Student and Learning Services - Page 6 of 12

New operating models on how to provide early support and act in consequence to inappropriate behavior at UEF

18.05.2022 Leave a Comment

New operating models have been developed to help teachers and other staff members: one for early support when concerns arise about student’s behavior and another to identify and act in consequence to student’s inappropriate behavior. In addition, the previous operating model of inappropriate treatment and harassment in studies will be updated this year.

The new operating models are based on the Universities Act, according to which all university students have the right to a safe and pleasant learning environment. Appropriate behavior includes, among other things, valuing and taking other people into account, accepting diversity, appropriate language in speaking and writing, taking care of the common learning environment and compliance with common agreements and rules.

The operating model for early support is aimed at teachers and other staff members. Concerns about a student’s behavior and the need for help often arise in teaching, guidance and counselling. Raising the issue when concerns arise as well as other forms of early support are part of the measures in attempts to promote students’ well-being. The operating model provides practical tools for interaction between teachers and students, and there are examples on how to identify worrying, disruptive and threatening behavior, how to raise the issue with the student, and how to proceed. In addition, the processing of sensitive information, confidentiality as well as finding out about involuntary treatment have been included in the operating model.

The other operating model provides tools to act in situations where a student’s behavior is disruptive, violent or threatening, and how to act in consequence to such inappropriate behavior. Disruptive behavior includes, for example, inappropriate language in speaking and writing, participation in practical training or teaching while intoxicated, bullying in teaching, inappropriate behavior during a lecture or in a teaching group, or unauthorized recording of teaching and unauthorized redistribution of the recording.

A student who disrupts teaching, behaves violently of threateningly or endangers the life or health of another person, may be ordered to leave the premises where teaching is given or from an event organised by the university. Consequences of a student’s inappropriate behavior may include a ban from attending teaching for a maximum of three days, a written warning and temporary suspension from university or a restraining order, all depending on the severity of the violation.

These operating models will be presented to the university staff, units and university services at several events during 2022.

For more information, please contact:

Tuija Pasanen, Head of Student Services, University of Eastern Finland, tuija.pasanen@uef.fi
Jonna Kosonen, Legal Specialist, University of Eastern Finland, jonna.kosonen@uef.fi

Clarification on the introduction of a digital degree certificate: paper copies will be issued in the future as well

04.05.2022 Leave a Comment

The university announced the introduction of a digital degree certificate on 26 April 2022 (previous news release). The change to a digital certificate has received a lot of feedback, based on which the paper degree certificate is still considered an important sign of graduation. For this reason, the decision will be updated and specified in such a way that paper certificates will continue to be issued upon request.

The visual appearance of the digital degree certificate corresponds to the current paper certificate. As of 01 August 2022, the digital degree certificate is the official version which can be obtained in paper form as well. A paper certificate is a copy of the official degree certificate. The university does not charge a fee for the paper degree certificate.

The university is also planning new, collective ways to celebrate students’ graduation each academic year. We respect academic traditions and wish to introduce new ways to celebrate graduation. The practices will be announced later.

Please find answers below to the questions and concerns raised in Yammer last week.

Will the digital degree certificate be useful for years to come?

The university has received a reply from the system provider: the digital degree certificate is signed using the PAdES-LTA standard, which means in practice that the certificate can be verified for a long time even if the system of recognition of signatures changes. The LTA aims at the longest possible storage period for electronic signatures.

How is the security ensured in sending a digital degree certificate?

The digital degree certificate is not sent to the graduate by e-mail, instead, the graduate receives an e-mail notification of when the certificate can be retrieved from Peppi. Upon request, the paper degree certificate will be posted as before.

Is there a chance that the data will be lost in the digital degree certificate?

Graduation data is stored both in the university and national registers. The digital degree certificate is permanently retained in accordance with the university’s records management plan in the university diary. Should a student lose a certificate, s/he has the opportunity to ask the university for a new degree certificate. The digital storage format is in line with the national standard governing records management and archiving. The student has the chance to store the digital certificate in multiple places.

Is the digital degree certificate known around the world and can it be received everywhere?

There are different types of degree certificates and diplomas internationally, and this applies to both paper and digital certificates. The PDF file format is commonly known and used internationally. It is possible to send a paper copy in the future as well.

Can the English-language degree certificate include the words “official translation”?

The language used for instruction and degrees at the University of Eastern Finland is Finnish (Section 11 of the Universities Act 558/2009). The degree certificate is issued in the language specified in the Universities Act. The English-language degree certificate is a translation of the original Finnish-language certificate. The English translation is not a translation by an authorised translator (Act on Authorised Translators 1231/2007). For this reason, the concept ‘official translation’ is not used in this context.

Why and how has the decision been prepared?

The aim of the introduction of the digital degree certificate has been to improve and speed up the process, and to verify information from the student’s point of view. The digital transcripts of records and study certificates have been in use for years already and have received good feedback from our students. E-services have streamlined students’ everyday life, and e-services are widely accepted in official encounters also internationally. The digital degree certificate is a natural continuation of this development.

The preparation of the digital degree certificate has been a long-term process having been prepared at UEF University Services. The digital degree certificate was presented to the UEF Leadership Group on 16 March 2022, and the final decision to introduce a digital degree certificate was made by the UEF Leadership Group. The Student Union has been consulted as a representative of our students during the process. Based on the feedback, the consultation of students and academic staff should have been more extensive.

Student exchange application period and info sessions

27.04.2022 Leave a Comment

The next application period for outgoing student exchange opens 1-31 May 2022!

During the May application period, degree students at the University of Eastern Finland may apply for student exchange in the spring semester 2023. Exchange programmes available for application in this application period are Erasmus+, Nordlys, and bilateral exchange.

Students may apply for a total of 1 or 2 exchange places/host institutions. Please carefully read through the programme-specific calls for applications, which contain information about application deadlines and which host institutions are available for applying. The application will be compiled in the SoleMOVE system.

If you are applying for two (2) host institutions, the host institutions do not have to be from the same exchange programme. If you are applying placements in two separate exchange programmes (for example Erasmus+ and bilateral exchange), please note:

Specify which host institution is your first priority in your motivation letter. You may only be selected as a candidate for one.
The maximum number of host institutions per applicant is two. If you are applying to two exchange programmes, you may only select one host institution per programme.
If you are applying to host institutions in two separate exchange programmes, you will need to make two applications. You may use the same attachments for both applications.

For more information about student exchange, please see Kamu Databank’s Study Abroad section.

Upcoming info sessions

International Mobility Services is hosting two Zoom info sessions about student exchange in May. There will be general information about student exchange, exchange programmes, and the application process. The info session is open for all students regardless of subject.

The first info session will be in Finnish on Wednesday 11 May at 3-4 PM (15-16). The second info session will be in English and on Thursday 12 May at 3-4 PM (15-16). Links to the info sessions will be on the page Study Abroad Events. Welcome online!

27.4.2022

University of Eastern Finland to introduce digital degree certificates – what will change and why?

26.04.2022 Leave a Comment

Young woman using laptop.tta kirjastossa.

The University of Eastern Finland will introduce digital degree certificates as of 1 August 2022. From that date on, traditional degree certificates printed out on paper will no longer be routinely issued.

The digital format makes it faster for students to get their certificate, easier to keep it safe, and better supports modern job-seeking. The digital format also makes it easier to manage and archive degree certificates at the university.

What changes from the perspective of students, staff members and job-seeking?

Overall, the degree certificate process will become faster, thanks to the workflow being digitalised for students and Student and Learning Services alike.

The digital format will also make it easier to keep the document safe, as a copy of the official digital certificate can be stored in multiple places. For the university, the digital format will facilitate the management and archiving of the degree certificates. At the same time, the challenges associated with sending degree certificates abroad by traditional mail will also be eliminated.

For students, job-seeking will become easier, thanks to a readily available digital degree certificate that can easily be used in modern, digital job-seeking processes.

Digital degree certificates will be taken into use at the University of Eastern Finland as of 1 August 2022. The university is also preparing new, collective ways to celebrate students’ graduation each academic semester.

How can I get a digital degree certificate?

Just like before, students will continue to apply for their degree certificate via an electronic form available in e-Services. Guidelines on graduation and applying for the degree certificate are available to students in Kamu. Staff members, on the other hand, can find guidelines on the digital degree certificate in the Peppi manual.

The digital degree certificate includes a cover sheet in Finnish and in English, a transcript of the academic record in Finnish and in English, as well as a Diploma Supplement in English. The English-language degree certificate is a translation of the Finnish original. If a student so wishes, they can still request a black-and-white printed copy of their degree certificate.

Once their degree certificate is ready, students will get an email notification from the university, accompanied by instructions on where the degree certificate can be downloaded and how it should be stored. In the same email, students will receive some graduation-related images (with the hashtag #madeinuef on them), which can be shared on social media. More information on the social media images will be posted on the UEF Students group on Yammer.

If a student loses their digital degree certificate, they can request a new one from the university’s Registry Office (kirjaamo@uef.fi).

For further information, please contact:

Miia Turtiainen, Director of Student and Learning Services, miia.turtiainen@uef.fi

Exceptions to Student and Learning Services’ customer service opening hours

25.04.2022 Leave a Comment

Upcoming exceptions to opening hours

On Wednesday 27 April 2022, the Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk in Kuopio is closed. The email service and phone service are open as usual. The customer service desk in Joensuu is open normally.

Current opening hours

The Student and Learning Services’ customer service desk is open on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am to 3 pm.

If you are unable to visit the customer service desk during these times, please contact us by email or phone, and we can set up a meeting for a different time.

Visiting address: Joensuu Aurora A, 1st floor; Kuopio Canthia, 2nd floor

Email address: opiskelu@uef.fi (Please note that there might be delays in responses during vacation times)

Phone number: +358 (0)29 445 8900

Phone service: Mon-Fri from 10 am to 3 pm UTC +2

Applying for an extension to the study right

14.04.2022 Leave a Comment

Dear Student,

Now is a good time to check whether you need to apply for an extension to your study right.

If your study right at the University of Eastern Finland is about to expire on 31 July 2022 and you wish to continue your studies, you have to apply for an extension by 31 May. You will not receive a separate reminder in your email.

You can check your study right(s) in Peppi: peppi.uef.fi. In the top right corner, you see a button with your name in it. Click it and go to Settings. If you have more than one study right, you can browse between them by clicking on the small triangle in the top left corner, next to the name of the active study right. Check the durations of all your study rights.

Detailed information on applying for an extension is available at Kamu.
Note that you need attachments for the application – contact your programme coordinator well in advance.

The list of programme coordinators is available at Kamu too.

Exceptions to Student and Learning Services’ offices’ opening hours

08.04.2022 Leave a Comment

Tulevat poikkeusaukioloajat

Viikoilla 15–16 Opintopalveluiden asiakaspalvelu on auki seuraavalla tavalla:

		Puhelinpalvelu	Asiakaspalvelutiski, Joensuu	Asiakaspalvelutiski, Kuopio
Viikko 42
Maanantai	17.10.2022	10-15	10-15	suljettu
Tiistai	18.10.2022	10-15	suljettu	suljettu
Keskiviikko	19.10.2022	10-15	suljettu	10-15
Torstai	20.10.2022	10-15	suljettu	suljettu
Perjantai	21.10.2022	10-15	suljettu	10-15

Ajankohtaiset aukioloajat

Opintopalveluiden asiakaspalvelutiski on auki maanantaisin, keskiviikkoisin ja perjantaisin klo 10–15.

Mikäli et pääse asioimaan näinä aukioloaikoina, otathan yhteyttä sähköpostitse tai puhelimitse, jotta voimme sopia tapaamisen muulle ajalle.

Käyntiosoite: Joensuussa Aurora A, 1. krs; Kuopiossa Canthia, 2. krs

Sähköpostiosoite: opiskelu@uef.fi (Huomaathan, että loma-aikoina vastausajat ovat tavallista pidemmät)

Puhelinnumero: 029 445 8900

Puhelinpalveluaika ma–pe klo 10–15

Student Well-being Survey as a Part of the Study Environment Inspections

22.03.2022 Leave a Comment

Study environment inspections are carried out at all universities every three years and at the University of Eastern Finland it will be carried out during this spring. The inspections are coordinated by student healthcare (FSHS) and carried out together with students, the staff at the educational institution and the health inspector of the municipality in question.

A Student Well-being Survey will be carried out as a part of this inspection. A questionnaire link will be sent to students during this week.

A thriving community benefits the life of all students. Inspections provide information about how students are doing in their study communities and how the study environment could improve students’ well-being even more. So, please answer the survey!

Study environment inspections are an integral part of study community work and help to promote physical, mental and social well-being in your study community. In practice, the inspections may check to see if students have time to eat between lectures, whether the ergonomic aspects of study premises are appropriate, and whether students face harassment in their study communities. The inspections provide the educational institution with information about the well-being of students and the strengths of the institution itself.

Further information:

Study environment inspections – FSHS (opens in a new tab)

Welcome to UEF Summer School in August 2022!

17.03.2022 Leave a Comment

Application period for UEF Summer School has started – welcome to UEF summer courses in August 2022!

The application period for UEF Summer School courses has started today and the application deadline is 15 June (although some courses have earlier/later deadlines).

This year, Summer School is held at Joensuu campus only and there are six courses:

Attending Summer School courses is free of charge to the UEF degree students.

UEF degree students will apply for the courses via the online application site. NB! It is important that all the UEF degree students select Finland from the country list at the beginning. This way, you will access the right application form that is quicker to fill in than the one for applicants from institutions abroad.

More information is available on the Summer School website and you can ask questions about practical matters via email. If you have questions about the courses, please contact the course coordinator.

Welcome to enjoy internationalisation at home while completing summer studies!

Short service break in Peppi on 21 March 2022