Student Organisation of the University of Ljubljana (SOU of Ljubljana)
Kersnikova ulica 4
1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia

Phone: + 386 1 438 02 00
Fax: + 386 1 438 02 02
Student Assembly: + 386 1 438 02 51
Communication centre: + 386 1 438 02 05

Tax number: 55049745
Identification number: SI 55049745
Registry number: 5133734
Bank account no.: SI56 02010-0018933202 

INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDENT ORGANISATION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA (ŠOU LJUBLJANA)

On 15 May 1990, at the first session of the Student Parliament, student MPs adopted the Act on the Founding of the Student Organisation of the University of Ljubljana. The first Student Constitution, which defines the form of organisation and operation of ŠOU Ljubljana, was adopted on 27 November 1990.

On 20 June 1994 the National Assembly of the Republic of Slovenia adopted the Student Community Act (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 38/94). This Act regulates the position, operation and activities of the self-governing community of students of Slovenia. The founding Act of the self-governing community of students of Slovenia, the Student Constitution, was adopted in 1997 (Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia, No. 67/97) and re-adopted in 2002.

BODIES AND DEPARTMENTS OF ŠOU LJUBLJANA

The highest legislative body of ŠOU Ljubljana is the Student Assembly, which consists of representatives of all faculties elected at student elections every two years. The Student Assembly elects an executive board which is headed by a chairperson together with five officers, responsible for the following: Study-Related Issues, Welfare, International Cooperation, Extracurricular Activities, Student Organisations of Member Schools.

The executive board decides the strategy of operation in relation to the State, the University and other entities with which ŠOU Ljubljana works; its functions include the elaboration of the financial plan and the implementation of ŠOU Ljubljana's annual programme of work, the setting-up and cancelling of projects and permanent activities, the adopting of positions, the exercising of founder's obligations in respect of other organisations of which ŠOU Ljubljana is the founder, and the performance of other functions determined by acts of ŠOU Ljubljana.
Through its core work and research activities, the Study-Related Issues Office endeavours to inform students, the higher education sector and employers about the Bologna Declaration and its correct implementation. It works to ensure better quality, internationally comparable courses and the protection of students' rights, and informs students about higher education reforms and their opportunities to take part in the process of adopting proposals for better quality studies. A special group of student experts provides support to students at the various faculties of the University of Ljubljana in co-shaping new courses and introducing other elements of the Bologna reforms. At the same time the office is working to strengthen the existing partnership with employers in spheres of higher education, competences and graduate employability. It works closely with the University of Ljubljana and the student organisations of other universities and other countries.
Through its activities, the Student Resource Centre (SRCe), the foreign student reception service and the Association of Student Societies and Associations for International Cooperation and Education (KOMISP), the International Cooperation Office provides assistance to students who wish to study abroad or gain international work experience in international companies, and to foreign students studying or on work experience placements in Slovenia. It organises international conferences and congresses, implements numerous international projects, represents the interests of Slovene students in international organisations and liaises with student organisations and universities around the world. The office is particularly active in the field of connections with student representatives from SE Europe, through which it hopes to encourage closer cooperation between the countries of the region in the sphere of student organisation, student mobility, higher education and, consequently, the economy. The office works with the Study-Related Issues Office on the implementation of the Bologna reforms and in the sphere of higher education, above all by passing on the experiences of other European countries in these areas.
The Welfare Office carries out activities in the spheres of social security, student nutrition and student health. It endeavours to ensure a better social position for students in the spheres of accommodation, nutrition, grants and scholarships and healthcare. It works with the Student Families Club, the Student Accommodation Users' Council, the Society for the Development of Voluntary Work, Slovenska Filantropija (a philanthropic organisation), Svetovalnica PU (an art therapy association), the Association of Medical Students of Slovenia and the Association of Disabled Students of Slovenia.
The Extracurricular Activities Office is responsible for the variety of student life outside the framework of studies, in the fields of culture, publishing and extracurricular education, tourism and sport. It subsidises student projects in these fields and the providers of extracurricular educational programmes for students selected by means of public calls for applications, and collaborates with ŠOU Ljubljana institutions.
The Student Organisations of Member Schools Office is responsible for establishing a network of student organisations at individual faculties and schools and for providing financial and organisational support for their activities. The office allocates funds to the organisation and implementation of programmes of activities of interest to students in the fields of culture, sport, extracurricular education, international cooperation, youth tourism, publishing and information. The office awards grants via internal calls for applications and in conjunction with the other offices of ŠOU Ljubljana.

ŠOU Ljubljana's business is managed by a director appointed for a four-year term of office on the basis of a public call for applications and at the proposal of the executive board. The director's election or appointment is carried out by the Student Assembly. The director represents ŠOU Ljubljana in legal transactions, ensures the legality of operations and the provision of funds for the work of its bodies, organises the work of the various services, prescribes the competences and responsibilities of employees in material/financial operations, and so on.

Supervision of the work of ŠOU Ljubljana is provided by the Prosecutor's Office, the Senate and the Arbitration Board.
The Prosecutor's Office consists of three prosecutors. In the case of violations of ŠOU Ljubljana acts, the Prosecutor's Office initiates the procedure of collecting evidence relating to the violations, presents indictments to the Senate and proposes sanctions.
The Senate is a first-instance supervisory body consisting of four representatives of student organisations of member schools and three representatives of the public. It supervises the business of ŠOU Ljubljana as a whole and its use of funds. It also supervises the calling of elections, the appointment of the electoral commission and the running of elections. The Senate is independent in its activity and within the framework of its competences. Its work is based on legislation in force and other applicable regulations in the Republic of Slovenia.
The Arbitration Board is a second-instance body which rules on appeals against decisions and resolutions taken by the Senate. The Arbitration Board consists of five members who are appointed by the Student Assembly at the proposal of the mentor of the Arbitration Board, a recognised expert in the field of law.

ACTIVITIES OF ŠOU LJUBLJANA

In order to realise the objectives for which it was founded, ŠOU Ljubljana performs the following functions and activities:

Through its work it influences the formulation of legislation and regulations affecting the spheres of studies, student life and work. It performs a civil society role by highlighting problems that affect the general public and is committed to the guaranteeing of human rights, particularly those of special social groups, and to raising public awareness in the spheres of the environment and healthy living.

The permanent activities of ŠOU Ljubljana are carried out by: the Student Advice Service, which offers social and legal advice and a free room exchange (m2), Student Food, which sells vouchers for student meals, KISS (the ŠOU Ljubljana communications and information centre), which offers students free access to the internet and an electronic mailbox, the Ljubljana Secondary School Pupils' Association, and the Information Office, which keeps students informed about ŠOU Ljubljana's projects and activities.

Through its activities, ŠOU Ljubljana comes into contact with more than 50,000 students every day.

FINANCING ŠOU LJUBLJANA

ŠOU Ljubljana is mainly financed through concession duties on monies paid to students for occasional and temporary work and through income from the activities it organises in order to realise its functions and objectives.

ŠOU LJUBLJANA INSTITUTIONS

ŠOU Ljubljana is the founder of the following institutions: Blue Student Service Ljubljana - providing the largest offer of work, numerous additional benefits for members and business partners and help in finding a first full-time job; K6/4 - a cultural institution combining artistic and computer production and a platform for the presentation of independent cultural production both in Slovenia and internationally; ŠOU Hostel (Celica Hostel) - one of the most beautiful youth hostels in Europe, providing quality accommodation and service for guests and acting as an agent for excursions and journeys around Slovenia. Also offers quality tourist information and contributes to the promotion and development of youth tourism in Slovenia; Radio Študent - a radio station broadcasting programmes of various types (education, art, information, music). Also trains young people as journalists and for other functions at the radio station; ŠOLT - an educational institution offering a wide range of educational courses and workshops; Študentska Založba publishing company - encompassing the following imprints: Beletrina, Claritas, ČKZ, Koda and Scripta. Also publishes the online newspaper Air Beletrina and runs the Student Book Club and the Podmornica bookshop; ŠOU Sport - organising sports education courses and training, student league competitions and championships and various large-scale events of a sporting character.