Ready, Set, Go!

LAUREAMKO started the new academic year 2010 - 2011 handsomely by representing LAUREAMKO at Laurea's opening of the academic year event at the Finlandia Hall. There were wide range of speakers at the event of which the most memorable was probably Jaakko Heinimäki.Heinimäki spoke about modern work culture and its contrast with the past. In addition to the speakers, headmaster Pentti Rauhala's portrait was unveiled at the event in a festive ceremony.

Autumn and the new academic year brings, once again, a large number of new students to Laurea. This also means that even LAUREAMKOs group stays busy, because in addition to that we have a lot of new members, LAUREAMKO is closely involved in guiding the new students and helping them become accustomed to a new life at Laurea. Tutoring, mentoring, organizing events, etc. chore brings a nice twist to LAUREAMKOs busy everyday life. Although the new students and members take up lots of our time, we will not forget our old members and the services they deserve such as protection of interests or welfare benefits. LAUREAMKO arranges lots of new and old activities during the autumn to suit all tastes.

In addition to our familiar routines, LAUREAMKO takes a major project on recruiting new actives (active = LAUREAMKOs members who are involved in council of representatives, board, local units or in co-operation with LAUREAMKOs activities) during the autumn. New active students are needed at the beginning of the academic year and during it as well. However autumn is the most important time for recruitment because all branches of LAUREAMKO (council of representatives, board, local units) period is the calendar year and the representatives are selected at the end of the year. Recruitment process has already gone into full swing when the council of representatives chose a delegation and a chairperson to the Municipality of the Central Electoral Commission last spring. The Central Electoral Commission organizes the student's internal elections, in which the members can vote on the new council of representatives a.k.a. the group that enjoys the highest power in LAUREAMKO. After the election, the new council  chooses the members of the board and local actors. And as I said, new actives are wanted to the organization each year, and all members (person with a valid student card) may take part in the action!

Even though the council of representatives and board play an important role in LAUREAMKO, the role of local units is at least equal to them or in some measures of even larger. Local units are functioning in each unit of Laurea and act as LAUREAMKOs areal department that carries out protection of interests and welfare activities locally. Local units are the best way to influence the affairs of your own unit. Local units have changed their structure during the current year, which currently has been reflected mainly as a change in the names as the old LAUREAMKOs divisions changed in the spring to autonomous local units. The local units have a lot of work during the autumn when the new structural changes, that are in accordance to the statute, are introduced. The purpose of the restructuring was to improve the functioning of LAUREAMKO better and more workable.

Good and fruitful academic year 2010 - 2011!