Please support the VSStÖ!

**Konfuzi** · 09-05-24, 11:57

The Socialist Students Union of Austria (de: Verband Sozialistischer StudentInnen Österreichs, VSStÖ) is a socialist student organization at Austrian universities. One of our priority subjects is equal chance for everybody. For that reason we fight for the free access to the universities.
Students, which are do not have the nationality of an European Economic Area (EEA)-Country, do not have the right to run for an office in the Austrian Student Union (ÖH). Therefore, we fight for passive electoral rights for every student in Austria.
To reach this goal, we need a strong student union on the federal level, which can promote the changes necessary with the federal government (Bundesregierung) and the parliament (Nationalrat).

Why vote?
Esspecially for a foreign student it is very important to vote in the elections of the Students Union of Austria (Österreichische Hochschülerschaft – ÖH). This is one of the rare possibilities to be part of the democratic process in Austria.
The ÖH is not only a service institution, it also represents you towards university professors, the executive board of the university and the Austrian government. You are part of the JKU! Your vote matters! If you want an active Student Union that supports your interest – please support the VSStÖ!

The Students Union supports you:
Departments of the Student Union like the “AusländerInnenreferat” (Department for foreigners) and the “Sozialreferat” (Department for social affairs) are important advice centres for students.

The Students union represents you:
Give the interests of students a strong voice! The students union represents you towards the executive board of the university and the federal government.

How to vote?
You will receive two separate ballot cards: one for the election of the representation at study program level (Studienrichtungsvertretungen StV) and one for the election of the student union at university level (Universitätsvertretung).

Election 1: Studienrichtungsvertretung (StV) – Representation at study programme level
You can vote for your representation at study program level for each study programme you attend. Depending on the size of the student program there are three or five mandates.
Attention: You cannot vote for more persons as there are designated mandates in the student program representation level. E.g: The representation in the student program for law has five mandates. If you vate for six persons on the ballot, your vote is invalid.
Election 2: Student union at university and federal level
On this level, you have to vote for one of the student parties (e.g. VSStÖ, IKS & Unabhängige). If you put your cross on two parties, your vote is invalid.
Attention: You vote at university level counts double. If you vote for one student party on the university level your vote also counts for this student party at the federal level!

Where you can vote?
Halle C Kepler Gebäude (opposite to the Ch@t Café)

When you can vote?
Dienstag, 26. Mai: 10:00 bis 18:00 Uhr
Mittwoch, 27. Mai: 09:00 bis 21:00 Uhr
Donnerstag, 28. Mai: 09:00 bis 15:05 Uhr

Questions? Don’t hesitate to contact us: office@linz.vsstoe.at

Our goals:

Abolition of student tuition fees
Although there has been an improvement concerning the tuition fees, most of the foreign students still have to pay them. Besides, most of the them face unequal treatment, like restricted access to the labour market, problems with visa, hardly access to subsidies, etc. The VSStÖ fights for the abolition of tuition fees for everybody.

Specialized German courses
The German courses held at our university are very general. We need specialized German courses, which deal with the technical terms of each faculty (SOWI, JUS, TNF).
More time for exams
Some professors allow that people who are learning German get 10 extra-minutes for their exams. The VSStÖ demands, that this extra time rule will be implemented for the whole university. If German is not your mother tongue, you should be given more time to understand the exam questions.

Equalization in benefits and grants
Not everyone has access to benefits. People who get no family subsidies have no access to semester discount cards (Semesterticket). The VSStÖ believes that every student should have an equal access to benefits, grants and discount cards.

Aldo Perez-Enriquez
Political secretary of the VSStÖ

Democratic participation has been for me always a very important element to feel part of the society where I’m living in. Political commitment is an important part of my life as it allows me to contribute to this society. At the university, the VSStÖ is the only organization, which deals actively with the problems of foreign students. As a foreign student myself (from a non EEA country) I am allowed to vote in the student union elections, but I cannot be elected. This discrimination must stop!

The VSStÖ demands:
active and passive electoral rights
abolishment of tuition fees
equalization in benefits, grants and discount cards
10 extra-minutes time for the exams for students who are still learning German.
Specialized German courses for each faculty.
Equal access to the labour market
Fair student visas policy

More Information: VSStÖ Linz