Student Senate versus USM administration
https://www.ipn.md/en/student-senate-versus-usm-administration-7967_986079.html
The Student Senate accuses the administration of the State University of Moldova (USM) of not legalizing it and not supporting its activities, Info-Prim Neo reports.
The Student Senate was created in 2009 to promote the rights of the students, according to the European practices and norms of the Bologna Process. The Senate includes students of all the faculties of the USM, who were elected by free and direct vote.
In a news conference, the Senate’s chairman Alexandru Filipski said the administration does not recognize the organization. The rector did not sign the statutes and regulations of the Senate and the university did not provide an office for it. Moreover, the university’s administration promotes the idea of founding a new national student organization that will be a subdivision of the nongovernmental organization Student Alliance of Moldova.
The Senate’s members consider a national organization is not necessary as there are similar institutions, while the USM needs an organization that would solve the internal problems faced by the students.
Contacted by Info-Prim Neo, Tudor Arnaut, pro-rector for student problems, said the USM’s administration supported all the student initiatives, including of the Student Senate and the student trade union. He stated he personally participated in the drafting of the Senate’s regulations and its members have not been hindered from working. On the contrary, they were allowed to hold their meetings in the Hall of the University’s Senate and were offered an office in block No. 5.
In the same news conference, Alexandru Filipski referred to the disagreements existing between the students and the administration. According to him, the students want to have the session with six exams in December as earlier, not three exams in December and three in January. In reply, pro-rector Tudor Arnaut said most of the universities in Moldova use the 3+3 practice that is part of the Bologna Process.
The Student Senate demands reducing the first semester from 15 to 14 weeks and extending the second one from 15 to 16 weeks. But the USM’s administration says this is not possible and makes reference to the same Bologna Process that was adopted by the Moldovan universities.
The Senate also requests the National Confederation of Trade Unions, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Center for Combating Corruption and Economic Crime and the Prosecutor General’s Office to investigate the withholding of 1% of USM students’ awards for trade unions, without the students’ consent.
Tudor Arnaut commented that the trade unions inherited the system of collecting dues used before the 1990s and the practice was continued by ‘inertia’. He also said the Student Senate’s chairman Alexandru Filipski does no more enjoy support among the students and new elections will be held soon. He added he wants the Student Senate to more actively engage in scientific activity, formation of the training process and solving of administrative problems, including in dormitories.
The leaders of the Student Senate said they will stage protests and awareness raising campaigns if the administration of the USM does not take their requests into account.
