Equality affairs
The main thread in Röskva's operation is the idea of equality in education for everyone, regardless of sex, gender, sexuality, economic status, religion, background, residence, disability, sickness, social status, or other circumstances. Discrimination on the grounds of these factors is a current problem and myriad hindrances stand in the way of equal opportunities. It is important to improve understanding and awareness of equality in the university community, as well as with society as a whole, and work towards abolishing stereotypes and gender norms, e.g. in regard to societal and gender-based discrimination. Röskva wants to ensure that student's rights are nowhere broken at the University of Iceland
-MENTAL HEALTH AFFAIRS-
MORE THERAPISTS
Röskva will continue to fight for an increased number of practising psychologists at the University, as they have increased from one to four in the past four years as a result of Röskva representatives in the majority.
MORE TREATMENT OPTIONS
Röskva demands that treatment resources will increase and that more diverse mental health services (such as support groups guided by licensed therapists, cognitive behavioural therapy and individual interviews) will be made available to students so that most can benefit from them.
ON-CAMPUS NURSE
Röskva wants the university to have an on-campus nurse who could, among other things, provide preventative care and early intervention for both physical and mental health challenges.
HEALTH CLINIC ON CAMPUS
Röskva wants a health clinic for students in the vicinity of the university to provide students with holistic health care.
INCREASED FLEXIBILITY IN COURSE ASSESSMENT
Students are as diverse as they are many. Röskva demands that the different circumstances of students be taken into account, with greater flexibility in the course assessment system. It is not suitable for everyone to have attendance assessed for a grade, to name an example.
-LGBTQIA+ Affairs-
RÖSKVA WORKS ON LGBTQIA+ AFFAIRS
Röskva objects to the presupposed gender binary and cis-heteronormativity. It is important to increase the University of Iceland’s co-operation with the interest organisations of LGBTQIA+ people, especially the Q-association. This work is extremely important as education based on a gender binary system perpetuates stereotypes, discrimination, stigma and prejudice.
GENDER NEUTRAL BATHROOMS
The University of Iceland should ensure a gender-neutral bathroom in every building on campus. It is vital that bathroom accessibility be available to all students. This is a fundamental human right.
MORE DIVERSE GENERATION REGISTRATION
A neutral gender-registration is bound by law, and the University of Iceland shall thus ensure a neutral option on every platform where gender-registration is required.
GENDER NEUTRAL SPEECH AND IMPROVED QUEER DISCUSSION
The University, its students and staff shall respect the personal pronouns of every individual. The use of personal pronouns that do not fit within the gender-binary, e.g. they, hán and héð need to be inserted into everyday language, and all University content should assume a gendered neutrality. Addressing groups in a gender-neutral way also needs to be colloqialised.
EMPOWERMENT OF LGBTQIA+ INTEREST ASSOCIATIONS WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
Röskva wants the university community to seek advice from LGBTQIA+ associations with LGBTQIA+ affairs, e.g. the Q-association. Röskva wants to encourage that the education that the Q-association gives is paid for by those who order it. Röskva therefore also wants to encourage the University of Iceland to establish an educational fund that will be paid for each educational project.
RÖSKVA WANTS THE SHÍ STUDENT INTERESTS REPRESENTATIVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON MATTERS REGARDING LGBTQIA+ STUDENTS
Röskva wants to ensure that in the event of problems concerning queer students, SHÍ's student interest representative has the necessary knowledge of the issues of queer people that they are in a position to handle matters correctly and well.
VISIBILITY OF LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE
Röskva wants to increase the visibility of queer students by including them among the staff, in study materials, projects and advertisements for the university. In addition, Röskva wants to make sure that queer people are visible in the work of the Student Council and Röskva.
LGBTQIA+ EDUCATION
Röskva wants all staff and students of the University of Iceland to receive valuable information about the LGBTQIA+ community, and such education should be a compulsory part of the retraining of the university's teachers. Education on LGBTQIA+ affairs is easily accessible from the Q-association of queer students and the Samtökin ‘78 – the National Queer Association of Iceland. Moreover, it is possible to look for staff who have knowledge of LGBTQIA+ issues.
UPDATED EDUCATIONAL CONTENT
Röskva wants all education to be in step with the times we live in, and reflect the diversity of human life. It shall not be suited to preserve or produce outdated stereotypes, discrimination or discourse about LGBTQIA+ people.
RESEARCH ON LGBTQIA+ AFFAIRS
Röskva encourages further research on queer individuals and their experiences, in consultation with the queer community in Iceland. Röskva also wants to see more courses that deal specifically with queer issues where different variables are intertwined.
GENDER NEUTRAL CHANGING ROOMS
It is important that the campus facilities are accessible to all, regardless of gender identity. In addition to gender neutral bathrooms, gender neutral changing rooms should be available in the university gym as well as in other places on campus.
-Equality for People of Foreign Origin-
EQUAL ACCESS TO EDUCATION REGARDLESS OF ORIGIN
Röskva demands that assignments and exams in English be available to students if they so wish. Furthermore, students should have the opportunity to attend courses in Icelandic, regardless of their major or the level of their language skills.
MEASURES TO INCREASE UNIVERSITY EDUCATION OF PEOPLE OF FOREIGN ORIGIN
Röskva wants the University of Iceland to show social responsibility and make it easier for people of foreign origin to access the university community. Projects such as “Sprettur” should be a priority at the University of Iceland and Röskva will contribute to this. This could be done in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture by e.g. working on a preparation and presentation of university studies which takes into consideration the position of people of foreign origin in the Icelandic education system.
-GENDER EQUALITY-
RÖSKVA CALLS FOR GENDER EQUALITY
Röskva wants to promote equality awareness within the University community as well as that of the entire community. Also, gender stereotypes and systematic discrimination must be eliminated. Rösvka seeks to work with the various interest associations of the university.
THE EQUALITY PROTOCOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND
The equality protocol of the University of Iceland should, without exception, be respected and ensure equality within the school.
EQUALITY EDUCATION
Gender-based harassment and violence shall not be tolerated within the University, nor the community. It is crucial that teachers are specially prepared to handle discrimination and bullying. Teachers should furthermore never talk down to a specific ethnic group or nationality, or encourage prejudice. It is important to always enforce the university’s equal rights policy and ensure that equality education shall be mandatory for faculty and available for students.
DIVERSITY WITHIN SHÍ’S COMMITTEES
Röskva wants SHÍ’s committees to reflect the diversity within the University. Röskva deems it important that various voices of genders should be heard in all of the Student Council’s work and Röskva shall enforce that no committee is wholly one-gendered. Transgender and gender-queer individuals shall not be discriminatied
MORE EQUAL GENDER DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE STUDENT BODY
There is a substantial gender deficit within a few departments of the University of Iceland. Röskva wants the University to promote those faculties in all secondary schools in Iceland to correct this deficit. All promotional- and educational materials would then be put together to depict the genders equally at work. Furthermore, there has to be an equal gender balance with presenters on university presentation days.
MORE EQUAL GENDER DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE UNIVERSITY FACULTY
The higher up the rank within the University's faculties, the greater the gender gap in favor of men. Röskva wants to draw attention to this and wants the university to make an effort to counteract such a deficit with the aim of ensuring equal gender ratios and increasing diversity among staff and within the university's faculties.
RÖSKVA WORKS ON ISSUES RELATED TO LGBTQIA+ PEOPLE
Röskva believes that the preconception of a binary gender system and cis-heteronormativity must be annihilated. The cooperation between the University of Iceland and the LGBTQIA+ campaigning organisations must be increased to promote discussion on LGBTQIA+ issues.
MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS
The University should provide menstrual products for students and staff, much like any hygiene products. Menstrual products should thus be easily accessible in every bathroom on campus.
RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE AND HARASSMENT
It is important that the University of Iceland, the Student Council, the School Council’s and all student unions raise awareness on the University’s Professional Council on responding to gender-related and sexual harassment and other sexual violence, which assists all students and staff at the university
-Matters of disabled people-
ACCESS FOR EVERYONE: BUILDINGS
Röskva wants all buildings, rooms, offices and other spaces that are part of the University to be accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities and chronically ill people. Röskva demands that accessibility issues at the University be a priority.
ACCESS FOR EVERYONE: EDUCATION
Röskva demands that no one be forced or feel pressured to drop out of the education they want to pursue, e.g. because of disability or sickness. Study material must be in the form that best suits the student and must be available from the beginning of teaching in order to prevent people from dropping out of school due to poor accessibility. Examples include audio books, Braille books, and easy-to-read text. There should also be room for assistants and interpreters in teaching.
THE UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND SHOULD HAVE A SIMPLE AND ACCESSIBLE FEEDBACK SYSTEM
There is not enough information on accessibility to university buildings and Röskva demands it be changed immediately. Röskva wants to make it possible to send in suggestions regarding the lack of access to UI housing, violations of students' interests and the like with an effective feedback system.
RÖSKVA WANTS BRAILLE MARKINGS AND GUIDELINES IN ALL BUILDINGS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ICELAND
The university authorities have promised to mark the university's rooms and offices with Braille and guidelines on the floor. It is especially important to repair the guideline at Háskólatorg and add more guidelines to all the university's buildings.
IMPROVED STUDY RESOURCES AND TEACHING SPACES
Röskva demands that individuals’ needs for special resources due to disability or learning difficulties be respected. No classroom should solely have seats with attached tables. This arrangement is unsuitable for individuals who use wheelchairs or other aids, as well as other individuals due to their physique. It is unacceptable that individual students cannot sit at a table during lessons.
GYM AND FITNESS MADE ACCESSIBLE
The university gym is inaccessible to students in wheelchairs and others with reduced mobility. Röskva wants the gym and fitness to be accessible to all students.
ACCESS OUTSIDE THE UNIVERSITY
Röskva wants all trips organised by the University, student associations, the Student Council and other associations within the university to be accessible to everyone. Teachers should ensure accessibility for all students when going on field trips.
STUDENTS IN THE DECISION-MAKING
It is essential that students with disabilities are able to take part in all decision-making concerning the issues of disabled people.
P-MARKED PARKING SPACE ON CAMPUS
It must be ensured that P-marked parking spaces on the campus meet the requirements of building regulations and are in fact for those who need them, i.e. for those that have parking cards for persons with reduced mobility. The number of such parking spaces on campus should also be increased beyond the minimum number according to regulations.
PRODUCT ARRANGEMENT IN HÁMA
The arrangement of products in Háma should be vertical so that people of all sizes and physical abilities can access products in Háma on their own.