Until Friday 24 April, students can vote for their representatives on the faculty boards, the Board of Teacher Education, and the Student Parliament. In total, 80 positions are to be filled.
The two elections are held in parallel and together constitute the fourth-largest local election in Agder. Students cast their votes here: https://valg.uia.no/
“With just over a week remaining before the polls close, we are working to mobilise as many students as possible. It is important to use your vote. By voting, you not only help decide who will represent the student body – you also take an active part in student democracy. The more students who participate, the stronger the collective voice of UiA’s students becomes,” says Magnus Ellefsen Moen.
Many strong candidates
The student organisation leader explains that interest in student politics at UiA is high. This was also reflected when nominations opened for this year’s positions. Over the course of a few weeks in March, more than 80 students stepped forward to register their interest.
“At several faculties, far more candidates have come forward than there are positions available. This means we have genuine elections for most of the vacant seats. That is very positive and an encouragement to everyone working with student politics at UiA,” he says.
Encouraging students to vote
The challenge now is to ensure that the wider student population actually votes. STA makes no secret of the fact that they would like as many students as possible to use their voting rights. In previous years, turnout at UiA has been around 10 per cent. Magnus Ellefsen Moen hopes to see a significantly higher participation rate this year.
“In these days we are present across the campuses, informing students about the election and encouraging them to vote. We are active on social media, and we are in contact with all programme associations and other student organisations in the hope of getting as many students as possible to take part,” he explains.
Try the election machine
As in previous years, STA has set up its own “election machine”. It is designed both for students who have not yet decided whom to vote for, and for those who want to explore which political issues UiA students are most concerned about (in Norwegian only). Current topics include:
- Yes/no to compulsory attendance in courses
- Alcohol licensing hours in the campus cities
- Use of AI in exam explanations
- Whether UiA should or should not take positions on international conflicts
- Practice placements for all students
- Lower canteen prices at SiA
- More parking spaces for students on campus
“We are very pleased with the machine. It is widely used and has been updated with new and relevant topics for UiA students. I encourage everyone who is curious about what students at UiA are concerned with – and what the candidates think – to try it out. And if you are a student, you can go straight from the machine to the voting page. So log in and vote – now,” says STA leader Magnus Ellefsen Moen.