Semester fees spent on trip to the Mediterranean

– This is one of the most outrageous things I have heard in a long time, says Torkel Nybakk Kvaal, former member of the Student Parliament and representative on the University Board.

Previously, the Student Parliament (SP) has usually had an overlapping period of one month, in which the newly elected members and those who were stepping down worked together. This was to make sure that the new Working Committee could coordinate and get to know each other, and receive training from the former representatives.

The current Working Committee is in addition to this choosing to arrange a seminar just for the members who are stepping down. The seminar will take place in Crete, during the period of the 18th to the 25th of May. Both travel and board are covered by the Student Parliament – and thereby the students’ semester fees.

Signhild Stave Samuelsen, member of the Working Committee, believes that the trip to Crete is absolutely necessary:

– We are going to take stock of the year that has been, and plan the overlap with the new Working Committee, she says.

– Need to get away

Samuelsen says that they want to carry out an evaluation, in order to create a solid basis for the new Working Committee.

– Why do you have to get away in order to do this?

– It is difficult to concentrate and get things done in fellowship at Villa Eika. You have to get away in order to gather together the Working Committee in peace and quiet, she says.

– Why did you choose to go to Crete?

– Mainly for financial reasons. We talked about going to Riga for a few days, but found out that it would be cheaper simply to take a one week package trip to Crete, says Samuelsen.

Thomas Tallaksen, Vice President of the Student Parliament and member of the Working Committee, thinks that this is a reasonable way to spend the money.

– We need a more informal setting. We hope that this trip will inspire a good dialogue that will sum up the year, he says.

– Disrespectful

Kvaal is very skeptical towards the practice of the Student Parliament.

– This shows a total lack of respect for the students who pay the semester fee.

Nybakk thinks that it in any case is too much to travel to Crete, but that the trip could be defended to a certain extent if it had taken place during the beginning of the Working Committee’s election period. Taking this trip a month before the representatives leave office, is unheard of.

– This sounds like they are taking a holiday to the Mediterranean on the students’ tab, he says.

According to Tallaksen, the trip will cost approximately 9000 kroner for all five representatives. The Student Parliament receives its financial support from the Student Welfare Council. The Student Welfare Council gets most of its financial resources from the semester fee, which is paid by students to the The Foundation for Student Life in Oslo.

Priorities

Fredrik Refsnes, leader of the Student Welfare Council, thinks that how the Student Parliament spends money is a question of priorities.

– We do not interfere with what the Student Parliament chooses to spend money on, he says.

However, he does admit that he does not wish to introduce a similar practice in the Student Welfare Council:

– In the Student Welfare Council we would not use our money in such a way. We will not be taking a trip to Crete, to put it that way, he says.

– But will this have consequences for the future support to the Student Parliament?

– It is too early to say.