Proposed by: VSS-UNES-USU

Adopted at: BM 57, November 2009

For representative Students Bodies in Berne (Switzerland) and everywhere.

At the 26th of November 2009 the Parliament of the Swiss Canton Bern expressed his will to abolish the Students Body of the University of Berne as an democratic
organisation with automatic membership of all Students.

With this move, the „Grosse Rat des Kanton Bern“ deprive the Students in Berne of their rights and possibilites for legitimate, democratic participation in their university and endangers a successfull students organisation that not only shows many best practice in students participation but also offers a various of student centered services improving the study‐conditions for over 11'000 members.

The parliament took this decision against the explicit recommandation of Berne’s
Goverment and of the leading bodies of the university. It shows a pitoyable ignorance of the academic community in questions of their selfregulation,
Students Participation is a key factor in the strive for better universities. The abolishing of a succesfull, represantive students body is therefore also a direct attact on the quality of a higher education institution.

The decade long european wide effort for improving Higher Education, represented through the Bologna‐Process, names as one of its core elements the participation of students. This decision puts the Canton Berne therefore outside this international struggle for better Higher Education, fit fort the challenges of this new century.

We, the Students of Europe, call on the authorities of the Canton Berne and especially on the „Grosse Rat“ to reconsider its decision. Instead of further weakening the fabric of participative culture the university of tomorrow needs even more involvement of its stakeholder. We call on you as a parliament in one of the famoust democracies in the world: Take in this matter the side of democracy, it is the only way to solve the problems of the future.