Chapter 1 Student finances
1. More than half of all students report that they can not afford to pay all necessary expenses, and most are dependent on a part-time job. StInn believes that having a part-time income should be a choice, not a necessity.
2. StInn supports equal rights and opportunities for education regardless of socio-economic status. Therefore, StInn believes that the principle of free education must be strongly embedded in all higher education sectors.
3. Because of students’ poor finances, they are completely dependent on good support schemes during their studies. StInn therefore believes that all necessary student services and welfare and health services must be available and affordable.
4. Students have fixed monthly expenses all year round, and StInn therefore believes that 12 months of student financial support should be a given.
5. The goal of improving students’ financial conditions depends on both local and national stakeholders. StInn has a special responsibility to raise student finances in arenas where it is important and possible to influence.
6. StInn supports the principle of free higher education. Necessary equipment and learning materials must be covered and not paid for by the student.
Students currently live below the minimum subsistence level. In Norway, the poverty line for a household is defined as NOK 330,520 per year (2020). After receiving full student financial support as a combination of grant and loan, a student gets less than half of what is considered the minimum subsistence level. This is also less than the minimum subsistence rate and economic social assistance in NAV. As a result, 7 out of 10 students have to get a part-time income. The Student Survey 2020 shows that over 58% of students spend on average 12.1 hours a week in paid work just to make ends meet.
Students who spend more time working and less time studying are less likely to complete their studies. Students with low socio-economic status have a lower chance of finishing their studies than students whose parents have high socio-economic status. 6 out of 10 students say they are financially dependent on their parents. According to Statistics Norway, students with parents who have high education and high income receive more financial support than others. More than half of all students receive financial support from home. More basic research from Statistics Norway shows that it is not the economic challenges themselves, but how high the parents’ income is, that determines how much support the student gets. The result is that students’ education and performance become dependent on their socio-economic background. This goes against the principle of equal rights and opportunities for education.
Over several years, StInn has received feedback that students are terminating their housing contracts with the Student Association of Innlandet (SINN) because they can not afford to pay rent during the summer, due to only receiving student support for 11 months. StInn believes that all students should receive financial support for all 12 months of the year.
More than half of all students have their parents as their main financial supporter, according to the SHoT survey. Young, single full-time students with low income are especially likely to receive financial help. StInn believes that student support should be increased to 1.5 G, in addition to being paid out for 12 months.
StInn believes that socio-economic differences within the student population must be reduced. Therefore, StInn believes that 12 months of student financial support must be introduced, and that the level of support must be increased so that students don’t have to live below the minimum subsistence level and be dependent on part-time work and parental support. StInn has a special responsibility to raise this issue in forums where they have the opportunity to influence and to secure better finances and reduce socio-economic differences in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Many students today feel that the equipment grant is not enough to cover the necessary equipment for their studies. StInn believes that necessary equipment required during education must be covered and should not have to be paid for by the students themselves. StInn supports policies that safeguard the principle of free higher education.
1.1 Student finances and national student policy
Since increased student support depends on breakthroughs in national student politics, StInn must use the National Union of Students in Norway (NSO) arena to highlight financial challenges for students and make demands based on these. StInn believes that NSO must actively work for increased student support. StInn has a special responsibility to use its cooperation arenas to push policies linked to student finances in meetings with authorities such as government ministers, the university sector, the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders. StInn believes that the authorities must help reduce the financial burden on students and safeguard the principle of free education.
1.2 Student finances and University of Inland Norway
StInn believes that University of Inland Norway (INN) must actively ensure that students, regardless of their socio-economic status, have equal rights and opportunities to education. The university must provide facilities where students can study, and it must be possible to borrow books for free. Access to internships must not depend on students’ finances. StInn believes that the university must ensure that expenses related to internships are covered.
1.3. Student finances and the Student Association
Students are completely dependent on affordable and varied student services, as well as health and welfare services in the Student Association of Innlandet (SINN). Counseling services must be free and easily accessible. The canteen must offer cheap options so that students can afford a varied and healthy diet. Housing provided by the Student Association must be affordable so that students are able to pay their rent. StInn believes that rent must not be increased without a reasonable cause, and that StInn must be notified well in advance about any changes in rental prices. Flexible rental agreements must be available. StInn believes that the semester fee must not be increased without a reasonable cause, and must always benefit the students. The student associations must not make a profit and build up large equity at the expense of students. SINN must at all times inform StInn about changes in the Student Association that may affect students’ finances.
1.4 Student finances, host municipalities, county council and other stakeholders
Students are dependent on good and affordable welfare and health services in the municipality.
The host municipalities must provide affordable, student-oriented cultural offers. StInn believes that student discounts should be available to all students, regardless of age. StInn believes that host municipalities must actively work to ensure that Innlandstrafikk and other stakeholders offer student discounts on public transport regardless of the students’ age. Free health clinics for all students, and access to psychologists and other support services, must be available in all municipalities. The authorities, host municipalities and business sector have a special responsibility to ensure that students have close contact with industry and working life, so that students are guaranteed jobs during and after completing their education in these same municipalities.
Chapter 2 Student welfare
1. StInn believes it is important to have good and varied welfare and health services in both the Student Association and the host municipalities.
2. Welfare and health services in the Student Association must be knowledge-based and actually meet students’ needs.
3. StInn believes there must be a clear distinction between preventive and treatment-based services. The authorities and host municipalities have a special responsibility to ensure proper healthcare for students. The Student Association must work preventively on student health. The student coordinators must do preventive work among students and help create a variety of low-threshold services.
4. All welfare services must be developed in cooperation with the student democracy. StInn believes that services in the Student Association work better for students when they’re developed together with StInn.
5. It must be easy to engage in student welfare and student activities at all campuses and in all municipalities. The host municipality, the Student Association and the university must facilitate student activities by and for students.
6. StInn believes that all students must have access to student housing at reasonable rental prices. Student housing in the Student Association must be universally designed, innovative, sustainable and arranged in a way that supports students’ psychosocial needs. All student housing must encourage learning and make it easy to study there.
7. Students have a higher risk of developing serious health problems during their studies. StInn believes that all students are entitled to proper healthcare in the municipality and should not face long waiting lists.
8. Many students struggle with serious mental health issues that require assessment and treatment from specialist health services. StInn believes that the authorities and host municipalities must secure more mental health services for students. Counseling services in the Student Association must be available at all campuses.
9. Students have an increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and poor sexual health. StInn believes that good sexual health among students must be safeguarded, and that targeted measures must be developed to achieve this. StInn will work to make sure that using health clinics is free for all students.
10. Students need affordable dental care. StInn believes that good and reasonably priced dental services must be in place for all students. StInn believes that all students should have the opportunity to use the dental health services offered through the dental hygiene education at University of Inland Norway (INN).
11. StInn believes that all canteens and services on campus must offer nutritious and healthy food, and that drinking water must be easily available.
12. StInn believes that the host municipalities, INN, the Student Association of Innlandet (SINN) and other relevant actors must ensure that students have access to good and affordable options for physical activity, both individually and together with other students.
Students are completely dependent on good welfare services. Students score lower on quality of life and have a lower standard of living compared with other groups in the population. They are therefore dependent on broad, good, affordable and, most importantly, easily accessible welfare services both in the Student Association and in the municipality. StInn believes that both new and existing services must be visible and easy for students to find. StInn believes that welfare services must be affordable, knowledge-based, and developed together with students and their needs. The student democracies must be actively involved in developing and expanding welfare services. Welfare and health services must be low-cost so that students with poor finances still have access to important health and welfare offers.
Students have a higher risk of experiencing serious health problems compared to other groups in the population. Still, many students feel that they don’t get the help they need. StInn believes that the authorities and host municipalities must secure proper healthcare for all students. There must be a clear distinction between preventive and treatment-based services. The Student Association must ensure preventive and health-promoting measures aimed at the general student population. The authorities and host municipalities have a special responsibility to ensure proper healthcare for students in the municipality, in line with the Norwegian Directorate of Health’s requirements for professional and caring help. Students who need assessment and treatment in the specialist health services must avoid long waiting lists and must have access to services and support while they are waiting. Because students are a vulnerable group due to low quality of life and weak finances, health-promoting services must be easily accessible and affordable. StInn therefore believes that free health clinics for all students must be secured in every municipality. A healthy diet must be an easy and available option in all canteens, so that students can maintain a healthy lifestyle. StInn understands how important it is to maintain good offers for sexual health and dental health. That’s why StInn will work for free health clinics in all municipalities and secure affordable dental care for all students.
2.1 Student activities and cultural offers
The university and the host municipality must ensure easy access to student activities by and for students. Students want attractive student cities with a diverse cultural scene and a low threshold for getting involved in activities. StInn therefore believes it’s necessary that municipalities and key stakeholders actively facilitate student-oriented cultural and welfare services, as well as active student involvement in developing these. StInn believes that the student societies must have funding and facilities so they can run student activities and good welfare offers for students. The range and format of leisure activities in the student societies must be well anchored in the student body and reflect the needs and practice at each campus. Student activities are important for student wellbeing, and StInn therefore believes that the university and host municipalities must facilitate student-run activities and secure spaces for student activity groups that need this for what they do. StInn believes that participation in student activities must not depend on students’ financial situation. The host municipalities must actively ensure that students have access to cultural and sports offers in the municipality through measures such as student discounts.
2.2 Student housing
StInn believes that the Student Association, the host municipalities and the authorities must all work actively to increase the number of high-quality student housing units. StInn believes that the municipality must make properties available for building student housing, and make it attractive to settle both during and after finishing studies. The Student Association should aim to actively outcompete the private housing market, so that private housing becomes a choice and not a last resort for students. Student housing must be affordable and innovative. There must be options for flexible rental contracts and rent deferral when needed. For this reason, rent levels in today’s student housing must be frozen and gradually reduced over time.
StInn will work to ensure that all students have access to livable student housing with a high standard, environmentally friendly and modern facilities that promote wellbeing and quality of life.
Student housing must encourage learning and be suitable for studying from home.
There must be internet access in all student housing, and SINN must be responsible for making sure that the internet connection is always available. Work on the network must not negatively affect students’ studies, exams or important submissions. Both network work and renovations/upgrades must not disturb or take place during exam periods. Old student housing with low or outdated standards must be upgraded to ensure proper living conditions for students. If the housing still can not meet the required standard after upgrades, new housing must be built. Student housing must be universally designed and both reflect and be adapted to the diversity that the student population is and should be. Student housing must increase psychosocial wellbeing and encourage social interaction among students, while also making it easy for students to withdraw and have privacy when they want to. To make sure student housing meets the required standard and does not harm students’ health, it must at all times comply with the building regulations.
2.3 Student health
2.3.1 Mental health
Students have a higher risk of experiencing serious mental health problems during their studies. Many of them need assessment and treatment from specialist health services. As of today, students receive little help, and the Student Association cannot be responsible for assessing or treating students who need follow-up from specialist health services. Psychologists at SINN can now refer students to specialist health services and the District Psychiatric Centre (DPS), but students often have to wait a long time in these queues. The average waiting time is 1 year. Students with serious health challenges are at higher risk of dropping out of their studies and have a great need for a strong support system.
If students don’t complete their education within the nominal time, one consequence can be financial, in the form of higher student loans. StInn believes that the authorities and host municipalities have a special responsibility here. Students who have medical documentation that they are delayed in their studies must not suffer consequences because of this. StInn will therefore work to remove national sanctions for not completing within the nominal time. StInn believes that welfare and health services must both take care of those who are most unwell and work preventively. StInn therefore believes that SINN and the host municipalities must create and maintain low-threshold services that increase wellbeing, quality of life and health for as many students as possible.
StInn wants welfare and health services to both take care of those who use them and act preventively. StInn therefore believes that SINN and the host municipalities must create and maintain low-threshold services that increase wellbeing, quality of life and health for students.
2.3.2 Sexual health
Good sexual health is a prerequisite for good mental wellbeing. Students are in a group with an increased risk of sexually transmitted diseases and poor sexual health. StInn will work to make it easy for students to get tested, by ensuring a free, easily accessible and anonymous service at all campuses.
Information about sexual health, diseases and contraception must be affordable and easy for students to access. To safeguard students’ sexual health, they are completely dependent on services at health clinics in the municipality. StInn will therefore work to ensure that all host municipalities have a free health clinic that is easily accessible for students.
2.3.3 Dental health
Dental health should be treated as equal to other health services for students. StInn will work to ensure that dental services for students are offered at a realistic and affordable cost that students can actually manage. One possible solution is to use and further facilitate the dental health services at Campus Elverum, and to make sure that the costs linked to this are adapted to students’ finances.
Covering dental health expenses can be difficult for students. StInn therefore believes that the authorities must actively make it possible for students to use dental services without facing financial consequences. StInn will work to remove the “aesthetics principle” and to ensure that dental health services are just as good as other health services.
2.3.4 Physical health and exercise
It’s important that students have the opportunity to be physically active in their daily lives. This must be facilitated through services from the university, the host municipality and local organisations. Ideally, gyms in the host municipalities should have offers specifically adapted to students and their needs. There must be training facilities at all campuses that students can use, and it must be easy to arrange physical activity either alone or together with other students at each study location.
2.4 Nutrition for students
Students’ health and nutrition are important. StInn will require that all campuses have good drinking water easily available, and that the food on offer is nutritious. For hot meals, fish must be offered two to three times a week, and vegetarian food at least once. There must always be a vegetarian and a vegan option. The canteen must take allergens into account so that all students have access to nutritious food. It must be possible to buy fruit and vegetables throughout the canteen’s opening hours. StInn believes that the salad bar should be discounted on days when the hot meals are less healthy.
The host municipalities must work with local businesses to create better student discounts at restaurants, cafés and grocery stores.
Chapter 3 Learning environment policy
1. The learning environment at INN must be innovative, inclusive and health-promoting. StInn therefore believes that the university has a special responsibility to facilitate a good and inclusive psychosocial learning environment that prevents exclusion among all students.
2. All students must feel included in the psychosocial learning environment and feel like part of the academic community. StInn is committed to a diverse student body that is treated equally. All students, regardless of functional ability or special needs, must be able to participate in teaching.
3. StInn believes that all students who are entitled to facilitation must receive it. This facilitation must ensure the same quality of education and learning outcomes as in the ordinary study path.
4. StInn believes that a good physical learning environment depends on modern facilities that support good teaching spaces. The learning environment must ensure satisfactory light and sound conditions, and a safe indoor climate in all teaching rooms, in line with the Universities and University Colleges Act.
5. StInn believes that INN and lecturers must accept illness, death in close family and student political work as valid reasons to postpone deadlines for assignments and other coursework. Other reasons should be assessed case by case by the lecturer.
6. StInn believes that medical documentation is sufficient to determine a student’s need for facilitation, and that INN and the exam office must follow this.
The university is responsible for providing a stimulating and restorative learning environment that supports both learning and rest for students. StInn believes that the learning environment on all campuses and in student housing must promote health and performance, and be adapted to the individual. Students are not a homogeneous group, but a diverse population with different learning potentials and needs. StInn therefore believes that the university must make sure that students, regardless of learning potential or cognitive, physical or mental capacity, can use the university’s physical, digital and learning environment facilities. Students with reduced physical or mental functional ability must be able to use the university’s spaces as part of their learning environment. The learning environment at INN must be varied and stimulate active learning.
3.1 The physical learning environment
All campuses must be adapted to the number of students admitted there, and all group rooms, reading rooms, classrooms and exam venues must be designed for their purpose and be universally accessible for all students.
Campuses must be open around the clock, and there must be access to social meeting places. The university must put emphasis on semester start and buddy schemes as a way of introducing students to both the academic and social environment at the university, and to reduce loneliness and drop-out.
StInn wants ordinary lectures not to be scheduled outside standard working hours. Lectures should not last longer than 4 hours without longer breaks.
All teaching rooms must have updated and functioning technology for light, sound, sufficient power outlets and internet access. StInn believes that INN must ensure facilitation so that all students, regardless of their personal situation, can study at the institution. This must follow the rules for universal design in the institution and in higher education. There must be gender-neutral toilet facilities at all campuses. Indoor climate and humidity in all teaching and common rooms must at all times be properly regulated. The university has a special responsibility to ensure safe and well-adapted operation of buildings and access roads at INN. The university must offer rooms on campus that can be used as quiet rooms/prayer rooms/breastfeeding rooms. StInn believes it’s important that all student facilities are equipped and kept updated so they can handle future challenges.
All lecturers must use a microphone during teaching and when speaking to groups of students, without being asked, so that students with reduced hearing can follow the teaching. The university must make it possible to have interpreters present for students who have a special need for this. StInn believes that course coordinators are responsible for making sure that students with disabilities are included in the learning community.
3.2 The digital learning environment
The digital learning environment refers to learning processes, pedagogy, teaching, practice and technology. StInn is concerned that digital solutions should be a resource and not a barrier to learning.
The digital learning environment must be open and safe for everyone. For students to have an optimal learning environment and learning outcome on digital platforms, the teaching must be both predictable and varied at the same time. Students must know in advance what level of participation is expected of them before they attend class.
StInn believes that variation that is communicated in advance can create greater differences between lectures in a positive way. This can stimulate students further and hopefully lead to more participation, which will improve learning outcomes.
3.3 The psychosocial learning environment
Looking after students’ wellbeing and health depends on good academic and social arenas, both in and outside of teaching. Shared arenas that invite social and academic interaction are important. They help increase mental wellbeing and academic progress among students. The psychosocial learning environment must prevent loneliness and exclusion, promote inclusion and stimulate learning. The feeling of belonging can be created through fellow students and through safe authority figures in the study and student environment. This is important for students’ wellbeing and learning in a vulnerable study period. The psychosocial learning environment must therefore ensure that this sense of belonging is available to students, and that they receive academic follow-up as well as support and guidance when needed. INN has a special responsibility to promote inclusion, belonging and wellbeing in teaching. The learning environment must at all times make it possible for students to get to know each other throughout their studies.
3.4 Facilitation
Facilitation in the classroom means that everyone must have the opportunity to take part in all teaching. StInn will therefore require that teaching rooms and common areas on campus are adapted for wheelchair users, blind and deaf students, and others who need facilitation. Teaching must be available digitally for those who, for various reasons, struggle to get to campus. Parallel (dual-mode) teaching can be one possible solution. The digital learning environment must provide equivalent quality and the same learning outcomes as the physical one.
Lecturers must accept requests for postponed deadlines on coursework if a valid reason is given. Valid reasons include illness, death, serious illness in the family/close relations, student political work, and other reasons the lecturer considers acceptable. Medical documentation must be recognised as valid and not be questioned. StInn believes that INN and the exam office are not qualified to assess whether students are “too healthy” or “too sick” to be entitled to facilitation, and that documentation of illness from a doctor or health professional must be enough. The university must always work to prevent greater mental strain by making it easy to seek follow-up. StInn believes that students who are denied facilitation, for whatever reason, must still be followed up by the university after their application has been rejected.
The university must make sure that students who need facilitation tools have access to them during exams and in teaching. All students who receive a rejection on their facilitation application must also receive a detailed and thorough explanation for the rejection. To uphold the principles of diversity and equality, StInn believes it’s essential to offer and secure facilitation for students who need it, both during their studies and in exams. StInn believes that medical documentation from a doctor alone is enough to determine a student’s need for medical facilitation, and that INN and the exam office must follow this.
StInn believes that INN and lecturers must accept illness, death in close family and student political work as valid reasons to postpone deadlines for submissions, exams or major coursework. Other reasons should be assessed case by case by the lecturer and/or advisor.
For students to be able to apply for and receive the facilitation they need, they must get good information about their rights and options. StInn therefore believes that academic staff must have basic knowledge about facilitation and be able to refer students to the right office for guidance. Information about facilitation must also be easy to find on INN’s website, so students can quickly access what they need. All students must in addition receive this information orally, and there must be clear information about the processes and deadlines for applying for facilitation, both in their study situation and for exams.
Chapter 4 Equality, equity and diversity
1. StInn believes that equality, equity and diversity must be strengthened and further developed in StInn, INN, SINN and other relevant stakeholders.
The student body is a heterogeneous group, made up of a diversity of religions, ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities, people from different socio-economic backgrounds and people with different functional abilities. StInn believes that everyone, regardless of background or circumstances, must have equal opportunities and rights at University of Inland Norway (INN). Awareness around diversity and equity must be established at all levels of the university. There must be active work to prevent discrimination, racism and bullying. StInn believes it’s important that both students and staff with reduced physical or mental functional ability are included in the equality and diversity work at INN. The goal of equality, diversity and equity must not come at the expense of recruiting the most qualified applicants in hiring and admission processes at INN. In cases where applicants are equally qualified, the person with a minority background should be hired. The university has a special responsibility to ensure that students and staff with minority backgrounds, or with barriers linked to their identity or functional ability, receive follow-up and facilitation so they can carry out their work or studies.