The Principal underlined three concepts during her intervention. First, she addressed the increment of the students’ representation in the Universitat de València. She also outlined that the co-management and the co-direction of the services have improved. Therefore, the student’s representatives become co-responsible of the management of the university. She also indicated that it is a new period for the Delegation of Students of the University.

The Delegation of Students is a unique model in Spain

The Principal delegates some of her tasks to one student that becomes the Delegate for Students. This model that has been adopted by the Universitat de València was influenced by the tradition appointing a student as the Vice-principal for Students. The promulgation of Organic Law of Universities (LOU) led to the creation of the Delegation of Students in 2002 to maintain a unique model in the Spanish University System.

Thus, a student signs up for becoming a member of the Executive Council of the university, which is the academic authority formed by the governing team of the principal.

This unique model permits that students participate directly in the management of the university and has been valued very positively in the past years. Actually, it has been supported by most student associations, including the Student Council.

The student Jordi Caparrós of the Faculty of Language Studies, Translation and Communication had been the Delegate since the second period of the former governing council.

The current Principal expressed her gratitude Jordi Caparrós’ keenness in the Delegation of Students, his fight for State and Valencian university, his commitment with the new policies promoted by the SeDi (such as the Diversidades programme) and his eagerness.

Jordi Caparrós expressed his gratitude to the University Executive Council for the trust and support that he had received. He also showed his gratitude to the Student Council and the group in which he started to represent students, the United Students Bloc (BEA). He appreciated the presence of the former delegates. The Principal had already recognised their commitment with the Universitat de València, as they have been present in all the assumptions of office of the last delegates of the university.  Finally, Jordi Caparrós wished Meme Elizalde the best luck.

Meme Elizalde is the new Representative of the Students

The Principal highlighted in her intervention her willingness to maintain the Delegation of Students and remembered that a new student will join the governing team of the University. As a member of the Executive Council, the delegate for students must share the policies of the university government.

Meme Elizalde is a current member of the senate of the Faculty of Law, where she studies the double-degree programme in Law and Criminology. She has recently joined the Executive Council as Delegate for Students. Meme took office earlier today in the Assembly Hall of the Office of the Principal of the University.

Meme Elizalde stands out because of her fight for equality, diversity and the state and Valencian nature of University. She supports an increase in the number of grants as well as a reduction of university tuition fees. She agrees with higher participation of students in the University life. She is the second women holding the position of Delegate for Students in its 16 years of existence.

The appointment of a new representative has been assessed by several student groups and three Assemblies of Representatives of Centrist Students (there is one per each Faculty and School). The Student Council Coordination Board has decided not to attend the event in order to be coherent with the positioning of the Assembly. Although it supports the existence of the Delegate for Students, they demand that all his competences are ceded to the Student Council.

The new objectives are increasing the representation of students, the co-management and the co-direction in the university
The Principal of the University outlined that, as she announced during the electoral campaign, she intends to increase the participation and the representation of students in the University. She wants to make progress in terms of co-direction, co-management and co-responsibility, as she had already explained to the members of the Student Council and to the representatives of the students in the Governing Council in a meeting that took place at e the beginning of the week.

The new representative highlighted that it is a new era for the delegation. It will be characterized by a higher participation of students in the university activities and the co-direction of the student policies and services. Students will be represented in the Assembly of Representatives (ADR) and in the Student Council (AGE). The representation of students will be also increased in the procedures of participation and dialogue with the associations and collectives of the Universitat de València.

The new model of the Delegation of Students
The coordinator of the Student Council expressed that he expects that the lack of agreement in specific issues does not drag out the project and the collaboration, so that consensus can be reached by means of dialogue and negotiation. The Student Council has good intentions and is committed to improve the university every day.

In this sense, the principal of the University has taken several decisions in the past weeks that endorse the AGE, such as the creation of a permanent head office for its coordination with the Delegation of Students and the provision of administrative services.

Due to her commitment to give voice to the students, the Principal agreed that the coordinator of the Student Council joined the Governing Council of the Universitat de València as a full member with voting rights.

These decisions strengthen the role of the Student Council. Since Tuesday, the new Delegate for Students and the Coordinator of the Student Council have already met several times with the Principal and the service affiliated to the Delegation for Students in order to improve the decision-making in immediate issues, such as the University Welcome Celebration of the next academic course.

The Principal insisted to the members of the coordination panel of the Student Council that a plan with specific measures and guidelines needed to be elaborated to work together in this new period in order to implement a series of agreed initiatives with the students’ representation of the Universitat de València.