About us

The Students’ Parliament of the University of Warsaw is the legislative body of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw within the meaning of Article 110 section 2 point 2 of the Act of 20 July 2018 – Law on Higher Education and Science.

History

The beginnings of the Students’ Parliament of the University of Warsaw are directly related to the development of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw in the fall of 1980. The inaugural sitting of the Parliament, then known as the University Student Representation of the University of Warsaw, took place on 7 December 1980. It was the first permanent university body of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw. Despite facing interruptions during the challenging 1980s for self-governance, and undergoing numerous organizational changes in the subsequent decades, the Parliament continues to serve as the university-wide student representation.

Structure

The Students’ Parliament of the University of Warsaw consists of:

President of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw – ex officio;

members – elected.

The allocation of parliamentary seats to specific units is contingent upon the unit’s student population. This determination is made by the Electoral Committee of the Students’ Union at the University of Warsaw no later than 10 October. For units with fewer than 500 students, a member is elected by the Students’ Council of the unit. In units boasting more than 500 students, one member is designated by the Students’ Council of the unit, while additional members are elected by the unit’s students through general elections, taking place from 20 October to 15 November.

The term of the Parliament spans one year, starting on the day of the inaugural sitting of the Parliament of a given term, which takes place at the end of November. This term concludes on the day preceding the first sitting of the Parliament for the new term.

The work of Parliament is directed by the Speaker, who is assisted by Deputy Speakers – collectively, they constitute the Presidium of the Parliament. The functioning of this body is further facilitated by parliamentary committees, with three standing committees in particular: Budget and Finance Committee, Legal-Regulatory Committee and Scrutiny Committee.

Activities

The competences of the Students’ Parliament of the University of Warsaw include:

enacting the Regulations of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw and expound them;

enacting a Code of Ethics for Students;

expressing consent to the content of the Rules of Study at the University of Warsaw;

giving opinions on the draft budget of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

resolving competence disputes between the bodies of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

co-submitting the candidature of the Vice-Rector of the Univeristy of Warsaw whose responsibilities include student affairs;

deciding to undertake university-wide action or strike;

granting discharge to the President of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw and members of the Board of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

election of the Speaker, Deputy Speakers and members of committees of the Students’ Parliament of the University of Warsaw;

election of the President of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

approval of the composition of the Board of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

election of members of the Revision Committee of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

election of members of the Electoral Committee of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

partial election of members of the Board of Appeals of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw;

election of student representatives in the Senate of the University of Warsaw;

election of student representatives in the Electoral College of the University of Warsaw;

election of candidates for the committees of the Senate of the University of Warsaw;

election of candidates for the University Electoral Committee of the University of Warsaw;

election of candidates for disciplinary committees;

overseeing the activities of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw bodies whose members it elects and the members of those bodies.

The Parliament meets at least once a month, excluding July, August and September. If necessary, an extraordinary meeting may be called. The dates for regular sessions can be found in the Ordinary Sittings Calendar [go to calendar].

Parliament sittings are open to the public and accessible to all. These sittings typically occur in room 200, located on the second floor of the Board of the Students’ Union of the University of Warsaw building at Krakowskie Przedmieście 24, with access from the courtyard (Mały Dziedziniec). Alternatively, sittings may be held in a remote or hybrid format. The sitting agenda is proposed by the Speaker, following opionion from the Presidium of the Parliament, at least seven days before the scheduled sitting. The agenda and the format or location of the sitting are determined by the Speaker’s decision for each sitting. Information about upcoming sittings are regularly posted on the Parliament website [go to news].

During Parliament sessions, the right to speak is generally extended to all interested, with priority granted to members. Moreover, a group of 100 students possesses legislative initiative, entitling them to submit draft resolutions to the Parliament.