Question 1

Why should I join the Architecture Chapter?

Accepted Answer

There are lots of reasons to join the Architecture Chapter! For many members, the chapter is a place to make friends with fun people from other studios or years, and a way to take part in student life at KTH, such as pubs, dinners and other large and small events. Through the chapter, there are also many opportunities to connect with future employers, not least at the yearly business relations fair held by the chapter association Arkipelago.The chapter is also the best way to create change in education, as we work as a union for architecture students at KTH where members can turn if the school is not up to par.Being a member of the chapter means that you are also a member of THS, the KTH student union, which gives you discounts at the student union's restaurant, and a place in the SSSB housing queue. All this for just one krona a day!

Question 2

What does the board of the chapter do?

Accepted Answer

The board is the executive body of the chapter, and between chapter meetings the highest decision-making body of the chapter. The board leads and coordinates the work of the chapter in accordance with the governance documents and with the decisions of the chapter meetings, represents the chapter within the THS Student Union, and the architecture students at KTH in other external contact. The chapter budget, booking premises, and contact with the school management and chapter members are some examples of what the board is involved in. Every week the board meets for board meetings where current issues are discussed. All chapter members have the right to attend these meetings. Please contact the chairman in advance via email or Slack if you would like to attend.

Question 3

What is a chapter meeting?

Accepted Answer

Chapter meetings (SM) are usually held four times a year and constitute the forum where most major decisions regarding the chapter are made. At SM, the chapter's elected representatives, such as the board and committee heads, are also chosen. All members of the Architecture Chapter have voting rights at chapter meetings. The first chapter meeting of the academic year is SM4, which is held in September.

Question 4

What is the THS Student Union?

Accepted Answer

THS stands for the Student Union of the Institute of Technology (Tekniska Högskolans Studentkår) and is the umbrella organization that all chapters at KTH are part of. THS works with issues such as educational quality and business contacts, and with creating a vibrant student life on campus. The modernist icon Kårhuset Nymble also houses study places, restaurants, and premises for student clubs and societies, such as Quarnevalen, the THS Armada job fair and the student union newspaper Osqledaren. THS is governed by the Management Team and the Union Board, both of which consist of students who work full- or part-time at the student union, as well as by the THS Union Council (KF), to which each chapter sends one or more¹ representatives, elected at a chapter meeting (SM).¹ The number of representatives depends on the number of members in the chapter.

Question 5

What is the difference between an association and a society?

Accepted Answer

The big difference is that the associations manage their own finances through a budget set by the head of finance, which makes the associations larger operations with more complex finances. The societies' finances are controlled through the central chapter budget, which allocates a set amount to each society. This makes the societies somewhat more flexible. In general, the societies also focus more on student influence, with the exception of the Sports society and the Events society.

Question 6

How do you join an association or a society?

Accepted Answer

At the beginning of each academic year, the associations and societies usually put up recruitment posters, so these are worth looking out for! If you want to join an association or society after the recruitment period, or if you don't see a poster for the one you want to join, the easiest way is to contact the head of the association or society by email or Slack. Email addresses for associations and societies can be found on their respective pages on this website.

Question 7

What is the Mega council?

Accepted Answer

The Mega council consists of parts of the board and all heads of associations. The purpose of the Mega council is to coordinate the work within the chapter and facilitate communication between the associations and the board.

Question 8

What is student influence?

Accepted Answer

The Swedish Higher Education Authority defines student influence as "your right as a student to exercise influence over your education. Student influence exists, among other reasons, to ensure that the education is of good quality. Quality work is a joint responsibility of the university's staff and the students". Within the Architecture Chapter, the board position of program responsible student (PAS) is primarily responsible for student influence, but several of the chapter's societies also deal with student influence - the Sustainability society, the International society, the EDI society and the Study society.

Question 9

What is the Student influence council?

Accepted Answer

The Student influence council is a meeting between the program responsible (PAS) and the heads of the chapter's study monitoring societies: the Sustainability society, the International society, the EDI society and the Study society. At the meeting, current issues are discussed and the societies have the opportunity to pass on important information to the program responsible (and vice versa).

Question 10

What is the difference between statutes, bylaws and policies?

Accepted Answer

The statutes are the highest-level governance document and stipulates the main principles of the chapter. The statutes are mainly strategic.The bylaws are a complement to the statutes and determines how the statutes are to be followed in practice, defining board positions, associations and societies and terms of office. The bylaws are mainly operational.Policies are governance documents with which the board can define and regulate different processes within the chapter. Each policy concerns a certain aspect of the chapter operations, such as communication or the serving of alcohol.

THE ARCHITECTURE CHAPTER

FAQ