STUDENT. A new report highlights several areas that affect students’ health and safety at work, including the physical work environment, the sense of belonging in their program and the structure of the faculty’s systematic work environment management for students. The report will now form the basis for continued discussions within the faculty.
- You can read the report here (PDF – only available in Swedish): https://guse.sharefile.eu/public/share/web-s0c55a75a08744140a41d2559e7fc1d24
The report has been prepared after the faculty accepted an offer from the Section for Student and Educational Support, Education Unit at the University of Gothenburg, which provided the opportunity to get a current overview of what the work with the students’ health and safety at work looks like and how it works at the faculty. Coordinator Johan Häggman has recently presented the report to the Council of Heads of Department.
Capturing areas of development
Gudmundur Johannsson, Vice Dean of Education, notes that the report is systematic. It is based on a large number of meetings with teachers, students, program managers, education committees and the Education Council at Sahlgrenska Academy.
“The work has managed to identify a number of areas where we can improve, but it also highlights a number of good examples where we can learn from each other. Quite a few areas will be easier to work on and quite a few others will be a longer-term process,” says Gudmundur Johannsson.
Several of the areas identified in the report are close at hand for the faculty to start working on. In terms of structure and organization, it is about how the faculty’s work environment management for students can be more systematic, how teachers can be supported, how scheduling of classes can be improved and also to provide more clear information to students about where to turn. For the students who start studying at Sahlgrenska Academy, the programs need to establish a sense of belonging, and offer a good reception and introduction. The physical work environment is also a continuing issue for the faculty, where both study places and teaching facilities may need further review.
An important stepping stone
Oscar Bresin, President of the Student Union SAKS, points out that much of what the report highlights are aspects that the Student Union is already aware of. Nevertheless, he sees the report as an important tool:
“We at the Student Union are extremely grateful for the work that has gone into compiling this report. Even if it is of a general nature and lacks clear and concrete measures, we believe that it can be a good and important stepping stone for proposing measures in the future,” says Oscar Bresin.
On March 5, the Student Union SAKS will have its annual program during the Education Council, where the union sets most of the agenda. They will use the report by Johan Häggman as a starting point.
BY: ELIN LINDSTRÖM
