Student manifesto breaks with a culture of complaining
Far too many students refuse to accept responsibility for creating quality in their education. Instead they let student councils and student organisations criticise politicians and the structure of the universities. At least, that’s the view of two students from AU who now want to shake up to their fellow students.
"The good student’s manifesto." That’s the title of Caroline Lundqvist and Mirlo Vigh’s proclamation to their fellow students all over the country.
The manifesto is inspired by the ongoing debate on the quality of teaching. A debate which really took off in October 2013 after the government appointed the Expert Committee on Quality in Higher Education in Denmark, otherwise known as the Quality Commission. Mirlo Vigh and Caroline Lundqvist’s manifesto is published just under a month before the government's quality committee publishes the second part of its own report.
"You often hear students complaining that the politicians introduce things we don’t agree with or that the teaching is not good enough. But the students also have a responsibility of their own to ensure quality. And you can do a lot of things yourself or locally if you’re willing to make a commitment," says Mirlo.
The two authors of the manifesto are studying information studies and digital design respectively at AU. Both actively take part in committee work on their programmes so they can influence them.
The manifesto contains seven points that the two authors use to describe their idea of a good student. They encourage students to e.g. be curious beyond the syllabus and to dare to seek out and use the teachers more actively.
"Quality is not just having something crammed into your head. Quality occurs in an interaction with the teachers. When we students show commitment, we also receive something in return. And obviously, if you’re well prepared for the classes, you’ll get more out of them," says Caroline.
Not just finger-wagging
The manifesto shouldn’t be confused with a teacher’s wagging finger or a call to even more intensive studying. On the contrary, Mirlo and Caroline break with the idea that students spend too little time on their degree programme. For the good student, academic excellence is also in play outside the auditorium. In the manifesto they write:
“Examples of this might be museum visits, concerts, travel, a discussion over a beer or a cup of coffee, or during a run. Be conscious of when your academic excellence is in play and take every chance you get to make use of your competences and your knowledge."
Of course, this presupposes that you have chosen your degree programme out of interest and not obligation. That is essential for "The good student’s manifesto" and it is therefore item number one, explains Caroline Lundqvist.
Fakta
The National Union of Students in Denmark: All opinions are welcome
Chairman of the National Union of Students in Denmark, Jakob Ruggaard, supports “The good student’s manifesto” as an engaged contribution to the debate on quality. He does not find that people hold back if they disagree with the national union.
"On the contrary, I think there are often letters to the editor and discussions expressing opinions that disagree with those of the National Union of Students. And of course the authors’ manifesto is in itself proof that debate is possible," he says.
Just like the authors of the manifesto, Jakob Ruggaard thinks that the individual student has a large degree of responsibility for his or her own education, but that this does not alter the fact that the political battle is crucial.
"Taking responsibility for your degree programme and discussing with one another how to become good students goes hand in hand with also taking on political responsibility to ensure that the framework we study under does not become worse. Both aspects demonstrate responsibility," he says.
Speak up if you disagree!
"The manifesto is not only an attempt to start a debate about how we study but just as much about how we take part in debates concerning our education," says Mirlo.
They therefore call on all students to make their voice heard and not to leave their own personal responsibility to student organisations, councils and committees.
Both Mirlo and Caroline have at times felt they were not represented by e.g. the National Union of Students in Denmark. They believe that there is a need for many more voices to be heard so the debate on e.g. the study progress reform is more balanced and does not end up with a one-sided presentation on behalf of all students.
"The students who don’t necessarily feel the reform is a problem and who can still manage to balance their studies, those students are not being listened to. You always hear the most indignant voices," says Mirlo.
It is also about breaking with an unfortunate stereotype which is sometimes presented by politicians and the media, adds Caroline.
"Students are often lumped together as people who just moan and say it’s everyone else’s fault that we don’t become smart enough. That can infuriate me because it’s a way in which we are kind of reduced to pupils and not students who take responsibility for their own learning," she says.
Ongoing discussion of what a good student is
Caroline and Mirlo emphasise that they are not in general opposed to the National Union of Students in Denmark. But they call for space for all voices to be heard in the debate, even those that don’t agree with the official organisations.
In the same way, their own proclamation is much more of an input to be debated than an attempt to come up with all the answers.
"We have written the manifesto because we do not feel we have been heard in the discussions and cannot recognise ourselves in the role of victims. But the manifesto should be seen as a dynamic process. It would be great if it generated lots of opinions about what the good student is," says Mirlors.
Translated by Peter Lambourne
"The good student’s manifesto"