Meet your candidate: Gwen Gruner-Widding

I love UCPH! I believe that we can get one of the best educations in the world here. But – I also see some clear problems that need to be solved before we get there.

For this reason, I engaged in the work of the Students Council (Studenterrådet). For the past year, I have been the councils chair.

The work as chair has given me a lot of knowledge of the different challenges and conditions our university faces.

Most importantly, the huge engagement from fellow students, the changes we make and the victories of our lobby work, is a huge motivation to keep me working for students rights!

What are the most important issues?

1) We need space for both socializing and science!

Being a student is about becoming more knowledgeable through the company of other students and staff.

UCPH needs a better study environment that has room for all of us. We need room for both scientific and social purposes!

2) We need more group rooms
The study environment should meet the demands of the study methods.

A lot of our education is based on group work and group preparation. At the same time, UPCH has had a massive increase in the intake of students.

This naturally leaves out less suitable rooms for preparing our studies, and that a lot of students sit in foyers and auditoriums while doing group work.

3) We need more interaction with our educators
At some departments, such as theology and agricultural economics, the professors have an “open-door policy”, encouraging students to come by their offices and discuss academic questions.

At other departements, the professor participates in different events, or even use the same cantina as the students.

It is important that we all get the opportunity of talking to our professors outside the classroom. It could be more feedback, tutorials, case workshops, research presentations, “open-door” policies, or even just an informal chat by the coffee machine.

The biggest challenge at UCPH?

Apart from the above, the university’s “faster-out” reform is the biggest issue we need to solve right now.

The university is over-hastily trying to deprive us of our right to leave and absence, our chance of doing internships, and our chance of getting a foot in the labour market before graduating.

The reform will not only enable the university to expel thousands of students, it will also hollow the quality of our educations.

Therefore, we need to stop the university’s plans – both to ensure that all current students can finish their studies, but also to ensure the quality of the education we offer for the coming generations.

Why vote Gwen?

The reason you should vote Gwen, is not for Gwen, but for the Students Council (Studenterrådet), which I will represent.

The Students Council is a political organization working to ensure the rights of all students at UCPH. We work as a lobby and change-making organization across the university.

As a representative of the Students Council, I do not represent my own opinion. I do not represent a single political ideology. I strive to represent the students’ interests across faculties, departments and study fields. I believe this is the only way we can get a strong student voice in the board.

universitypost@adm.ku.dk

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