According to Article 27 of LYY’s bylaws: “For the preparation and implementation of matters, the Board may establish subcommittees and committees, which are further specified in these bylaws or in other regulations of the Student Union.”
Subcommittees
According to Article 16 of the LYY Bylaws’ Rules of Procedure for the Board: “The Board may, at its discretion, establish subcommittees and committees. The Board appoints the chair of the subcommittee. The secretary is a person appointed by the chair of the subcommittee. All members of the Student Union have the right to attend and speak at subcommittee meetings. A subcommittee convenes upon the call of its chair. The Board determines the subcommittee’s area of responsibility. In accordance with Section 28 of the bylaws, the subcommittee’s task is to prepare and implement matters within its area of responsibility in accordance with the Board’s instructions and decisions, as well as within the framework of the action plan.
The committees’ role is thus to serve as forums for discussion and bodies for cooperation between the Student Union, student organizations, and other interested parties. In addition, expert guests may attend subcommittee meetings to discuss relevant topics, or subcommittees may visit locations they find of interest.
The subcommittees are an important part of LYY’s operations, as many of the matters to be implemented are prepared in advance at subcommittee meetings. A subcommittee is usually led by a member of the LYY Board, assisted by a sector-specific LYY staff member. Subcommittee meetings are open to all LYY members. Meetings are announced on our website and social media channels.
Subcommittees can also organize smaller teams to work on specific projects; for example, the Leisure Subcommittee might form a group to assist the LYY Board with organizing a May Day event.
Committees
The Board determines the scope and tasks of each committee. Committees organize themselves as needed. “Committee members, Board members, and, if necessary, other individuals designated by the committee have the right to attend and speak at committee meetings.”
Committee members generally represent various academic and recreational organizations. The LYY Board selects the committee members, and only designated members are notified of committee meetings.
The purpose of the committees is to assist student organizations in areas such as finance, tutoring, or educational policy. If you are interested in becoming a committee member, please contact the board of your own academic student organization.
Other Working Groups
In addition, the LYY Representative Council may appoint various working groups to prepare matters for decision by the LYY Representative Council, such as a strategy working group to draft LYY’s strategy. If you are interested in working groups, follow the Representative Council’s agendas and communications, or contact the members of the Representative Council or its chair: epj@lyy.fi
The Executive Board has set up six committees for the year 2026. More information on the internationality committee from: paasihteeri@lyy.fi or edunvalvonta@lyy.fi.
The Tutoring Committee oversees student tutoring in collaboration with the tutoring coordinators of the student organizations. Members work with the university to develop the tutoring program and make decisions related to tutoring, such as planning marketing for the application process and selecting future tutors. The committee is busiest in the spring, when the selection process and training take place. The committee is usually chaired by LYY’s Board member responsible for tutoring, and its secretary is LYY’s advocacy specialist.
The Study Committee meets approximately once a month during the academic year. The committee deals with issues related to educational policy advocacy, such as matters concerning the completion of studies and vouchers distributed by the university. The committee is usually chaired by LYY’s board member responsible for education policy and secretarial duties are performed by LYY’s Specialist in Student affairs.
The International Affairs Committee, or the International Committee, addresses issues related to the interests of the university’s international students, including tuition fees and housing matters. In addition, the committee promotes the integration of international students into the University of Lapland community and supports opportunities for the university’s students to participate in exchange programs during their studies. The committee members are international affairs representatives from student organizations. Representatives from the university’s internationalization services also occasionally attend the meetings. The committee is typically chaired by the LYY Board member responsible for international affairs, and the LYY advocacy specialist serves as secretary.
The Free Time Committee produces events and organizes a great variety of projects within the Student Union. The committee assembles about once a month and has a different emphasis on each meeting depending on what events or projects are currently in the making. The people who join the Free Time Committee are the students in charge of the culture sector in different student associations and in the student union. The Executive Board appoints the Chair of the Committee. The Secretary of the Committee is the Member Services Employee. The assemblies of the committee are open for everyone to visit.
The Finance Committee deals with matters related to finances, corporate cooperation, and working life, so it includes people involved in the finances of subject and student organizations, such as treasurers and fundraisers, as well as working life representatives. The committee is usually chaired by LYY’s treasurer and its secretary is LYY’s secretary general.
The Responsibility Committee deals with matters such as the environment, climate, and equality. The meeting is usually chaired by LYY’s Board member in charge of sustainability, and a member of the LYY Board serves as secretary.