Association guide

Tt

Tal-vi

Joulukuu • AYY:n tilakähmyt • AYY:n yhdistyskoulutus Tammikuu • Hallituksen järjestäytymiskokous • Nimenkirjoittajien muutos PRH:een • Tilinkäyttöoikeuksien siirto • Yhdistystilojen avainten hallinnan siirto

Kk

Ke-vät

Maaliskuu • AYY:n yhdistysilmoitus ja toiminta-avustusten haku Toukokuu • AYY:n tilakähmyt

Ke-sä

Muista lomailla!

Ss

Syk-sy

Syyskuu • AYY:n kampuskarkelot: yhdistykset esittäytyvät!

• Uusille opiskelijoille suunnattu tapahtuma Marraskuu • Yhdistyksen vaalikokous

Editors Joonas Jylh채, Henna Mattila, Otto Palonen Writers Tiina Metso (arkistointi), Hanna Sauli (kansainv채liset opiskelijat yhdistyksiss채), Voitto Kangas (tapahtumien markkinointi)

Layout Juho Nyk채nen Place of print Redfina Oy, Espoo 2012

AALTO UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION

GUIDE FOR ASSOCIATIONS Place your photo here

This guide belongs to (name here)

Table of Contents Foreword 11 Student Union’s organisational sector 12 Establishment of a new association 13 Schedule for the establishment of a new association 13 Drafting of rules 13 Inauguration meeting of the association 14 Charter 14 Second meeting 14 Adding the association to the Student Union’s association list 15 Association list and registers 15 Registration of associations 15 What is a registered association? 15 How to register an association? 16 What happens after registration? 17 Registration of an association which has acted unregistered for a long period of time 17 Association rules 18 Reform and amendment of the rules 18 Student Union’s rule committee 19 Responsibilities of association members 20 Position of the board 20 Duties of the board 20 Planning, organising and reporting of operations 20 Decision making and implementation 21 Attending to finances 21 Approval and resignation of members 22 Authority to sign and representation 22 Association register notifications and permit issues 23 Contracts, donations and legal action 23 Duties imposed by association rules 23 Duties not included in the board’s responsibility 23 The board’s responsibility 24 Obligations set by AYY 24 Filling out the association notice 26

Grants provided by the Student Union 26 Operating grant 26 Project grant 27 Start-up grant 27 Support for communications 28 Association profile of the student union website 28 Student Union’s association and weekly newsletter 28 E-mail lists 29 Social media 29 Academic year calendar 30 Student media 30 Event marketing 31 Electronic communications 31 Printed communications 32 Hilarious pranks 33 This is how it works 35 Crisis communications 35 Serious illness or accident 35 Violence and suicide threats 36 Exhaustion 36 Depression 36 Bullying 37 Loneliness 37 Substance abuse 37 IT Services 38 Otax server 38 E-mail lists 38 Domains 38 Facilities provided by the Student Union 39 Club and storage facilities 39 One-time rental facilities 39 Advance booking event of facilities 39 Keys and payment of rent 40 Use of facilities 40 Van 40

Training and courses for associations 41 International students in associations 41 Basic activities also interest the international students 42 Person in charge of international affairs for every association 42 How to reach international students? 43 Filing 44 Photos as part of archives 45 The student union archives provide help 46 Literature 47 Appendix 47 Model charter 47

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Foreword

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ou are holding the guide for the associations of Aalto University Student Union (AYY). In this guide, you will find almost everything that associations operating under AYY need for the support and security of their activities.

There are nearly two hundred active associations operating under AYY, which make our community very diverse. Each association does valuable work, whether it is something that maintains cultural heritage, develops professional skills, gets students to exercise or spreads good vibes. It is important that students get to know like-minded people along with their studies, develop themselves diversely and find new friends also outside their study field.

The purpose of this concise information package is to help you survive in your responsible duty as the current or future association member. Please go through this package carefully at the beginning of your term in order to avoid major surprises along the way. The guide includes basic information for associations from AYY’s viewpoint. In addition, we also recommend that association members read more about the Associations Act and meeting technique, for example.

It is advisable to return to this guide occasionally in the middle of the association’s daily routines and check that you remember these issues and have implemented everything correctly. We recommend that you browse through this guide during the year, or at least the association actor’s annual schedule inside the cover of this guide (Chapter X), which includes all of the most important issues during the calendar year of association members.

This guide was drafted by AYY’s organisational sector. The organisational sector is an organ which you should contact if, and when, you have any questions about association activities. We are glad to assist you and guide you to find answers. Updated information is available on AYY’s website at www.ayy.fi.

We hope you enjoy reading this guide!

Aalto University Student Union’s Organisational Sector 10

Student Union’s organisational sector

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The Student Union’s organisational sector is a body which purpose is to help and support the activities of associations and communities which operate under the Student Union. In most years, one board member in charge of organisational affairs and two employees responsible for various matters within the sector operate in the organisational sector. Together with the organisational sector, they decide on proposals related to various operating grants, based on which the Student Union Board makes final decisions. The sector is also responsible for association training, communications and the development of organisational activities. The entire organisational sector can be reached conveniently at one address: jarjestoasiat@ayy.fi.

The board member in charge acts as a link between the board and the organisational sector and most often presents the affairs of the organisational sector to the Board and, if necessary, to the Student Union’s Representative Council. The person in charge also complies with the board programme and seeks to ensure that various targets set for the Board are met.

Employees in the organisational sector are in charge of communications directed to associations, planning of association training and general advising of associations. Together with the board member in charge, employees annually participate in the allocation of operating grants and they also decide on project grants. The employees also prepare issues related to the operating grant application and participate in the rule committee meetings where association rules are discussed.

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Establishment of a new association

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wide range of approximately 200 associations operate under AYY. However, if the current association list does not have anything suitable for you, you can always create a new association! When founding an association, you should contact the organisational sector right at the beginning of the process.

Both old and new associations must operate in accordance with their rules and manage their finances carefully. Associations must also comply with the Finnish law and public policy.

The Student Union encourages similar associations under Aalto University to cooperate with each other. Coalitions are also encouraged if they are considered purposeful for operations. For this reason alone, it is advisable to check whether a similar association already exists before the establishment of a new association.

A similar association may have existed earlier and its operations may be reestablished. Further information is available from the organisational sector.

Schedule for the establishment of a new association The establishment of new associations is carried out more or less like this:

Firstly, a proposal for association rules is written and an inaugural meeting is convened (more detailed information about the inaugural meeting later).

Secondly, the inaugural meeting of a new association is organised.

Thirdly, a second meeting is held where the rules are approved for the second time.

Fourthly, the minutes, charter, and informal application for the list of associations are submitted to the Student Union’s organisational sector.

Drafting of rules Association rules must be clear, legible and support association activities as well as possible. Prepared rules should be presented to AYY’s organisational specialist and the rule committee before the inauguration meeting so that they can be commented on in advance.

Association rules should be prepared carefully and preferably be based on AYY’s model rules using the Student Union’s drafting instructions for association rules.

Finally, rules must fulfil the requirements of the association

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guideline drafted by the Representative Council if the association wishes to join AYY’s association list. The above documents are available on the student union website at www.ayy.fi and the appendix section of this guide.

Inauguration meeting of the association An inauguration meeting is a general meeting which aims to involve everyone who is interested. Because of this, the meeting should be marketed as much as possible by taking advantage of the schools’ notice boards, the Student Union’s association and weekly newsletter and the social media. A new association must have at least three members who are over 15 years of age. Associations within AYY must include at least seven AYY members.

A meeting invitation should include at least the time, place and the meeting agenda. The founding meeting must address at least the following: • • • • • •

founding decision, i.e. preparing the charter rules, which should be prepared in advance election of the board election of auditors election of possible officials date of the next meeting

Charter The charter of the association is prepared in the inauguration meeting and includes the following issues: • • • • •

established association date when the association is established persons who join the association persons who joined the association have approved the association rules charter sample, available in the appendix section

Second meeting Before the second meeting, the board must prepare a budget and an action plan for the association, which are covered in the second meeting.

In the second meeting, rules are accepted for the second time and the board may be completed. In addition, the same issues can be addressed as in the previous meeting.

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Adding the association to the Student Union’s association list When all of the above have been carried out appropriately and association meetings have been held, the association must submit an informal application to the association specialist concerning the first register of AYY’s association list as well as copies of founding documents (minutes of meetings, rules, contact information of the board and the charter). The Student Union Board decides whether the association is added to the association list.

Association list and registers AYY’s association list is divided into the first and second register, which are determined by AYY’s association regulation. Associations in the first register have more duties than associations in the second register. In return, associations in the first register have more rights, such as the opportunity to apply for the operating grant and participate in the advance booking of AYY’s one-time rental facilities.

Associations in the first register of AYY’s association list can apply for a special status from the Representative Council. An association with a special status has the right and the responsibility to organise freshman training or similar guidance for new students and send representatives to cooperation forums offered by the Student Union. Special status associations are also entitled to higher operating grants.

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Registration of associations

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n association operating under the Student Union may act as an informal community or as a registered association. A registered association is entered in the association register maintained by the National Board of Patents and Registration (PRH). The name of a registered association is followed by the abbreviation ry.

What is a registered association?

In practice, an association which operates informally is like any group of friends, while a registered association is considered a legal body under the Finnish law, which means that association activities must take the following into account: Members of a registered association are not personally liable for the commitments of the association. If the association is not registered, its members are personally responsible for all operations in case of damage, for example.

A registered association can make agreements such as open a bank account, sign a rental agreement, join an umbrella organisation and so on. In unregistered associations, members who have made agreements are personally liable for any agreements or commitments.

Only a registered association may acquire property, apply for grants or obtain a permission to collect money. In unregistered associations, association members may apply for grants or own property and they are personally responsible for these activities.

In many ways, therefore, the activities of registered associations are more secure than those of unregistered associations. On the other hand, a registered association has more obligations; rule amendments or change of persons who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association should always be reported to PRH, which costs money.

How to register an association?

Registration means that an association is entered into PRH’s register of associations. The register of associations is public and contains information on all registered associations in Finland. Anyone can receive information from the register.You can find out whether an association is registered, who is the chairperson of the association or who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association.

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Registration is made with a form called a basic notification. Forms and instructions are available from the register of associations, your local registry office or in an electronic form on the website of the National Board of Patents and Registration at www.prh.fi. Filling out the basic notification electronically costs 75 euro.

Registration requires a charter and rules. In addition, associations have to provide information on statutory persons who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association (contact details of persons who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association in accordance with the association rules), ask for their contact information in advance.

After submitting the form, PRH reviews the association rules to ensure that the purpose and function of the established association are in accordance with law and public policy. If corrections are required, a request for correction is submitted to the contact person provided in the basic notification form. In this case, rules should be corrected for the commented parts and resubmitted to PRH in accordance with instructions provided with a request for correction.

The association will be notified when the rules are approved in PRH. After an approved decision by PRH, the association may use the abbreviation ry in its name and the rights of a registered association will begin immediately.

What happens after registration?

A registered association must notify PRH about amendments concerning rules or persons who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association. The amendment notice is subject to a charge. The amendment notice can be made electronically at www.prh.fi.

In practice, persons authorised to sign on behalf of the association change every time when the board members of the association change, as in most association rules one or several board members are the persons who are authorised to sign on behalf of the association.

If the association makes any amendments to rules, the rules must first be accepted in accordance with the association rules (usually in two consecutive association meetings) and then submitted to PRH for review. All rule amendments must be reported to PRH, as the rule amendments of a registered association enter into force only after PRH has approved amendments. The dissolution of the association must also be reported to PRH, otherwise the association is still

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considered to be active.

If an association is already registered but has forgotten to submit amendment notices in recent years, the latest information should be updated to PRH as soon as possible. In this way, you can guarantee the legality of association activities.

Registration of an association which has acted unregistered for a long period of time Many AYY’s associations have operated unregistered for several years.

Registration of an unregistered association is carried out with the same procedure as described above. If a charter or rules are displaced and cannot be found from the drawers of previous members, the association must be formally re-established.

According to the Associations Act, an unregistered association may not own property. Therefore, if you wish to avoid legal problems (mainly if the association has collected plenty of property or very valuable property when unregistered), it is advisable to formally transfer the property under the name of the association after the registration. Previous members of the association from the period when the property was acquired may donate the property to the association in an association meeting, for example. In this way, the process can be recorded in the minutes and the ownership transition will be recorded for future generations.

Similarly, in accordance with the Associations Act, agreements cannot be made under the name of an unregistered association (rental agreement for storage or club facilities, for example) but agreements are legally under the name of those association members who have signed the agreement. It is advisable to notify the parties involved in the agreement about the registration.

Good to know: registration is not relevant in terms of the association membership. Therefore, the membership right of those persons who have joined the association before the registration will remain the same after the registration.

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Patentti ja rekisterihallitus eli PRH Patentti- ja rekisterihallitus eli lyhyesti PRH on Suomen valtion virasto, joka edistää teknistä, taloudellista ja yhteisöllistä kehitystä. Se muun muassa rekisteröi kaikki uudet yritykset, säätiöt ja yhdistykset ja antaa näille myös neuvontaa.

PRH ylläpitää kaupparekisteriä, yrityskiinnitysrekisteriä, yhdistysrekisteriä ja säätiörekisteriä sekä myöntää patentteja, hyödyllisyysmalleja, mallioikeuksia ja tavaramerkkejä. PRH:n yhdistysrekisteristä tulisi löytyä jokaisen Suomessa rekisteröityneen yhdistykset perustiedot. Tämän vuoksi PRH:lle pitää aina ilmoittaa esimerkiksi sääntömuutokset ja nimenkirjoittajien vaihtuminen (yleensä siis kun hallituksen puheenjohtaja, varapuheenjohtaja tai sihteeri vaihtuu).

Lisätietoja

PRH:sta

löydät

PRH:n

kotisivuilta

osoitteesta

www.prh.fi. Omankin yhdistyksen tilanteen voi vaikka huvin vuok-

si tarkistaa PRH:n yhdistysnetti tietokannasta ilmaiseksi osoitteessa http://yhdistysrekisteri.prh.fi/ryhaku.htx. Mikäli viimeisimmästä rekisteröintipäivämäärästä on jo kulunut pitkä aika, olisi yhdistykset syytä ilmoittaa PRH:lle ainakin tuoreimmat nimenkirjoittajien tiedot.

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Association rules

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very association must have rules. Rules resemble the association’s constitution, and you can always check the purpose and criteria of association operations from the rules. In addition to the Associations Act, the rules of associations under AYY must always include matters required by AYY’s association regulation. Rule provisions must not be contrary to the law.

AYY has model rules drafted for associations, which are very universal. By filling in the missing information in the model regulation with the association’s name, domicile, purpose and practices, the association gets functioning rules which fulfil the requirements of both the Associations Act and the association regulation.

Rules and documents drafted by the Student Union are available on the student union website at www.ayy.fi. The Associations Act can be found at www. finlex.fi.

Reform and amendment of the rules Associations may sometimes need to amend their rules. Members can make an amendment proposal to the board, or the board itself may determine the need for amendments. Practical issues for rule amendments (number of meetings and the required majority vote, etc.) are mentioned in the association rules.

Rules do not generally need to be amended for cosmetic changes. Such changes could include the name of former universities in rules or a reference to auditors instead of operation inspectors. If rules are, however, amended for some other reason, these cosmetic changes can be made at the same time.

When AYY’s associations change their rules, they should contact AYY’s organisational sector already at the preparation stage. AYY’s rule committee helps with rule amendments and ensures that new rules comply with the requirements of the association regulation. If the association has already approved the rules and there are any objections due to the association regulation, the rules must be re-approved in the association meeting or meetings. The same applies to rules already approved by PRH. As a result, money and time are wasted.

You should be prepared that it may take even several months to amend the association rules, particularly in registered associations. Registered associations should submit rule amendments for the review of the National Board of Patents and Registration (PRH).

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How to amend the rules step by step: I Prepare new rules II Contact AYY’s organisational sector which submits rules to the rule committee if necessary III Rules are approved in the association meeting or in two successive meetings if necessary IV New rules are submitted to PRH (registered associations ) V If PRH requires rule amendments, the latest version of the rules is submitted for the information of the organisational sector.

Student Union’s rule committee The duty of the rule committee, which operates under AYY, is to update the student union rules and the rules of procedure when necessary, but also to support associations with rule issues. The organisational specialist acts as the secretary of the rule committee. Information concerning the rule requirements of associations are submitted to the committee through the secretary.

The rule committee helps associations to draft new rules and update previous ones, and ensures that the association rules fulfil the requirements of the association regulation. Rules reviewed by the rule committee are polished in order to pass the sometimes very strict requirements of PRH.

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Responsibilities of association members

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he association board is mainly guided by the law and association rules.

Associations in AYY’s association list also have responsibilities determined by the association regulation.

Position of the board The board must carefully manage association matters in accordance with the law, association rules and the decisions of the association (Associations Act, Section 35.1). Decisions of the association are made in association meetings where members can use their decision-making power (in annual meetings, for example).

Association meetings can make clear detailed decisions, such as decide the amount of the membership fee, or more general policies, such as the approval of the action plan. The board must implement these decisions.

Duties of the board Duties of the board are determined according to the association’s decisions, rules and the Associations Act. The board can attend to its duties or delegate some of its duties. The board cannot delegate duties which are determined in the Associations Act under the decision-making power of the board, such as the approval of new members. The board’s most common duties include the planning and reporting of operations and membership issues.

Planning, organising and reporting of operations In practice, the planning of operations includes at least the preparing of an action plan. Planning of operations should take into consideration the common goal of association activities, which is to take care of interests and affairs of its members in the best possible manner. The action plan not only works as a guideline but it also entitles the board to implement operations decided in the association meeting.You should avoid copying the action plan from the previous years, and really spend time on the planning of operations!

The board should manage all sectors related to association activities. The board can organise its operations and divide responsibility in operational areas between the board members or establish committees to manage or prepare the

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activities of operational sectors. Other active association members can also be members of these committees. Committees are liable to the board.

The board must report about its operations, which refers to the drafting of the annual report. The report should at least include information on major events and evaluation on future development, as well as a clarification on finances and funding. An accountant or an operational inspector should use the report when evaluating the management of association affairs. Based on the annual report, the activities of the association and board are evaluated, and their discharge from liability is decided on. The report must provide an accurate picture of association activities, bring out deficiencies and shortcomings and explain why goals were not reached. The preparing of the annual report is the joint duty of the whole board.

The annual report answers to the following questions: • • • • •

Was the action plan implemented?

Were the objectives reached and were they realistic?

Were there enough resources?

Which matters were successful?

Which matters could be developed?

Decision making and implementation The board should enable actual decision making. In practice, this means that the board convenes association meetings and prepares issues for discussion.

Preparation must be completed so well that decision making is possible. One good way is that the board presents clear decision proposals for the agenda concerning matters under discussion.

The board is liable to implement decisions which are made in association meetings, including decisions which are contrary to what the board has prepared or suggested. If the implementation of decisions is the responsibility of other bodies, the board must supervise that decisions are implemented. This may practically mean that the board supervises the activities of its officials.

The board should also make decisions on matters under its authority. Matters under the board’s decision-making power are determined in the association rules and the Associations Act. In addition, the association’s rules of procedure and regulations may determine the board’s decision-making power.

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Attending to finances The board has the responsibility for budget preparation. A budget is closely related to the membership fee, for which the board has to make a proposal in the association meeting. It should be noted that it is not the purpose of a non-profit association to gain profit, and therefore the association can only engage in those gainful activities which are entered in the rules.

The board decides on the use of association funds in its meetings and these decisions must be recorded in the minutes. If the board engages in investment activities or makes significant purchases of fixed assets, these decisions must be included in the minutes. At least the purpose and the number of decisions must be recorded.

In addition, the board is responsible for accounting in accordance with the law and it should prepare a financial statement and a balance sheet.

Approval and resignation of members If the board approves members in accordance with rules, it has full discretionary power to approve or disapprove the membership of an applicant. The applicant must fulfil the conditions for membership, which are determined in rules. A clear decision must be made every time when a new member is approved and enter the decision in the minutes. The board should also organise the collection of members and pay attention to the protection of personal data collection.

The Associations Act lists the general expulsion grounds of association members, whereas rules can define the terms for membership. The board may expel a member unless otherwise specified in the rules. The board is responsible for the recovery of the membership fee. If a person does not pay membership fees, an expulsion decision must be made.

The board must keep a list of members, which must include at least every member’s name and place of domicile. In accordance with the Personal Data Act, only information that is relevant to association activities may be saved. An association member has access to the list of members and has the right to receive all information concerning oneself in the list. The right to access other members’ information only includes the name and domicile information.

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Authority to sign and representation Providing authority to sign The authority to sign is defined in the association rules. The chair always has the authority to sign unless limited by the rules. A clear decision must be made on providing the authority to sign and record the decision in the minutes.

Responsibility for the association’s interest group relations In accordance with the Associations Act, the board represents the association. The board is responsible for interest group relations which are relevant to association activities.

Association register notifications and permit issues The board of a registered association must ensure that amendment notifications concerning rule changes or Changes of the chair or persons with the authority to sign, which are required by the association register, are reported to the National Board of Patents and Registration (PRH). The chair must also notify about the change of the association’s address.

The board is responsible for applying for various permissions from the authorities, such as event permits.

Contracts, donations and legal action It is the board’s duty to sign various contracts and take legal action on behalf of the association, which means preparing contracts and negotiating about their contents with the other party. The board’s opportunity to make decisions depend on rules and the nature and significance of actions. The association meeting may have the decision-making authority in case of a loan which is too much for the association’s financial situation, for example.

The board also makes decisions on small donations and other transfer activities. The board of a smaller and financially poorer association can make smaller donations than the board of a more affluent association.

Duties imposed by association rules The board must implement the duties of the board listed in the rules. Rules may include services which the association provides to its members. The board is also responsible for producing these services.

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Duties not included in the board’s responsibility The board may NOT perform the following duties which are the responsibility of the association: • amendment of rules • transfer or mortgaging of property • handing over other property which is significant for the association • deciding on voting and election rules • election or expulsion of the board or its members • election or expulsion of an auditor or operation inspector • confirmation of the financial statement • discharge from liability • dissolution of the association Association rules may, however, determine that the board may decide on the selling, exchanging or mortgaging of property.

The board’s responsibility The board is responsible for its actions. This consists of liability and criminal, parliamentary and moral responsibility. Duty of care requires that the board or board members do not neglect their duties determined by rules or regulations.

Liability for damage may occur if a person has intentionally or carelessly caused damage. Liability for damage requires that the association meeting decides to file a suit in court. A person who has participated in decision making or its implementation is liable. Liability for damage may also occur if the monitoring or inspection responsibility is neglected.

It is rare that board members have criminal liability. Criminal liability may occur if the security of the association property is violated, other rights of the association are violated, or a member suffers damage due to the neglect of duties.

Parliamentary liability is closely related to the association’s trust in the board.

Members have showed confidence in those who they have elected to represent them in the board. Parliamentary responsibility refers to the retention of confidence. The board and its individual members can only be expelled due to the lack of confidence during the term.

Moral liability means, for example, information about member’ rights, responsibilities and benefits, and familiarising themselves with rules, instructions and guidelines, which have effect on operations.

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Notes: Discharge from liability only removes the responsibility in relation to an association. Compensation may be requested based on information which was unknown when granting the discharge.

Obligations set by AYY Association notice AYY’s association regulation obliges associations to submit an association notice annually. The association notice is submitted with the operating grant application or separately if the association does not apply for the grant.

Association rules AYY’s association regulation determines that associations in the first register cannot limit in their rules the student union member’s opportunity to become a voting member.

Rule amendments must be reported immediately If the association amends its rules, rule amendments must be reported immediately to the specialist in charge of organisational affairs, so that AYY’s board can review the association’s eligibility for the association list.

Membership register The association board must keep the list of association members, which must include at least each member’s full name, domicile and information on whether the person is AYY’s member or not.

Transfer of assets after the dissolution of associations AYY’s association guideline determines that after their dissolution or termination, associations in the first register must transfer their assets to the student union or other organisation close to the student union for activities which are similar to the purpose of the association. If this is not possible, assets should be transferred to support the student union activities.

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Filling out the association notice

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ssociations in the association list must submit an association notice annually by the end of March. A more specific schedule on submitting the association notice is available on AYY’s website and the association newsletter at the beginning of the year.

The association should reserve time for filling out the notice. The association notice must include at least the association’s list of officers, informal annual report, action plan, valid rules and the board’s direct e-mail address. Associations in the first register of the association list may apply for the operating grant. The operating grant application is filled out in connection with the association notice.

Associations, which apply for the operating grant, must also submit their financial statement, budget and information on the number of association members with their application.

If the association does not submit the association notice by the deadline in two consecutive years, the board may remove the association from the association list.

Grants provided by the Student Union

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ssociations can apply for funding from the Student Union in order to finance their activities and organise various projects and events. Funding may be applied in the form of the operating grants in the spring, and project grants may be applied for throughout the year. In addition to grants, associations may apply for the start-up grant to establish their activities.

Operating grant AYY has divided the associations under the Student Union into two different categories which are called the first and the second register. Associations in the first register may apply for the operating grant from the Student Union once a year, usually in March.

A special scoring model is used in the allocation of the operating grants and the associations can read about the system on the Student Union’s website.

The size of the association, number and diversity of activities and responsible operations have effect on the scoring. Special status associations are entitled to higher operating grants which are needed for their responsibilities. Decisions on the number of operating grants are annually made by the Student Union Board

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based on the proposals of AYY’s organisational sector.

In connection with the operating grants, associations may also apply for the increased operating grant, if the association has an exceptional event or project during the year, such as anniversaries every tenth year. Allocation criteria for the increased operating grant is similar to the criteria of the project grant.

Project grant While the operating grant is only applied for once a year in the spring, associations can apply for project grants from the Student Union throughout the year. The Student Union allocates project grants during the academic year for activities that take place outside regular association activities. Project grants are mainly granted for one-time projects or events that are not arranged every year.

Project grants may be applied from the Student Union’s organisational sector throughout the year. However, you should take into account that if the association is already aware of the project when applying for the operating grant, the applications should be combined and the association should apply for the increased operating grant. Like with other grants, final decisions on projects are made by the Student Union Board based on the proposal of the organisational sector.

Start-up grant The Student Union also offers financial support for new associations established during the year in the form of the start-up grant. The start-up grant is intended for the establishment of the activities of a new association, such as the registration fees of the National Board of Patents and Registration. As with other grants, the final decision on the allocation of the start-up grant is made by the Student Union Board on the proposal of the organisational sector.

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TTE-rahasto Aalto-yliopiston ylioppilaskunta jakaa itse rahoitusta yhdistyksille kerran vuodessa, mutta sen omistama TTE-rahasto (teekkaritoiminnan edistämisrahasto) jakaa rahoitusta pitkin vuotta kaikenlaiseen ylioppilaskunnan piirissä tapahtuvaan toimintaan. Vuonna 2006 perustettu rahasto antaa nimestään huolimatta tukea kaikille Aaltolaisille sekä ylioppilaskunnan läheisyydessä toimiville yhdistyksille ja yhteisöille.

Rahaston tavoitteena on tukea ja aktivoida opiskelijatoimintaa Aaltoyhteisössä sen kaikissa muodoissa. Mitä useampi aaltolainen pystyy projektiin osallistumaan tai sen tuotoksista nauttimaan, sen parempi. Erityisesti rahasto arvostaa projekteja, jotka kannustavat ihmisiä toimimaan ja tekemään yhdessä asioita uuden luomiseksi. Koska Aalto-yliopiston ja sen opiskelijoiden arvostus riippuu myös julkisesta näkyvyydestä, rahasto kannustaa aktiiviseen viestintään sekä Aalto-yhteisössä että sen ulkopuolella.

Lisätietoja rahastosta voit lukea rahaston kotisivuilta osoitteessa tter.ayy.fi.

Support for communications

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t is easier for associations and communities under the Student Union to reach as many Aalto community members as possible. Below we present a comprehensive list concerning various tools and channels, which associations can utilise in their own communications.

The Student Union’s organisational sector always offers help for associations in communications matters at jarjestoasiat@ayy.fi. More detailed information for communications for international students is provided in this guide’s section ”International students in associations”.

When communicating through AYY’s channels, you should take into account that AYY is trilingual. Newsletters and information must therefore be available in Finnish, Swedish and English.

Association profile of the student union website The Student Union’s most important communications channel is the website at www.ayy.fi. The website also offers associations the opportunity to receive visibility through the association profile. Associations, which have created the association profile, are visible in the ”Random Association” box on ayy.fi frontpage and the listings of the associations section. In addition, associations can create events for ayy.fi event calendar through the association profile. Basic details must also be available in Swedish and English! If the association needs help, please get in touch with AYY’s organisational sector.

You need a user name for ayy.fi in order to create the association profile. All associations in the association list have received user names. If you have lost your user name, you can request it at jarjestoasiat@ayy.fiwebmaster@ayy.fi.

Student Union’s association and weekly newsletter In addition to the website, the cornerstones of the Student Union’s communications are the weekly e-mail newsletters: AYY’s weekly newsletter aimed at all members and AYY’s association newsletter aimed at AYY’s communities and associations.

The weekly newsletter is always published on Mondays and reaches over 10,000 students, which is well over half of Aalto members. The number of the e-mail newsletter subscribers increases constantly. The weekly newsletter collects one week’s events which interest students and are organised within the Student

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Union and the University. It is advisable that associations also tell about different opportunities which concern all Aalto members through the weekly newsletter.

More detailed user information of the weekly newsletter is available at www.ayy. fi/viikkotiedote.

Association newsletter is published every Friday, which reaches almost all associations and communities operating under the Student Union. The newsletter gathers official information aimed at associations and information concerning interesting events, trainings and recreational activities to be forwarded by associations. Just like with the weekly newsletter, the Student Union hopes to receive plenty of information for the association newsletter from the associations themselves. More detailed user information of the association newsletter is available at www.ayy.fi/yhdistystiedote.

Both the weekly newsletter and the association newsletter are translated into Swedish and English, so trilingual communications through these channels is particularly easy. It is advisable to utilise these translations in the association’s own communications!

E-mail lists AYY has three e-mail lists aimed at associations. These lists can also be utilised by the associations.

Associations list reaches all the association boards or persons in charge of communications in associations in AYY’s association list. On Fridays, the association newsletter and any current and urgent newsletters aimed at AYY’s associations are sent to the list. Advertising in the association newsletter is described above.You can join the list at http://list.ayy.fi/mailman/listinfo/ yhdistykset.

Erityiset list (erityiset@list.ayy.fi) reaches the boards and persons in charge of communications in AYY’s special status associations. The list is moderated by the organisational sector.

Killat list (killat@list.ayy.fi) reaches the boards of engineering student guilds.

The list can be used for forwarding messages concerning engineering students.

The list is moderated by the organisational sector.

Social media AYY is also strongly present in the social media and is happy to provide this

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channel for the use of associations. The Student Union is presented on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare,YouTube and Flickr, among other things.

The most important social media channel for the Student Union is Facebook, which is used for communications on a daily basis. AYY’s Facebook site can be found at www.facebook.com/ylioppilaskunta. International AYY site is also on Facebook, which is aimed specifically for international communications of the Student Union. On Aalto Events & Culture site, we collect all major events and information concerning AYY and its associations.

Academic year calendar Every autumn, the Student Union publishes the Student Union’s official calendar which is distributed to all members for free.

Associations have the opportunity to submit the dates of their important events for the calendar. A general principle is that an event must be adequately significant and concern a large part of Aalto members in order to be published in the calendar. The Student Union starts preparing the calendar in the spring and the Student Union’s communications officer is responsible for its publication (tiedottaja@ayy.fi). The schedule for the submitting of events is announced in the spring.

Student media The Student Union has two media: the student magazine Aino and the student media Aate. They operate on the principles of free media and should be contacted directly if the association wants to advertise their events or projects.

It is particularly recommended to participate in the making of Aino and Aate.

You can reach Aino’s editorial staff at ainolehti@ayy.fi and Aate at aate-toimitus@ ayy.fi. Further information is also available on their websites at www.ainolehti.fi and www.aatemedia.fi.

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Event marketing

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n incredible number of events is organised within the Student Union, but there may be difficulties with communications. These instructions will help associations to reach Aalto members.

Electronic communications Event calendars Calendars are everywhere. For event organising, only 2-3 chapters are needed, depending on the desired target group.You should start from the calendar of the association closest to your target group and, at the same time, add the event to AYY’s electronic calendar by using the association profile. Events are forwarded to the calendars of teekkari guilds usually through the association newsletter or e-mail lists if the event is open to all Aalto members.You can reach economics students by adding the event address to the event calendar of kyweb, after which KY’s communications officer accepts the event.

It is advisable to prepare calendar entries 3-4 weeks before the event. Aalto is becoming more international, so make sure that event information is also available in English!

E-mail AYY sends a weekly newsletter to its members every week. If the event is in AYY’s calendar, it will automatically be included in the newsletter. If you have other information concerning the event, please write a brief summary and send it to AYY’s communications officer (tiedottaja@ayy.fi).

You should also consider which associations you would like to participate in the event and send direct e-mail to them. Invitations are noticed better than ”requests to inform members”. If you wish to reach all special status associations or guilds, you should utilise AYY’s erityiset or killat e-mail lists.

Social media Calendars, e-mail lists and messages are static. A person uses many hours of the day using different media and the majority of the time is nowadays used on Facebook. It includes almost all the important opinion leaders and activates people to participate in events. If you get your event to spread on Facebook, successful communications are guaranteed!

On Facebook, it is important to consider which means to use for marketing.

Your own personal profile is rarely sufficient for a publishing platform.You should

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use groups (where you can automatically invite all group members) or pages (when event information is visible on the wall of everyone who likes the page).

Recommended Facebook groups and pages are AYY’s page Aalto Events & Culture, pages of all guilds, art students’ culture mascot Sheryl Tokyo and KYkulttuurikanava group.

As a general rule, all events should be created between 9pm–12noon, which is the peak hour of Facebook. The first 2–4 days from the creation of the event are usually enough to evaluate what kind of audience the event will get.

Website The Student Union makes websites for major events. May Day events, for example, are available at www.wappu.fi.You should consider if a website is a good additional investment in communications. Websites allow interesting content production, such as blogs, information about event schedules and a channel for all graphic material, such as photos from the previous year’s events. The longer the guests stay on the channel, the better the website works! Therefore, you should invest in the content of the website and make communications more addictive.

Videos Funny advertisement videos create enthusiasm and inform about the event. In addition, they can be used with other communications if they are linked as part of a Facebook event, website or calendar entries.You can get help for making videos from the student media Aate.

Printed communications Posters Now you have already used the best channels for communications if they have been implemented well. If you want to invest more, you can use print advertising.

The price-benefit relation of the distribution of posters is questionable. However, if you want to do everything for communications, it is another concrete step!

Posters are the basis for creating a graphic image for the event, as they are also suitable for online distribution and you get a good basis for Facebook or websites. Depending on distribution, you will need 50–150 posters. Good locations to distribute posters are: • Halls of residence in Teekkari Village and Helsinki. In these places, notice boards in lobbies and elevators are the best places for advertising.

• Notice boards of Otaniemi school buildings and guild rooms. There are many

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notice boards, so please make sure which ones are intended for the school’s own information and where event posters are welcome.

• The main building of the School of Economics. The building has one large notice board. Other good locations are work halls on the top floor and the doors of the largest IT classrooms.

• Elevator and notice boards of the School of Arts, Design and Architecture. Ads in elevators do not usually stay in place for a long time but they are effective.

You have to look for notice boards in the labyrinthine building, but posters next to Kipsari student restaurant attract the second most attention. Experience shows that attractive posters are the most effective way to reach the arts students.

Table signs Almost every student eats in a student restaurant once a day. It is not difficult to make table signs but they should be ordered from a printing house in order to make them stylish. By making an informative table sign for the event and getting a truckload of them, you can reach a lot of students. However, it takes plenty of effort.

The number of required table signs may easily be underestimated. One restaurant will need more than 15 table signs, and if you distribute plenty of them, you will need over hundred pieces.

Leaflets and stickers By distributing leaflets in events and display stands or handing them to partners, you will get additional visibility. It is possible to include plenty of concrete information in leaflets and it is cheap to make them by yourself.

By ordering event stickers, you can jump in the world of guerrilla marketing.

It is easy to distribute stickers and attach them on items, such as laptops or strange public places. However, you should be careful not to make people angry or damage anyone’s property. If you are over- enthusiastic, you might have to pay for cleaning expenses.

Hilarious pranks Guerrilla marketing requires skills and can really make things happen. Sometimes alternative marketing campaigns may also work. How about having event banners at Alvari Square or pranks related to events? How about having a website link in the form of a riddle on the asphalt or vague tips concerning events on the campus? Again, however, you should be careful with public property and avoid upsetting other people.

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Mass lectures In their first year, new students at the School of Economics spend their time in mass lectures, and it is common to ask lecturers for a permission to have a brief presentation about upcoming events. Lecture marketing has proved to be one of the most efficient ways to activate young economics students.

In the schools of technology, lecture marketing is still less widely used, even though there are many mass lectures.

Lecture attacks can be organised by asking the lecturer for a permission to have 5 minutes before the beginning of a lecture, play a funny event video for the whole audience and leave a lively picture of the event.

Stands It pays off to go among the people.You can reserve a place for a display stand in connection with different check point tours (Otasuunnistus, Mursujaiset, Talvip채iv채, Hullu Jussi, Stadisuunnistus, for example) where your association can tell about your event to other students.

You can also ask for a permission from departments to have a presentation stand in public passages. These are, for example, the former main building of TKK, main building of the School of Economics and the lobby of Taik. The main requirement for the stands is to be attractive, and the most important thing is to leave something concrete to passers-by. By arranging a contest, drawing free tickets or distributing leaflets, you get passers-by to stop and listen more easily to what you have to say. The most important thing is that passers-by will have something concrete from the stand.

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This is how it works Good event After all these hard communications, there is ultimately only one way to ensure the breakthrough of an event; by organising an attractive, well-designed event which meets the demand. This is achieved by trying out something new or using a well-proven concept! A good product is ultimately the only thing that ensures that the message gets through and spreads around.

Linkability Good communications link all channels together. A calendar entry leads to Facebook, from where the event leads to a website. The website has all videos concerning the event and schedules. In this way, people have the opportunity to find more information about the event constantly.

Partners Associations rarely organise events on their own. By inviting check point persons, giving privileges and cooperating with other associations, AYY’s committees or actors, a relation network is created around the event.You should consider how others can participate and include them in the event.

Story and makers Why is the event good? What will happen there? Who will participate? Who will organise it? By creating an interesting story with its makers, and responding to questions which are rarely answered in event communications, you can achieve an interesting and lively experience for those who participate in the event. A good story is discussed, and finally you can notice that a phenomenon has been created.

Crisis communications

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his crisis guideline summarises instructions on how to act in case of accidents.

It is also good to know how to address problems related to relationships, coping and substance abuse. The association boards must be able to discuss these issues confidentially when circumstances so require.

Serious illness or accident It is the nursing staff’s responsibility to contact the relatives of a person who has fallen ill or been in an accident. If an accident occurs in an event organised by an association, for example, it is the association representatives’ duty to organise internal communications and appropriate after care. This should be done in

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cooperation with the student union employees (AYY’s social policy specialist) and the school staff. They should also consider together how to approach the relatives of an injured person. Possible condolences are presented on behalf of the association and/or the Student Union. An important support action after an accident is after care together with professionals. After an incident, you can request discussion help from FSHS or university pastors, for example.

Violence and suicide threats In a dangerous situation, you should not risk your own safety but call for help. A violent situation may afterwards require discussion with everyone involved, and you should ask for help from professionals.

A person who talks about suicide is in a very desperate situation, and suicide talks should not be ignored. The best way to help a person talking about suicide is to listen and guide them to professional help. In such a situation, you can ask for advice from mental health professionals of FSHS.

Exhaustion It is difficult to identify the signs of excessive fatigue, as a person on the edge rarely admits the situation to oneself or others. It is also difficult to intervene in other person’s exhaustion. However, you should discuss with the person in question as soon as the person’s behaviour or well-being begins to worry you.

Associations should also consider what kind of values they wish to promote.

Is a full calendar a reason to be proud of? Associations can emphasise the importance of the students’ coping, so that excess competition and performance would not be idealised.

Nyyti (www.nyyti.fi), for example, has various groups for study-related problems and on-call service operated by volunteers. Discussion support is also available on the crisis line of the Finnish Association for Mental Health or university pastors. Aalto’s study psychologists or the career counselling psychologist of recruitment services can help with study-related problems.

Depression Recognising and admitting one’s depression is difficult. It is even more difficult to detect another person’s depression. However, you should express your concern for a person’s well-being immediately and try to guide the depressed person to professional help (FSHS mental health services). There are instructions and

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recognition tests for various situations and symptoms if you or a person close to you suffers from depression.

Bullying Bullying refers to dismissing of others either verbally or with different gestures. It may also appear as sexual harassment or exclusion from the community.

If you notice bullying in your association, please discuss the issue with a reliable person (AYY’s social policy specialist, AYY’s harassment contact persons).

You should always ask for advice on how to handle the situation, as bullying affects the whole community. An association should also consider how to act in order to prevent similar incidents in the future.

Loneliness The role of older students and tutors, in particular, is very important for being included in the student community. Tutor, international tutor and association activities should invest in the way in which new students are welcomed. An open and interested reception makes new students to join activities. Associations should have an open mind when considering what kind of activities they organise: does everyone dare to join? And if not, why so? By having new students involved in student activities, we can prevent loneliness and more serious problems.

Substance abuse Consumption of alcohol is generally regarded as part of the student culture.

When substances are used heavily, it is difficult to approach the subject. Despite the sensitive nature of the matter, it is advisable to discuss with the substance abuser whether one should get professional help.

FSHS can provide help, but substance abusers can also contact the nearest outpatient care (A-Clinic, for example) where the need for help can be evaluated from the professional point of view.

Preventive substance abuse work includes encouragement for substancefree student culture and lifestyle. This is another aspect that associations should consider seriously: consumption of alcohol is a part of many students’ daily life and association events. However, associations should organise events with a genuine opportunity to have fun without booze.

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IT Services

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he Student Union offers a wide range of IT services for associations. Some of the services are available on ayy.fi site, some on other servers. In addition to AYY’s organisational sector, IT sector helps the associations in IT matters at tietotekniikka@ayy.fi.

Otax server Otax is the Student Union’s own server which has long traditions. Currently, Otax provides user names and web space mainly for associations. In the Student Union’s Otax server, associations can use website space supported by PHP and MySQL. For security reasons, Otax has quite strict settings, but most of php applications (CMS, blogs, wiki) function well in Otax. An annually reported administrator is required for Otax user names. Web applications which run under Otax should be kept up to date. Further information on Otax is available at www.ayy.fi/wwwpalvelut-otaxilla.

E-mail lists Mailman is a programme designed to facilitate the administration of mailing lists.

All AYY’s mailing lists are located in the Mailman system, and the associations are also offered the opportunity to set up and use the mailing lists of Mailman system.

Each mailing list has an administrator who automatically receives a password to the system from Mailman when creating a list. Mailman lists are administered with a web interface, which helps in the administration of the lists. More information on email lists can be found at www.ayy.fi/mailman-sahköpostilistat.

Domains Associations can also receive their own domain. Domains function with Otax and email lists if necessary. For further information, please contact AYY’s IT services at tietotekniikka@ayy.fi.

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Facilities provided by the Student Union Club and storage facilities The Student Union rents club facilities and storage space for associations operating under AYY. Facilities are rented for a given period, but rental agreements are renewed unless there are serious reasons for not renewing the agreement.

Associations can apply for facilities from the organisational sector throughout the year.

If your association needs club or storage facilities, you should submit a reasoned application to the organisational sector concerning the need for space.

We are looking for new facilities continuously, but there is not enough space for all associations in the current situation. Facilities in use rarely become available and therefore it might take up to several years to receive facilities.

Available or new facilities are always allocated based on urgency, need and user purpose, as the requirements of different associations vary. Facilities are also very different, ranging from half a square metre storage space to larger club facilities with windows.

One-time rental facilities The Student Union also rents facilities for sauna, festive, meeting or sitsi purposes for a day at a time. Associations operating under AYY are entitled to rent facilities at a reduced price. More detailed information on facilities, prices and user times are available at www.ayy.fi. AYY also has a number of facilities which can be rented for free.

Advance booking event of facilities Twice a year, an advance booking event for one-time rental facilities is arranged for associations. In the event, associations can book facilities in advance for six months at a time before the other student union members or third party renters.

These events are usually organised in May and December.

At other times, facilities can be booked at AYY Otaniemi Service Point.You can also check the reservation situation in advance on the student union website www.ayy.fi or by calling Otaniemi Service Point.

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Keys and payment of rent Associations are billed for the use of facilities, but the rent can also be paid in cash when collecting keys for facilities. Keys can be collected from Otaniemi Service Point on the day of booking between 12noon–4pm. For weekend bookings, keys are collected on Friday. Keys are returned to Otaniemi Service Point. When the service point is closed, please return the keys to the mailbox of the service point no later than 12noon on the following day.

Use of facilities When collecting the keys, a check-list is given to the renter, which must be filled in carefully. This will ensure that facilities are in good condition for the next renter.

Check-lists are reviewed by a property assistant who also repairs any damages or shortcomings entered in the list. If the list is not filled in carefully or not filled in at all, this will result in sanctions.

Irresponsible use of facilities also leads to sanctions which range from 50–500 euro. Issues leading to sanctions are, for example: • • • • • •

leaving windows or doors open or unlocked premises not being cleaned secretory products not cleaned up damaging the property complaint about noise inappropriate behaviour

Heating time of the sauna is different from the user time of facilities. Changes and extensions to heating times must be made two weeks before the reservation date.

An hourly rate will be charged for extended heating hours.

Van AYY also rents a van to its members and the associations operating under the Student Union. The van is reserved either in connection with advance booking or at AYY’s Service Point at Otaniemenkaari 11. Further information on the user times and prices is available at www.ayy.fi.

Keys for the van are collected from the service point at the beginning of the booking period, except for the weekend reservations when keys have to be collected by 3pm on Friday. Keys must be returned by 9am on the following day.

An additional fee will be charged for the van or keys if they are returned late. If

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the van return is delayed over 30 minutes, the next renter has the right to book a similar van from any place and bill you for that. The van must either be collected within 30 minutes from the start of the reservation, or the association should report the time when they will collect the van. Otherwise AYY can rent the van again or use it for its own needs.

The driver of the van must be a member of AYY. In case of damage, the deductible amount is 500 euro. The association must report an accident to the service point immediately and fill out a damage report. If the damage is not reported or if the damage is caused by a driver who is not a member of AYY, the deductible amount is doubled.

Training and courses for associations

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he Student Union annually organises association trainings to help new association members at the beginning of their term. Usually, trainings are scheduled around the turn of the year, so that new association members most benefit from them. One training takes place early in the spring when the association members change and the second training in the end of the autumn when members change in many associations.

Trainings usually include concise information on the student union activities and association services, financial matters and meeting technique. Special training is usually also provided on the activities of the association board, as the board members of associations usually take part in trainings.

It is also possible to organise trainings based on the requests of the associations themselves, and therefore associations may submit requests for various trainings to the organisational sector of the Student Union.

International students in associations In addition to Finnish students, a growing number of international students study at Aalto. Already over one tenth of Aalto students are international: there are approximately 950 international degree students and approximately 650 exchange students. A few of them know Finnish but the vast majority of them speak English.

When taking into account the international students, the most important aspect is to provide English communications and events where participation does not require Finnish skills.

It is important that international students get involved in association and

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recreational activities as they are one of the best ways to get involved in the student community and make Finnish friends. On the other hand, Finnish students can also develop their language skills and international expertise when acting with international students. International students are usually very interested to get acquainted with the Finns but might not feel welcome in association activities if the activities are not directly promoted to them in English.

Basic activities also interest the international students When planning activities for international students, the best way is to involve them in the association’s normal activities that are aimed at the Finns, rather than isolating international students to their own activities. International students also have their own organisations and events, which have their own essential role, but especially the degree students are here for a long time and want to feel that they are part of the Finnish society. Many of them have the same interests as the Finns, such as music, sports, student politics, corporate visits, or guild and subject organisation activities.

For the comfortability of international students, the most important matter is that other association members speak English when international students are present, unless the international students specifically want to practise Finnish. In addition, it is also recommended to note some cultural differences. The Finns’ relationship with alcohol and nudity differs from a number of other cultures.

Therefore, it is advisable to organise events where drinking is not the main issue, and have separate shifts for men and women in sauna evenings. The best way to find out how to take cultural differences into account is to ask the international students themselves.

Person in charge of international affairs for every association The best way to take the international students into account in association activities is to appoint a person in charge of international affairs. The person in charge is a board member or an active member whose duty is to take into account the international students’ perspective in all matters and to remind about it if necessary. The person in charge ensures that an association informs about its activities and events in English and makes sure that students who do not know Finnish are not isolated in the association events. The person in charge of international affairs welcomes international students, tells them how to participate

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in activities and looks after them.

However, the purpose is not that the person in charge of international affairs is solely responsible for international members of the association, but the person in charge should organise international affairs. In order to achieve an effective outcome, other association members should take international students and the use of English into account in their own activities.

How to reach international students?

AYY’s weekly newsletter AYY’s translators translate the entire weekly newsletter into Swedish and English.

Texts can be submitted to the communications officer (tiedottaja@ayy.fi) in Finnish or English. Only texts that are submitted in English will be included in other language versions. The English weekly newsletter is sent to the international students’ lists on Monday or Tuesday when the translation is ready. Texts should be sent by 10am on Fridays. They should be as short as possible, preferably only a few lines.

Facebook On Facebook site International AYY you can advertise in English any events or issues which might interest the international students.

Mailing lists of international students • exchange@list.ayy.fi (reaches hundreds of exchange students) • int-degree@list.ayy.fi (reaches hundreds of degree students) AYY’s international affairs specialist moderates the lists. Please send your message directly to the list address. Messages are forwarded to recipients as soon as the moderator has approved them.You cannot send attachments to the list.

AYY’s weekly newsletter is sent to these lists on Mondays or Tuesdays as soon as the translation is ready. It is usually best to include event information in the weekly newsletter in order to avoid spam on the list.

Anyone can follow the lists by subscribing at: http://list.ayy.fi/mailman/listinfo/exchange http://list.ayy.fi/mailman/listinfo/int-degree

Ayy.fi Associations must also create an English version of AYY.fi profile! At least basic information, such as the contact details of the association, should be available on each association’s English profile page on AYY.fi.

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Association’s own communications The association website and Facebook groups should include in English at least the basic information of the association, contact details of the person in charge of international affairs and information on how to get involved in activities.

If it is too difficult to write frequently changing sections on the website or daily e-mails in English, you should at least include bilingual titles. In this way, international students know the topic being discussed and it is much easier for them to ask for further information or use Google Translate.

Assistance in international affairs Advice and support in international affairs are provided by the Student Union’s international affairs specialist and the board member in charge of international affairs. They both can be reached by email at international(at)ayy.fi.

AYY’s international sector promotes Aalto’s internationalisation from a student’s perspective and acts as the interest representative of international students. That is why we aim to make every effort to facilitate the international students’ full access to the student community activities and we are glad to give advice on how to reach the international students, for example.

Filing

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ust a few years ago, a student organisation’s memory was said to last for five years. Today, the mantra has changed to three years and the most pessimistic ones say that organisations have no memory. Because of this, recording and filing of association activities is important for the future.

The Associations Act only requires that the minutes of association meetings are filed, which are most likely stored well into the future. In addition, associations should comply with the regulations of the Accounting Act concerning financial material. A large part of association activities may remain in the dark because organisations are not required to save less formal documentation.

In general, the strictest definition of filing only refers to the conservation of paper. However, if you only use paper, it leaves out much of colours and shades of the recording of the time period. Filing at its best may also include items, for example. A good principle is that an association has a document archive, which includes minutes, financial affairs, annual reports and plans as well as different testaments, event organisation documents and paper records of its e-mail list.

In addition to document files, associations should have an item archive, which

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includes printing products, posters, textiles and insignia, for example.

If an association fails to store data, it will be difficult to study the past in the future. Today, and maybe tomorrow, everyone knows what some funny object is, who donated or constructed it and why the association even has it. An item’s connection to people, however, is often lost over time, and after a while, only the item is left without any knowledge of its background.

Having functioning routines is the most important aspect of filing. When filing routines are clear to all association members, you do not have to worry about missing something at the end of the year.You should have a routine of ordering copies for filing when making orders. A good filing number of items and magazines, for example, is 1–3, not too much nor too little. Two copies is a reasoned number, one copy is for filing and the other can be used in exhibitions, for example.

Photos as part of archives A photograph loses its information value and becomes an art object if no one knows who, where, when, why and what happened. Digital photographing of today often produces such an enormous amount of photo material that it is difficult to manage them. Photographing is important, but it is just as important to save photographed material as part of the history of the association. Depending on the importance of the event, it is advisable to limit the number of photos to a manageable size of 10–40 photos.

Photos should be saved as their own package, and include information on the event, photographer, time and location. A very necessary part of the information is to mention persons in the photo. It is advisable to save the photographer’s permission to use the photos – or a prohibition of commercial use.

A simple way is to make a sub-folder annually under each event’s photo file, and store numbered photos, data sheet and the photographer’s information and the permission to use photos. This creates plenty of sub-folders, but at the same time, you will have a manageable collection of images available.

Old photos should be scanned properly once, as each scanning damages a photo – the older the photo, the less it should be processed in order to preserve it. Newer photos from the 1960s–1980s should also be scanned due to fading and other degenerating phenomena.

In the ideal world, all photos should be ordered as long-lasting paper copies and be stored in photo albums. If electronic systems destroy hard files, the past

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can always be saved and reconstructed if you have paper photos. Enlarged old photos are a great way to present your own history on the premises, as the photo always tells more than words.

The student union archives provide help Associations are strongly recommended to utilise the services of the Student Union’s archives: guidance, packaging supplies and storage. The storage format is called depositing – material remains as the property of the association, but filing ensures their proper conservation and encourages associations to arrange their collections. When the ground work is done, future filing is very easy and effortless.

The Student Union’s archives are also happy to receive material for their own collection. Special collecting items include patches, official badges and acknowledgements. Since filing should not be a strain on association finances, AYY’s archives have resources to redeem items.

Items for AYY’s archives can be brought directly to the archives or submitted through the internal mail of the Student Union’s offices. Further information, advice and guidance on filing is available from the Student Union’s archivist at arkisto@ayy.fi.

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Literature Paasolainen, Seppo. 2010.Yhdistyksen hallituksen pelisäännöt.

Yhteistyösopimuksella tuloksiin. Protaito.

Appendix Model charter Charter We, the undersigned, have today established the association called ……….. , we have become members of the association and approved the following rules for the association.

In Espoo, 30 April 2012

Jane Doe

John Doe

Jane Doe

John Doe

E. X. Sample

Ed Cetera

E. X. Sample

Ed Cetera

Toimintaohjeet hätätilanteissa Nämä ohjeet on hyvä laittaa näkyviin, esimerkiksi yhdistystilojen seinälle ja nettisivuille.

I ARVIOI tilanne • mitä on tapahtunut • tarvitaanko apua

Leikkaa tästä seinälle.

II ESTÄ lisäonnettomuudet • pelasta • varoita • lähesty vaarallista kohdetta harkiten III Tee HÄTÄILMOITUS • Yleinen hätänumero 112 • Kun soitat hätänumeroon 112: • kerro mitä on tapahtunut (sairauskohtaus, tapaturma) • kerro tarkka paikka, missä tapaus on sattunut • vastaa sinulle esitettyihin kysymyksiin (potilaan vointi, tarkemmat tiedot, hälyttäjän nimi) • älä sulje puhelinta ennen kuin olet saanut luvan • ota yhteys vahtimestariin, joka hoitaa opastuksen onnettomuuspaikalle • ilmoita avun tulosta ja saamistasi ohjeista IV ENSIAPU • anna hätäensiapu V Kokoontumispaikalle opastus, mikäli rakennus joudutaan tyhjentämään