social dimension: experiences and policies from switzerland

8/13/2019 Social Dimension: Experiences and Policies from Switzerland

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Social Dimension:

Experiences and Policies from

Switzerland

Conference on Social Dimension

Vilnius, 23rd of January 2014f

Dominik Fitze



Content

• Swiss Higher Education Area

• Access and Affordabilityo Referendum on state grants

• Gender Equality

• Counseling and Advising



VSS-UNES-USU

• Founded in 1920

• 12 member unions

• Representing over 200 000 students inSwitzerland



Swiss Higher Education Area

• Switzerland has four administrative

languages and has universitites working in

three of them

• 10 “Universities”, 2 “Federal Institutes of

Technology”, 9 “Universities of Applied

Sciences” and 18 Colleges of Education

• Almost all owned, financed and overseen bythe cantons (= 26 administrative districts)

• Often very independent



Swiss Higher Education Area

• Tuition fees: Between 2 800 and 11 000

Litas per year, often higher fees for

foreigners

• Standard degree:o Universities: Master

o Universities of Applies Sciences: Bachelor

• Admission usually automatic for holders ofappropriate degrees



Access and Affordability:

Referendum on grants

Constitutional Referendums in Switzerland:

• 100 000 citizens can demand to change

constitution

• Very often used by parties and associations

whose demands are not met by parliament

• Has to be approved by a majority of voters

and a majority of cantons





Goals

• National alignment of the grant-system

• According to interests and aptitudes, everybody should

be able to have access to higher education• Success in universities shouldn't be depending on

socio-economic factors

• public debate on the importance of adequate grants

• push back loans

• stronger position of student politics in general





Demands:

• Formal alignment: nationwide

uniform calculation bases and

conditions• Substantive alignment: Maximum

contributions must meet the

minimum standard of living (~

2,000 francs per month)

The referendum will

probably take place in

Winter 2014/15




Students with financial problems

Reducing / waiving tuition fees:

• Enhancing financial situation of students in

financial struggles

• Financial hardship has to be shown

• Assessment and decision either by

university administration or committee of

university and students representatives





Loans and grants:

• Subsidiary long-term grants (e.g. ETH

Zürich)

• Subsidiary short-term grants & loans (e.g.

University of Bern)

• Short-time loans (e.g. University of Zürich)





Subsidiary long-term loans:

• ETH Zürich grants up to 1000 Francs (2 800

Litas) to its students who do not receive

adequate state grants and support from

parents

• Administered by university agency

• 1-2 % of all students at ETH receive such agrant





Subsidiary short-term grants & loans:

• Local students’ union owns a fund for

students in financial troubles

• Grants & loans of up to 5 000 Francs (14

000 Litas)

• 20-50 recipients each year

• Administered by students’ committee

elected by the students’ council

• Financed through interest from fortune and

contributions from university social fund





Short-term loans:

• As much as needed in case of financial

hardship, e.g. state grants have not been

paid out yet

• Have to be repaid within 6 months



Gender Equality

>50 % of students are female, but only 18%

of professors.

Why?

• Conscious and unconscious discrimination

• Women’s careers are more often obstructed

by academic working conditions

• On aggregate, women have more

reservations towards academic careers



Gender Equality

Policies:

• gender expert in appointment committeeso tackling discrimination in access to the top level

• mentoring programmes for female Master

and PhD studentso enabling women to talk with successful female post-

docs and professors, enabling them to make abetter decision regarding their academic career

• Introducing part-time academic positions

and enhancing child-care

o enabling young parents to pursue an academic



Gender Equality

Horizontal segregation:

• Machine engineering: 10% female students

• Veterinary medicine: 80% female students

>> Choice of field of studies often follows

traditional gender roles and not individual

interests



“I am the 66.8%”

In economy, 66.8% ofthe university

students are male.



“I am the 27.3% - I

am the 72.7%”

Approximately half

of all Swiss higher

education studentsare male.

In sport science,

their share is

72.7%.



Counseling and Advising

● Legal aid

● Financial issues

○ Personal budgeting, financial aid

● Psychological issues

○ Support in stressful situations, learning techniques,

● Students with special needs

○ Individual counseling and making sure they can attend classes

and study successfully

● Course guidance

○ Making sure students have both the resources and




By whom?

• Student-based:

o law students aid other students on legal issues

o students in higher semesters

• University-based:

o Specialised officers

• Independent government agency:

o formally not connected to the university to ensure anonymity

and professional counseling




Legal aid at the University of Bern:

• Officer with MLaw organizes the service and helps with

urgent matters• Officer is paid by an inheritance, otherwise students’

union funds; appointed by students’ union

• Volunteers who study law help with less urgent matters

• Recruited through law students’ association, job board

and personal network

• Students can make an appointment online




Psychological counseling in Bern:

Organized by indepentent government agency

• Z failed in an important exam > monthly appointment

• First, counsellor helps with setting up daily and weekly

learning schedules

• Second, they look into how Z learns. Counsellor sees thatshe learns best with visual stimuli, so Z tries out mindmaps

• Third, Z is afraid of repeating the exam. Counsellor shows

how she is now better prepared and the situation is different




Course guidance:

• Counseling by designated teaching personnel

• Helps with all study-related questions

• Ensures that students have the right understanding of rules and

curricula

• e.g. a student is unsure which classes would best fit her to ensure

the best preparation for her master’s thesis. Assistant looks into all

classes with her and shows her where she could best benefit

• e.g. a student is unsure which classes he has to take to finish his

studies. The professor helps him look into it and, if appropriate,

decides which classes he still has to take



Questions?

Feel free to ask me now, after the conference

or by e-mail:

[email protected]

social dimension: experiences and policies from switzerland

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