The By-Laws of the Finnish Student Health Service
The by-laws were last updated on 9 February 2024.
§ 1 Name and place of registered office
The name of the Foundation is Ylioppilaiden terveydenhoitosäätiö sr in Finnish, Studenternas hälsovårdsstiftelse sr in Swedish and the Finnish Student Health Service sr in English. In addition to its name, the Foundation may also use the abbreviation FSHS (YTHS in Finnish) in its activities. The Foundation’s registered office is in Helsinki.
§ 2 Purpose
The purpose of the Foundation is to organise student healthcare for those studying in universities, other institutions of higher education, and where possible other comparable educational institutions, and to support and promote scientific research that in one way or another serves the above-mentioned purpose.
§ 3 Fulfilling its purpose
In order to fulfil its purpose the Foundation may carry out health checks and organise student healthcare and medical care, mental health services and oral healthcare, and primary healthcare and medical care services, including mental health and substance abuse services, services for the promotion of sexual health, and oral healthcare.
The Foundation is responsible for promoting and monitoring the health and safety of study environments and the wellbeing of study communities. The Foundation’s duties include monitoring and promoting students’ health, wellbeing and ability to study.
To help fulfil its purpose the Foundation may also carry out any other appropriate activities. In seeking to fulfil its purpose the Foundation may act by itself, through companies owned partly or wholly by the Foundation, and in collaboration with other organisations.
§ 4 Funds
The Foundation’s operating funds consist of the assets transferred to it by the National Union of University Students in Finland as set out in the Charter issued by the Union on 13 February 1954.
§ 5 Asset accumulation
The Foundation has the right to accept donations, bequests and grants and to accumulate assets in other legitimate ways.
§ 6 Administration
The Foundation has a Council, a Board of Trustees, Regional Management Teams appointed by the Board and other bodies as decided by the Board.
The Foundation may have a Managing Director as well as a Deputy Managing Director. The duties of the Board of Trustees and the Managing Director are set out in the Foundations Act and in the Foundation’s Rules of Procedure in more detail.
§ 7 The Council
The Council consists of a minimum of 24 and a maximum of 30 members. The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) appoints nine representatives, seven of them on the recommendation of student unions falling under the Foundation’s responsibility. The National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK appoints nine representatives, seven of them on the recommendation of student unions from universities of applied sciences.
The Ministry of Education and Culture, the National Institute for Health and Welfare, the Association of Finnish Local and Regional Authorities, Finnish Student Health Service staff, the Rectors’ Council of Finnish Universities (UNIFI) and the Rectors’ Conference of Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences (Arene) each appoint one representative. Other Council members are elected by the Council.
If one of the authorities, institutions or collectives mentioned above fails to select a member for the Council in due time, that member will be elected by the Council.
Minors or those who have been appointed a guardian, or whose legal capacity has been restricted, or who have been declared bankrupt cannot serve as Council members.
Council members are elected for two calendar years at a time.
Whenever a member is temporarily prevented from participating in Council activities, the authority, institution or collective that elected the member in question can authorise a deputy member to serve on the member’s behalf for a specified time for the task mentioned in the authorisation.
The parties that have the right to appoint a Council member also have the right to remove that member from the Council during its term of office. If a Council member stands down or is removed or if a Council member’s seat otherwise becomes vacant during the Council’s term of office, the party that appointed the member in question has the right to appoint a new member for the remainder of the term.
The Council elects a Chair and a Vice Chair from among its members.
§ 8 Council meetings and matters considered
The Council shall convene for a spring meeting by the end of May and for an autumn meeting by the end of December as well as at any other times as requested by the Chair or, should the Chair be prevented from attending to their duties, by the Vice Chair. A meeting of the Council shall also be convened if at least one-third of Council members, or the Foundation’s Board of Trustees request in writing that the Council meet to consider a matter specified in the request.
A summons to the meeting shall be sent to Council members a minimum of two weeks before the day of the meeting.
At the spring meeting:
1. The annual report by the Board of Trustees will be presented;
2. The Foundation’s financial statements will be presented;
3. Measures arising from the previous accounting period will be discussed.
At the autumn meeting:
1. The budget and plan of operations will be presented;
2. When necessary, a Chair, a Vice Chair, a secretary, and members as referred to in § 7, items 2 and 3 will be elected to the Council;
3. When necessary, a Chair, a Vice Chair, other members and deputy members will be elected to the Board of Trustees;
4. When necessary, one to two auditors and up to two alternate auditors or an audit firm will be appointed to act as auditors for the Foundation. Only auditors approved by the Finnish Central Chamber of Commerce and audit firms can be appointed as auditors and alternate auditors.
Any other matters mentioned in the summons to the meeting will also be considered. Matters not mentioned in the summons to the meeting cannot be decided on at the Council meeting. The summons to a meeting must include any matter presented to the Chair in writing for the purpose of being included in the summons by a minimum of five Council members a minimum of three weeks before a Council meeting.
In all other respects, what has been set out in § 10 on decision-making by the Board of Trustees shall similarly apply to decision-making by the Council.
§ 9 The Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees (hereinafter “The Board”) consists of a minimum of five and a maximum of ten members elected for two calendar years at a time.
The National Union of University Students in Finland (SYL) and the National Union of Students in Finnish Universities of Applied Sciences – SAMOK each have the right to elect two members to the Board. Finnish Student Health Service staff have the right to elect one member to the Board. In addition to these, the Council may elect a maximum of five members to the Board.
Any party that appointed a Board member also has the right to remove that member from the Board during its term and to elect a new member for the remainder of the term. A decision by the Council to remove a Board member is valid if supported by a minimum of three-quarters of Council members. The right of parties to remove members elected by them does not apply to Board members whose term is ongoing when the amendment to the by-laws is registered.
The Board may appoint from within its members a working committee to prepare any matters that may arise. The Board will invite a person to act as its secretary.
The duties of the Board are set out in the Foundations Act and the Foundation’s Rules of Procedure in more detail.
§ 10 Decision-making
The Board’s Chair is responsible for convening meetings of the Board whenever necessary. The Board decides the means by which the summons to a meeting will be delivered.
A meeting constitutes a quorum when over half of the Board members are present. Only members selected for the Board count toward this number.
Any motion supported by more than half of the members present represents the Board’s decision unless a larger majority is prescribed by the Foundations Act or these By-Laws. A disqualified Board member is not considered present. In the event of a tie, the Chair has the casting vote.
In an election the person receiving more than half of the votes shall be elected. If no candidate receives more than half of the votes during the first round, a further election will be held between the two candidates with the most votes. In the event of a tie in the second round, the election will be decided by lot.
Minutes recording all decisions and votes will be taken at all Board meetings and signed by the meeting’s Chair and one member elected for this purpose during the meeting.
§ 11 Fees
Council and Board members and secretaries may be paid a customary and reasonable attendance fee and remuneration for travel expenses arising from attending the meeting and a customary and reasonable fee for any other work done on behalf of the Foundation.
§ 12 Accounting period
The Foundation’s accounting period is the calendar year.
§ 13 Representation
The Foundation shall be represented by the Board Chair and the Managing Director together or by one of them together with a Board member.
The Board may also appoint and authorise a person to represent the Foundation alone or together with the Chair, the Managing Director, a Board member or another person appointed by the Board.
§ 14 Amendments to the By-Laws
Unless otherwise decreed in the Foundations Act, the By-Laws of the Foundation may be amended if the proposed amendment is supported by more than half of the Board members.
The Council has the right to issue an opinion on the amendment.
§ 15 Cessation of activities
If the Foundation is dissolved or terminated, its assets shall be donated to a charitable cause whose activities coincide closely with those of the Foundation.
The Foundation can only be placed into liquidation and dissolved if this is supported by at least two-thirds of all Board members.
The Foundation may not be dissolved unless the Council has been heard before the decision is made to place the Foundation into liquidation. The Council shall also be heard concerning the use of any remaining assets.
§ 16 Entry into force
These by-laws were approved at a Board meeting on 30 October 2023 and by the Council on 13 December 2023, and registered with the Finnish Patent and Registration Office on 9 February 2024.