- This is the highest representative body of UVic-UCC students and is made up of the Plenary and the Permanent Committee
- In addition to representing students in university bodies, it attends to student inquiries, safeguards their rights and duties, and organizes various activities, such as the Annual Festival.
- The UVic-UCC Student Representatives Council (COES) includes representatives of the faculties of the UVic, UManresa, the Faculty of Medicine, Elisava and affiliated centres
There are students who, beyond experiencing the university as a period of training and personal growth, feel driven to take a step further and carry out tasks representing their group within the university. This is the case of the various delegates from degrees at the University of Vic - Central University of Catalonia (UVic-UCC), who, in addition to representing the interests of their degree course, are part of the Student Representatives Council (COES) of the UVic-UCC, the highest body for representation and deliberation of the University’s students.
One members of COES is Ferran Serra, who assumed the position of COES president in the Plenary of 23 November. For him, being part of the Student Representatives Council "implies two fundamental things: personal learning and growth, in terms of knowing how a representative body works and knowing what your role is within it, and expanding your knowledge about the University, either because of proximity to students or because you are part of a work group in which you have to make arrangements with the institution."
The functions carried out by the Student Representatives Council make it possible for students to participate in different ways, especially considering that the university places students at the centre of its activity. In this way, COES members represent the students in the governing bodies of the UVic-UCC and establish communication bridges. However, they also safeguard the rights and duties of students, coordinate with other universities through networks of representatives, inform students about aspects of the university, and promote improvement in the educational system. When carrying out some of these functions, they have the technical support of UHub, the University Community Unit.
COES members safeguard the rights and duties of students, coordinate with other universities through networks of representatives, inform students about aspects of the university, and promote improvement in the educational system
How the Student Representatives Council is organised
To carry out its activity, the Student Representatives Council is organised around a Plenary and a Permanent Committee, and has its own regulations, the Statutes of the Student Representatives Council, which establish its operation and structure. The COES Plenary, that is, its general assembly, is made up of a representative from each official university degree, although a member from each of the UVic-UCC student associations can also be part of it. The Plenary is responsible for approving the plan of activities, the budget, the settlement of accounts and the COES report, among other functions.
Ferran Serra considers that "the Plenary is a diverse body," as it brings together students from all the federated entities that make up the UVic-UCC (UVic, UManresa, the Faculty of Medicine and Elisava), and from its affiliated centres. He adds that this diversity "is both a wealth and a challenge, because a certain degree of coordination between the various centres is necessary, which must continue to grow in the future."
The Plenary is a body that brings together students from all the federated entities that make up the UVic-UCC (UVic, UManresa, the Faculty of Medicine and Elisava), and from its affiliated centres
Among the most recent additions to the COES are members from Elisava, an entity that joined the federative project of the UVic-UCC in 2021. Mariona Garriga, member of the Plenary Council on behalf of this centre, stated that "being part of COES is a great responsibility, but I am also happy to be able to represent my colleagues and to be able to listen to their proposals and ideas, as well as their complaints and problems. I consider that the students are very important for the university and that our opinions must have a weight in the decisions that are taken by the university on the improvement of the space and the subjects taught."
The day-to-day running of the Council is handled by the Permanent Committee, made up of the president, the vice-president, the secretary, the treasurer and the spokespeople. With this smaller composition, the committee can direct and administer the COES in an flexible, operational way. At the same time, the COES includes working committees to address various topics in more detail.
Safeguarding students’ interests
One of the relevant functions of the Student Representatives Council is its active participation in the University’s governing bodies, which become spaces where students can learn about the functioning of the university and, at the same time, express their needs. This representation is implemented through two members of the COES on the Board of Government of the UVic-UCC (CGU), a member of each faculty on the Board of Government of their centre, and all the members of the Student Representatives Council on the Senate of the UVic-UCC.
Ferran Serra, who apart from being the COES president is one of the two representatives on the CGU, noted on this issue that "the participation of the COES in this body is very important, both for the information we can receive and for the opportunity we have to get involved." He added that due to this participation, over the past year "we could bring several issues to the attention of the Rector’s Office. This year, these issues have been changed and attempts have been made to adapt to the proposals." Nevertheless, "some of the students’ proposals are not implemented, but the University listens to us and works on our proposals."
"The COES’s participation in the UVic-UCC’s Board of Government is very important, both for the information we can receive and the opportunity to get involved"
Defending the interests of students also involves the participation of COES members in inter-university representation and coordination bodies, such as the Student Council of the Universities of Catalonia.
Activities for the community
The Student Representatives Council is behind the organisation of various activities, which are aimed especially at students, but also at the university community in general. One notable activity is the preparation of the University's Annual Festival, an initiative created by the students themselves, with the aim of uniting and bringing together students, teaching staff and service staff, and making this day a space for civic participation that is open to everyone. The Annual Festival is a day of leisure, sport and culture, designed to bring members of the UVic community together, and give them the opportunity to suggest and develop their ideas and proposals. Serra considers that "it is the event that is most anticipated and looked forward to by all the university students. Its organization does not only depend on the Student Representatives Council. We also work in parallel with the UVic’s Human Towers group, Emboirats, with the support of a technician from UHub."
Last year, as part of UVic-UCC's 25th anniversary, the Student Representatives Council organized the exhibition "With you, for you. What do you think of the UVic-UCC Student Representatives Council? The exhibition can be visited during the 2022-2023 academic year at Torre dels Frares.
Whether organizing exhibitions like this, defending the interests of students or participating in governing bodies, the Student Representatives Council works to make the voice of the students heard. It is a voice that also contributes to improving the university system in general, and that of UVic-UCC in particular, because it observes the institution from another angle that both differs from and complements the view of the University’s management and management bodies.
Ainhoa Ferreras, UVic member of COES.
"For me, being a member of the Student Representatives Council means helping to respond to the concerns that students may have, guaranteeing their rights and, ultimately, acting as a bridge between them and the university. The COES offers students a platform where they can find out about most of the current topics of the University and get help on different issues. What I value most about being a member is being able to help students and resolve any doubts that my classmates or other students at the university have."
Jose Bello, UManresa member of COES.
"I have been a member of the Student Representatives Council for two years and I think that being able to represent students is important and necessary, since the COES can provide improvements and make the university not only a place of transition, but a vital stage with a combination of teaching, effort, perseverance and fun. The Student Representatives Council is the other 50% of the University and, therefore, the improvements it makes can come from the institution itself and from the students. As a member of the COES, I value the function of cohesion between faculties that the Council promotes and I encourage students to be part of it."
Alejandra Camila Fernández, Faculty of Medicine member of COES.
"I feel grateful to be part of the Student Representatives Council, although there are times when it is not easy. It is a great responsibility, since you have to safeguard the rights and proposals of your colleagues, but at the same time consider the limitations and proposals of the University. Likewise, I value the freedom that we have to organise activities and improve university life, in academic and leisure areas. Being part of COES helps me to develop critical thinking, diplomatic communication skills, team work and problem-solving at university level."
Clàudia Andreu, member of Elisava at COES.
"Being a member of the Student Representatives Council means much more than having simple bureaucratic representation. It means putting yourself in the shoes of another student to make education a motivational and personal growth process. I take the role seriously and try to find ways to motivate my colleagues and convey to them the excitement I have about the degree. Personally, my experience at COES is helping me to understand how the current education system works and to see opportunities for improvement centred on the world of work, that is, where society needs us to focus our abilities."