Reading facilities in Stakkahlíð

There is a lack of suitable facilities for reading and group work in Stakkahlíð. Students must have access to such facilities during the building's designated opening hours. The library is closed in the afternoon on weekdays, so students cannot use its study space after closing or on weekends. The library rents out the use of a reading room for a fee. Vaka is completely against the fact that students have to pay for a designated reading space when there are no other similar facilities available. Vaka wants to set up a registration button on Uglu where students can book rooms to do their reading and group work.

 

High in Stakkahlíð

Vaka wants to see more vegetarian and vegan options in Háma in Stakkahlíð with a growing group of people who choose to reduce their consumption of meat and animal products. We also want to reduce the number of plastic packaging, have a wider selection of food and improve the ingredient descriptions for hot dishes, soups and salad bars. We also want a selection of baby food in Háma, where parents in education should have access to food for their children when they are with them. 

 

More nutritious food in the vending machines of Stakkahlíðar and Skipholt

It is clear that there is not a good enough selection of nutritious food in the vending machines. When Háma closes, many students resort to buying food or drinks in the department's vending machines, but there is a need for a more nutritious selection in them. At the same time, we want to get new water machines in Hamar and Klett as well as in the construction of the stage in Skipholt. 

 

Distance learning

Distance learners are a large group at the Faculty of Education, but distance learners need to be accommodated much better than is currently done. Study sessions are often poorly organized and it is difficult for distance learners who live in rural areas to arrange accommodation and transportation during study sessions. We at Vaka are fighting for standard sessions to be more efficient and better organized with regard to distance learners. At the same time, Vaka is fighting for lectures and classes to be recorded in good quality in order to better accommodate distance learners. Distance learning students should also not have to carry out heavier tasks than local students just for choosing distance learning. The Faculty of Education has been a leader in distance learning and it is important that this progressive work does not end. 

 

Organization in field studies

In recent years, students have encountered problems with the organization of their field studies. Students don't know where they are doing their field study until late, so they often arrive ill-prepared. Field periods take up a large part of the students' semester and create an unbalanced workload. Vaka wants the Faculty of Education to examine the students' experience of their field study and its organization with the aim of improving the field study framework of the entire field. By getting more leeway, there is illness or similar, an extra week to compensate and get paid for time and workload is Vaku's struggle. 

 

Compulsory course

Vaka wants to fight for all departments of the Faculty of Education to take courses on gender studies, bullying, prevention and intervention, equality and prejudice, either as a compulsory course or as a limited choice. It is something that affects all students in the field and something that many of our students will have to deal with in their work environment in the future. Vaka wants students' compulsory courses to reflect their educational path and their future careers, as well as emphasizing academic and effective teaching. There is a need for a more modern focus in learning and teaching methods in the field so that the program prepares students for the challenges of the future. Vaka wants to promote a more varied and creative assessment for students.

 

Increased parental access to education

Vaka also wants to emphasize that parents are shown an understanding of absence from lessons due to children's illness, and therefore we reiterate the importance of access to recordings from lectures. Vaka plans to fight for a parents' center and improved exchange facilities in Stakkahlíð. It is an important step for the field, as a large part of the students in the field are parents. Furthermore, we want to get more highchairs in Háma and add a playground for students' children. 

 

Work-based diploma program for people with intellectual disabilities

This necessary course of study is not fixed in the budget of Hí and is therefore often in danger of being cancelled, which is unacceptable and unfair since this is the only program available for this group at the University of Iceland. The program is only taught every two years, and only twelve students are admitted to it, and therefore there are often long waiting lists for admission to the program. As well as the fact that only two courses are available. This situation is absolutely unbearable. Vaka wants the program to be taught annually in order to shorten the waiting list and for more people to be admitted to the program each time. In the last year of the Student Council's work, a proposal prepared by the department's departmental council and SHÍ's teaching committee was approved, which aimed to refine this course of study with increased financial contributions. Vaka plans to ensure that that proposal is followed.