The Student Union of the University of Turku will grant honors and recognitions on its anniversary on November 9, 2024. This year, the Student Union's Honour Committee received a record number of nominations for individuals who have actively participated in the activities of the student union or its organizations, or who are otherwise close to the student union. A total of 802 nominations were submitted, breaking the previous record from 2022 by more than a hundred nominations.
the Honour Committee of the Student Union of the University of Turku is meeting today to decide on the distribution of honors to distinguished students. The Honour Committee consists of six alumni of the student union, the chair of the student union's representative council, and the secretary general of the student union.
Most of the nominations were received in the Union Ribbon category (513 nominations), which can be awarded to both members of the student union and non-members who have actively participated in the student union's activities or are otherwise closely connected to it.
According to the chair of the Honour Committee, Tuomas Dahlström, reading the nominations has given the committee a glimpse of how beautifully the nominated individuals have been described and how many active students are involved in organizations and the student union.
- On behalf of the entire Honour Committee, I want to thank everyone for the nominations we received and, even more so, for the work done by those nominated for the student community. We aim to reward as many individuals as possible, considering the rules of the student union, Dahlström states.
According to the student union's administrative rules, a maximum of two Ribbons of honour, four ribbons of praise, twelve Badges of praise, and 24 Union Badges can be awarded. The Honour Committee has discretion regarding the awarding of Union Ribbons and table standards.
The most difficult decision will be in the Union Badge category. The Union Badges are intended especially for distinguished organization members.
- The number of badges available has been gradually increased at regular intervals. Nearly 200 nominations were received for Union Badges, but with only 24 badges to award, the committee faces a difficult decision, Dahlström notes.
When distributing the awards, the Honour Committee strives to ensure equal representation of faculties, genders, and campuses as much as possible. The recipients of the honors will be contacted personally, and the awards will be presented at the student union's representative council's ceremonial meeting on November 9, 2024.