Apply for the Board during 3rd to 18th of November 2025!
A new board for the Student Union HUMAKO of Humak University of Applied Sciences will be elected for next year at the organisational meeting of the Representative Council on 19th of November 2025.
Are you the right person to lead the student union next year? The board application period is open from November 3–18, 2025.
Team Operations
HUMAKO´s board operates through three teams, which form the core of HUMAKO’s activities. The teams are: the local activities team, the advocacy team, and the services and events team.
All teams are supported by the leadership team which oversees administration, stakeholder cooperation and the overall functioning of the student union. Board members are divided among the teams, which are led by HUMAKO’s employees and the board chairpersons. HUMAKO has two full-time staff members supporting the board’s work: the Executive Director and the Specialist.
Advocacy team
The Advocacy team is led by either the Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson of the board. This team is responsible for influencing decisions within the university, promoting students’ interests and ensuring equality. Practical tasks include collecting feedback and using it to advocate for improvements, acting as contact persons for harassment-related matters, coordinating student representatives in Humak’s working groups, and cooperating with HUMAKO’s national umbrella organization the Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (SAMOK ry). The Advocacy team’s work is guided by HUMAKO’s strategy and political program.
Local activities team
The local activities team is led by HUMAKO’s Specialist. The team is responsible for planning, developing and coordinating HUMAKO’s local tutor, division and team activities. The team organizes several training sessions throughout the year for local actives, discusses current topics with them in online meetings and maintains regular communication. The goals of local activities are based on HUMAKO’s strategy.
Services and events team
The services and events team is led by the Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson of HUMAKO. The team (often called PaTa) is responsible for member services (both at the office and online), events, the online store, and the development of HUMAKO’s product selection.
Leadership team
The leadership team consists of the Chairperson, the Vice Chairperson, and the Executive Director of HUMAKO. It meets weekly and is responsible for stakeholder cooperation, preparing board meetings, maintaining and developing administration, and general financial monitoring. Within the team the Vice Chairperson is responsible for advocacy and influencing activities. The Chairperson focuses on developing the organization, ensuring proper decision-making, and monitoring the overall operations.
Working in the Board
Although the board is divided into teams with their own areas of responsibility, the work is ultimately carried out together. The entire board gathers regularly in Helsinki for planning days, team days and network meetings with other student unions about 6–10 times a year. Board members also have the opportunity to participate as HUMAKO representatives in events and trainings organized by HUMAKO’s umbrella organizations and partner networks.
In addition, the board holds regular online meetings, where members prepare for decision-making and review in detail the matters to be discussed at upcoming meetings. At HUMAKO, official board meetings are held in person during planning days, and otherwise remotely via online connection.
At HUMAKO, board work usually requires 5–20 hours per week from each board member. The workload for the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson may be higher. The workload is lighter from Midsummer until early August. Board members have the opportunity to integrate their board work into their studies. During the year, they can earn 10–40 ECTS credits from their involvement in HUMAKO, depending on their role and the number of hours worked. More information about this academic recognition process is available from the Executive Director. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson receive a monthly reward for their duties.
Term for the Board and Important Dates
The term of office for the new board is the calendar year 2026, but orientation will begin right after the elections in late November. If you apply, please ensure you are available to attend the orientation camp in Helsinki on 3rd-4th of December 2025. Before that there will be a few online evening sessions covering general board work.
How to Apply
You can apply for the board by submitting a free-form application and, if you wish, your CV via the Form link below by 18th of November 2025. Remember to indicate whether you are applying for the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson or Board Member position. You may also mention if you already know which team’s work interests you most. All applicants will be interviewed at the Representative Council’s organisational meeting on 19th of November 2025, in Helsinki. We recommend attending the interview in person, but remote participation can be arranged if needed. At the meeting, you’ll have the chance to introduce yourself, and council members will ask questions to assess your suitability for the position.
Application Form: https://forms.gle/t2LafGQkzWUfTjuw7