entrance exam quota with its legal counsel team, but the current legislation does not allow the introduction of a quota.
Development of mentorship activities
Mentoring will be developed as part of the university’s normal activities, but it is not currently possible to launch new measures.