Specialist | Development and Management
Member service and lobbying specialist, Student Union ROTKO
With the principles of safer place, we create a framework for promoting safer studying and working environments, for acknowledging diversity and for strengthening inclusion. Our goal is to make our university community a safer space than our society on average.
A space that feels safe empowers people to bring up their ideas, opinions and issues. Additionally, it creates an environment where it is safe to ask for help, voice worries and bring up mistakes and failures so that people can learn from them.
PsPsychological safety can be examined through three different levels:
It is the university of applied science’s responsibility to establish joint practices, principles and structures. On the other hand, the community as a whole is responsible for following them in day-to-day interactions. In addition to the principles of safer space, Lapland University of Applied Sciences has prepared instructions on what do to in situations involving harassment or inappropriate behaviour. The people responsible for handling these situations are named in the instructions for students and staff.
The principles of safer space are part of the Lapland University of Applied science’s work on equality, non-discrimination and accessibility.
Every person has equal basic rights and human rights. Everyone has the right to be themselves. No one needs to justify or argue for their existence.
It is normal to have assumptions and prejudices about people and situations. Try to recognise and become aware of your assumptions and make a conscious effort not to act on your prejudices.
Everyone has the right to arrive, exist and participate in a physical or digital space without having to face discrimination, harassment or other inappropriate behaviour.
Our university community accepts diversity and considers it a richness. Every person part of our community is treated equally regardless of their gender, features, traits or identity.
All of us have different kinds of needs for personal space that may vary based on the situation. In our encounters, we respect each other’s expressed needs for physical and social space.
We give space to differing views and examine issues from multiple perspectives while respecting everyone’s right to an opinion. Everyone is responsible for behaving properly and respectfully in situations where we are met with differing opinions and values. We can agree to disagree without judging each other’s opinions and get along with everyone.
We give feedback in an encouraging and constructive manner without making comments on the person’s features. We understand the significance of feedback for our own growth. Additionally, we have the right to bring up the feedback we have received if our opinion differs from the feedback.
There are many different and accepted ways of participating. All of us have the right to participate, be heard and belong to the university community on our own terms.
We take care of each other. We ask how our peers are doing and if something makes us worried, we bring it up. We offer support based on our own skills and resources and encourage our peers to seek help when they are facing challenging situations.
No one should be left alone. If you are unable to affect the situation, it is important to let a person capable of intervening to know what happened, for example a harassment contact person or the people responsible for arranging training, a superior or a health and safety representative.
Our joint activities are guided by multiple laws as well as university rules and guidelines. The principle of bearing the responsibility is emphasised in situations where the abovementioned principles are not followed. The central laws and instructions guiding our activities are:
Legislation: Constitution of Finland, Non-Discrimination Act, Act on Equality between Women and Men, Universities of Applied Sciences Act
Instructions and guidelines: Ethical guidelines, Harassment and Inappropriate Treatment Instructions for Students, Responsible interaction in the work community for staff, Accessibility plan, Equality and Non-Discrimination Policy, Regulations on Degree