The students of Switzerland and the Bologna Process

1. 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

2. Structures • The VSS (Union ofStudentsofSwitzerland) 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. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

3. Structures Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

4. 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 Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

5. Legal foundation • Associationofcivillaw. Noobligationtointegratestudents in processesofdecisionmaking. • After 2016: New Law on Higher Education Institutions: • Students „can“ beaskedfortheiropinion • Still nofoundationofany Student Union. Studentsare still no„FULL PARTNERS“! Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

6. Situation in BaselStudentische Körperschaft der Universität Basel (skuba) • Until 2007: Legal foundationas a corporationofpubliclaw in theuniversitylawofthecantonof Basel-City. • 2007: The treatybetweenthecantons Basel-City and Basel-Countrysidecomesintoeffect. Itregulatesthecombinedsponsorshipofbothcantons. • Nomorefoundationoftheskuba in thattreaty. • Through massive pressureofstudents, a foundationoftheskuba in theuniversitystatute was madepossible. Forthisreasontheskubaisdependentofthegoodwilloftheuniversityleadership. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

7. Bologna: „The visions“ and the dangers with Swiss Students view Visions 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“ • Increasing mobility • Quality assurance in higher education institutions • Cooperation of higher education institutions Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

8. Swiss students‘ demands for Bologna I. • Mobility: • Betterinformation • Real possibilitytotransfercredits • Mobility grantsandandwarrantyoftransferabilityofregulargrants. • Reform of Curricula : • Diversifiedcourseoffersareneeded • Noalignmentofhighereducationtoshort-livedeconomicincentives • Flexible waysoflearning (e.g. part time studies) in aidofequityhavetobeavailable • Raisingawarementforthefactthathighernumbersofstudentsneedtobesupportedbyhigherfinancialcontributionsbythepublicauthorities. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

9. Swiss students‘ demands for Bologna II. • Socialdimension: • „Ithastobepossibleforeveryonewhohasthenecessaryintellectualpreconditionsto finish hisstudiesat a highereducationinstitute – independentofsocialbackgoundandsocioeconomicfactors • Betterprofessor-studentratio • A harmonised national grantsystemwhichisoriented on actualexpenses. The socialdimension must befullyintegrated in the Bologna reformanditneedsthenecessaryattention. Just writingofficialstatementalonedoes not solvetheproblems!. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

10. Emergence of the protest movement in Switzerland • Precedentoccupations in Austria and Germany • Global weekofaction: „Education is not forSale“ • Basel: Plan ofusingthecentralauditoriumos a „freespaceofthinking“ foroneday: 11. November 2009 • Decisionoftheassemblyofthefirstevening: theauditoriumshallstayoccupied • Further occupations in Switzerlandfrom 18. November 2009: • Bern • Zürich • Genf • Lausanne Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

11. 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. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

12. 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. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

13. The Union of Students of Switzerland and it‘s Relations to the Manifestations • The movementbuiltitselfindependently. • Support ofthedemands, becauseofsimilaritytotheirown: • Equity • Independence ofuniversityfromeconomicinterests • Protests are an expressionofthedeficientpossibilitiesofstudentparticipation in Switzerland. • Other meanstoreachthecommongoalsshouldbebackedbytheofficialunions. Präsentation VSS - UNES - USU

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